ABSTRACT
The previous chapter demonstrated growing levels of nationalism in Scotland, which correspond fairly well with the predictions of the regionalism model. However, the longitudinal study was able to examine only the correlations between regionalism and the independent variables across time. This chapter analyses the relationships between the variables qualitatively, aiming to understand why and how they are related. It furthers the analysis through discussing causality, rather than correlation. The discussion focuses on whether the theoretical connections proposed in Chapter 2 can actually be discovered in the development of Scottish nationalism. The purpose is mainly to explore these connections, rather than to confirm them. The analysis draws on qualitative data from regional newspapers and SNP election manifestos, as well as on secondary literature on Scottish nationalism. The findings indicate that European integration provides an important reason for the growth in nationalism in the 1990s, whereas economic growth seems to be a crucial reason in both the 1970s and the 1990s.
