ABSTRACT
Studying “Britishness” poses particular problems. The political constitution of Great Britain has undergone a radical transformation in the past decade, leading to a devolved parliament for Scotland and an assembly for Wales, both of which have given new political expression to national identities which are distinct from “British” and yet intimately connected. “Englishness,” in contrast, seems an indistinct concept, perhaps synonymous with “Britishness,” perhaps on the verge of finding its own characteristic articulation. And as the already complex nature of Britishness reconfigures, the relationship of Great Britain to Europe has been a source of increased and lively public debate. This chapter reports on research conducted in England and Scotland in summer and autumn 2000 to investigate national, pluralist and supranationalist views of Britain and the EU.
