Young Adults and New Citizens: The Social Construction of National Identity and State Affiliation in Contemporary Britain

This research aims to establish how identity is constructed, employed and viewed within mainland Great Britain, through a comparative investigation of Scottish, Welsh and English identity and broader British identity.

The wider purpose of my research is to further develop sociological understandings of dual or multiple identities; furthermore, I seek to explore this multiplicity of identity, through a 'state' vs 'national' identity, with consideration of the cultural, ethnic, and institutional influences. The focus will be on young adults, as representatives of the future generations of the UK.

This research will build on existing work by McCrone and Bechhofer (2005, 2001; 2015, 2010a, 2010b) and aligned sociological work on national identity.

This research is timely and relevant to understanding the shifting sands of national identity and its social construction in the contemporary United Kingdom.