YES supporters across Scotland are being asked to join in a unique piece of research about the 2014 independence referendum.
The PhD research project is being conducted by Maike Dinger (below), a graduate of the University of Munster in Germany, and is supervised by the universities of Stirling and Strathclyde with support from the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities.
The project is entitled Fiction(s) of Political Participation and aims to discuss the role of culture and media in the constitutional debate on the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, with a specific focus on cultural engagement, grassroots activism and political participation.
As such, it aims to collect and include the different voices of those who experienced and took part in the debate on Scottish independence – no matter their role in society and Scottish public life.
Dinger explains: “By comparing literary and media representations of ‘popular participation’ to first-hand accounts and statements by cultural and media elites as well as citizens, this project adds a crucial new dimension to the critical engagement with the different voices of the Scottish independence debate.
“This includes also those voices that have been less frequently included in official media coverage and debate, on political stages and bookshelves. Therefore, this project seeks to record personal accounts and memories from citizens like yourself who experienced and participated in the debate. This will add crucial new perspectives to the ongoing debate on Scottish independence and its memorialisation.”
This next point will strike a chord with a lot of Yes voters and National readers – remember, this newspaper only started to give a voice to Yessers when we were founded after the referendum. She said: “It is important that ordinary voters and their perspectives are included in histories of the 2014 indyref. At the time, newspaper coverage and TV debates revolved around the opportunities and potential dangers of Scottish independence.
READ MORE: Voices for Scotland in appeal for volunteers ahead of indyref2
“Many people in Scotland took to the streets and town squares to talk about the future of this country. You may have participated in the debate in various ways: by distributing leaflets, organising talks and readings, sharing your opinions with friends and family or strangers over a pint at the pub.
“Your contribution matters and I am interested in your memories and reflections on the referendum and referendum campaign in relation to how you were involved in the debate. How did you participate in the referendum campaign and debate? Did you become politically active? Did you organise or attend events that discussed the referendum?”
Find out more online at campuspress.stir.ac.uk/indyrefproject
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