Yomna Nagah

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SSCI-102: WORLD CULTURE & DIVERSITY

Instructor: Dr. Nihal ElShimy

YOMNA NAGAH
DINA AHMED

1710828
1610156
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Table of Content:

Scotland
1. Introduction---------------------------------------------------------

2. Culture and Society-------------------------------------------

 Stereotypes-----------------------------------
 Educational system ---------------------------------------
 Genderism-------------------------------------
 Business ethics ----------------------------
 Art------------------------
 clothes---------------------------
 Traditions & Customs-----------------------------
 Music------------------------------------------------
 Religion---------------------------------------------
 Food & Products-----------------------------------

3. Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------
4. References------------------------------------------------------------
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Scotland
Scotland has a rich culture which is distinct from the other nations in the UK,
though has similarities (as is typical for countries which are located close together).
Scottish people are often fiercely proud of their culture, which in the past was the
target of attempts to suppress it to create a single "British" culture - based on
English culture. Today, in more enlightened times, Scotland's cultural
achievements are evident in numerous areas and are flourishing.
The country has a great tradition of festivals (e.g. the Edinburgh Festivals),
literature and achievement in the arts. Since the Scottish Enlightenment that
followed the Act of Union, it has produced some of the greatest literary
personalities, thinkers and writers of the world.

Stereotypes of Scotland
. Scotland has a reputation as a nation of heavy drinkers.
This is a reputation based on the past. These days Scots prefer quality over quantity and, as they
produce the best whisky in the world, outstanding gins, and superb craft ales, this is a good thing.
Add to this a rise in wonderful coffee shops and tasty non-alcoholic alternatives and you can see
why the idea of the drunk Scot is no longer accurate.

. Some people think Scotland and England the same.

Actually, Scotland is an entirely different nation to England. To call a Scottish person English is
not the best idea in the world; they have many similarities with their cousins south of the border
and love them dearly, but are also extremely proud of their own identity and heritage. Listen to
the accent, or play it safe and assume every local you meet in Scotland is Scottish, as not all were
born here; Scotland is a welcoming wee nation.
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. No one can understand Scottish people

In certain places in Scotland they have various accents and have changed their words slightly so
yes in these places they do not speak clear English.  An example would be, “fit like?” translates
to “how are you?”

. All Scottish people wear kilts

No they do not all wear kilts. Men only tend to wear kilts at celebrations like weddings and
parties.  Women rarely wear kilts unless they are doing Scottish dancing or are in a band of some
sort – men wear them then too. Sometimes, they wear kilts as a fashion item but very rarely.

. All Scotland eat haggis (a sheep’s stomach)

They do have haggis available in restaurants and it is popular on burns night however they do not
tend to eat it on a weekly basis.  It also tends to be a love/hate kind of food .

Educational system

Primary Education
Education is Scotland is different from elsewhere in the United Kingdom, in that the focus is
on the breadth of subject matter, as opposed to the depth of education in fewer subjects.
Children may enter primary school between ages 5 and 6 depending on their month of birth,
and remain there for 7 years.

Secondary Education
Four years of compulsory education at secondary school continue. Standard grade
examinations at age 15 / 16 cover 8 subjects, of which English, mathematics, a science
subject and a social subject are compulsory. As they wish, students may then either leave
school, or remain on to complete their higher or advanced examination. In certain private
schools they may study A-Levels instead.

Vocational Education

Students who have completed their compulsory standard grade at secondary school, also
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have the option of pursuing apprenticeships, or of enrolling for vocational education at

further education colleges.

Tertiary Education
There are a large number of high quality and venerable universities in Scotland. Of these the
most ancient is St Andrews, Fife, established by Papal Bull in 1413 and illustrated here. It is
also the third oldest in the English-speaking world after the Universities of Oxford and
Cambridge. 

The University is also heaped in traditions that include a student oath in Latin, the wearing
of academic dress and 2 University Chapels one with a full peal of 6 bells. The institution is
divided into 4 faculties, namely arts, divinity, medicine and science, each comprising a
number of departments.

