ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, it sets the scene for the book as a whole by telling the sociological story of Scotland in the twentieth century. Second, it highlights the key processes which have driven social change in the country, and around which much of the sociological debate about Scotland has taken shape. The rest of the book will then outline these debates to provide a sociology of the country. First, however, let us tell Scotland's story in sociological terms.1