Social structure

For most outsiders Scotland is about clans, battles, kilts, tartan etc. It must be said though that
this image is up to a certain point valid for the Highland-Gaelic area but doesn’t include the
lowlands of Scotland although most people, and specially the tourist agents, want us to belief
that. But let’s start with the typical images some of us have and deal with the other things that
make the Scots Scottish later.

Highland Clans
Many years ago the ruggedness of the land led to the separation of the Highlanders into small
groups called clans. Each clan was ruled by a chief, and the members of a clan claimed descent
from a common ancestor. The traditional garment of the Highland clansmen is the kilt (belted
plaid), which is suitable for climbing the rough hills. Each clan had its own colorful pattern for
weaving cloth and these patterns are called a tartan. Nowadays the kilt is no longer a historic
dress but a national costume, proudly worn for special occasions such as weddings etc. I have
heard that there are currently over 4,500 different tartans and you can even have your own tartan
if you like. Visit one of the many Woolen Mills you’ll find all over Scotland for some tartan
related products. The most renowned one is probably the Edinburgh Woolen Mill at the
beginning of the Royal Mile.
The clans aren’t something from the past, they are still here today. Currently there are more than
500 active clans registered all over the world and they all play an important role in maintaining
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and celebrating the Scottish traditions. There are annually more than 100 gatherings of the clans,
which draw many visitors to the Highland

Traditions

 Ceilidh
If you are staying in Scotland you are likely to hear about a ceilidh specially, if you stay in the
more traditional Highland hotels or smaller villages. A ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social
gathering, usually held in village halls and hotels, and involves playing folk music and dancing
and this is very much the case today. In the old days it was literary entertainment where stories
and tales were rehearsed and recited, and songs were sung. A ceilidh can be good fun and
entertaining and you can also work on your traditional Scottish dances which come in many
forms and paces to suite both the young and the old. Attending one is a must when you are
holidaying in Scotland.

 Tartans and kilts

There is nothing quite so Scottish as the image of a kilted, grizzled gent attached to some
bagpipes amidst a Highland glen. For centuries, the design of tartans has represented the family
lineage of the wearer. The idea being that Scots today wear the same tartan patterns as their
ancestors did in centuries’ past. I’ve taken my well-travelled family kilt all over the planet with
me and it’s amongst my proudest possessions. So, forms an odd, ‘second skin-like’, attachment
that I like to think Robertsons of old would have a chuckle over.

Religion
After you’ve spent the Friday or Saturday evening partying at a ceilidh or visited one of the many
pleasant pubs and bars you are likely to find out on Sunday that religion plays an important part
in Scotland. The Scottish Presbyterians is the official, as well as the largest, church in the
country. The Church of Scotland, as it is called, claims the adherence of nearly half the
population. Roman Catholics, particularly strong in the western Highlands, make up the second-
largest group of worshippers. After the church visit on Sunday morning you’ll find out something
that isn’t at all common in other European countries, the Sunday Paper. Don’t be surprised when
visiting a local shop in the Highlands that around two o’clock it suddenly becomes very crowded.
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The reason for that is the arrival of the Sunday Paper, bought by many and often accompanied
with a (wee) bottle of the national drink! While most of the readers go back home, others regard

this as an opportunity to visit the local pub and meet their friends.

Art

Scottish art is the body of visual art made in what is now Scotland, or about Scottish subjects,
since prehistoric times. It forms a distinctive tradition within European art, but the political union
with England has led its partial subsumation in British art.
There's a long history of internationally acclaimed Scottish artists that stretches back hundreds of
years. From the portraits of Henry Raeburn, to the distinctive designs of the Glasgow Boys and
the success of contemporary Scottish artists such as Jack Vettriano and Peter Howson.

Genderism
The Scottish Government is working to reduce and, ultimately, remove the barriers to equality
faced by women and men in Scotland. These barriers arise in a range of social and economic
spheres.

The Gender Equality team works across the Scottish Government to:

 promote equality of opportunity between women and men

 support colleagues in understanding, in all their diversity, the different needs of women
and men.
It all helps towards achieving the gender equality objectives that set out by a government.

Genderism in employment

 Out of the 322,900 self-employed people in Scotland in 2017, 109,600 were women (34%)
while 213,300 were men (66%).  Despite a drop between 2016 and 2017 (-3.2%), female
self-employment has increased over recent years, from 76,000 in 2007 to 109,600 in 2017,
representing a rise of 44.2%. Although male self-employment also experienced a rise over
the same time period, it was considerably smaller at 13.5%.
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 In Scotland, the female self-employment rate (self-employed as a proportion of those in

employment) was 8.6% in 2017 – lower than the male self-employment rate at 15.8%, but
increased by 2.3 percentage points since 2007. The male self-employment rate increased
by 1.7 percentage points over the same period.

genderism in Culture
 Women tended to report slightly higher levels of attendance to cultural events or places
than men in 2016. The most common place to visit for both men and women was the
cinema, where more than half had been in the last year. The largest differences were in
visits to the theatre, libraries and dance events, where attendance rates for men were much
lower.
 Participation in cultural activities were also higher in women than men, and the difference
between them was higher than for attendance rates. The 2016 results show that 85% of
women said they had participated in some cultural activity in the last year, compared with
73% of men.

Food
Haggis is indeed the national dish and yes we really do eat it on a semi-regular basis. Yes, it is
indeed a sheep’s stomach and the contents are better not known. But it does in fact taste fantastic
and I thoroughly recommend it – amongst many other top Scotland travel tips.

As a fitting tribute to the huge influence of India and Pakistan on our culinary culture, curries
have become as common as pizza in Italy on a Scottish night out. Nothing beats a Glasgow curry,
ask me for details any time. Alternatively, get yourself a good fish supper (admittedly more of a
generally British than Scottish stereotype). Haddock or cod, doused in salt and vinegar, is often
the perfect end to a busy day or a boozy night. Scotland also has some of the world’s finest fish
and seafood in our waters.

Music

A Pipe Major playing the Great Highland Bagpipe

Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which remained vibrant throughout the
20th century and into the 21st, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop
music. In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music imported from the rest of
Europe and the United States, the music of Scotland has kept many of its traditional aspects;
indeed, it has itself influenced many forms of music.
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Many outsiders associate Scottish folk music almost entirely with the Great Highland Bagpipe,
which has long played an important part in Scottish music. Although this particular form of
bagpipe developed exclusively in Scotland, it is not the only Scottish bagpipe. The earliest
mention of bagpipes in Scotland dates to the 15th century although they are believed to have been
introduced to Britain by the Roman armies.

Business ethics:
Scotland was hit by a devastating snow storm which left motorists stranded in freezing cold
temperatures. The big freeze has already had a major effect on businesses and the latest forecasts
indicate it could be with us into the New Year.
On a micro scale, one small retailer which took just five percent of their usual Saturday takings
last weekend.
So the message from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to banks, as well as other
businesses and bodies with a bearing on cashflow, to show some common sense during the severe
weather and offer whatever flexibility they can to viable businesses hit with short-term problems
is an extremely relevant and sensible one.
However, judging by the crowded trains employees have been determined to get through despite
the challenges and show that Scotland is a place where the work ethic remains strong.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Scotland has a very big and magnificent history that influenced the rest of the
world, their culture influenced music, architecture, theatre, poetry, and philosophy. I believe that
Scotland is country of all arts, crafts and beauty. Not to mention the fascination of mine about
Scotland mythology and how it subsequently had extensive influence on the arts and literature of
civilization, which fell heir to much of Scottish culture

REFRENCES

Annual Population Survey results for year to December 2017 

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 Scottish Household Survey 2016: Culture and Heritage 

https://onescotland.org/equality-themes/gender/
www.scotland.org