Scotland’s diaspora – was there social justice for the ‘failed’ immigrant in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries?

The creation of clubs and societies organised around ethnicity characterised the Scottish diasporic experience, both for those who received alms and for those who sought a means through which to meet and socialise with other Scots. Framed through a conceptualisation of social justice, the aim of this project is to explore the agency of those who received help from societies committed to relieving want and distress. Attention falls not on the great and the good, the so-called ‘Scots who invented the modern world’, but on those who received charity and other forms of philanthropic help, and those who fell into destitution and criminal ways, or simply ‘failed’ to settle. The project will be rooted in the nineteenth and/or twentieth centuries and will examine Scottish immigrant communities in America, or Canada, or Australia, or New Zealand.

The objectives of St Andrew’s societies can be traced back to the philanthropic work of guilds, trade incorporations, and Corpus Christi societies of the seventeenth century. That range of social action then broadened in the enlightenment phase into music, cultural and social activities, the Oddfellows, as well as, in the case of the beggar’s benison, sexual pleasures. The Burns supper has its roots in the ceremonial and fellowship practices of the eighteenth-century Masonic lodge. We know much about those who came to lead these philanthropic and cultural agencies, but much less about the marginalised sections of Scotland's diaspora who sought relief from endemic poverty. This project will focus on the greater number of Scottish immigrants in your chosen location, examining them as individuals, families and as communities. We know little about their income, their diet, their health or their housing. This PhD will make a major intervention in diaspora studies through the examination of those who strove for social justice in a new land.

For informal enquiries about the project, contact Professor Graeme Morton [Email Address Removed]

For general enquiries about the University of Dundee, contact [Email Address Removed]

Our research community thrives on the diversity of students and staff which helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for postgraduate research. We welcome applications from all talented individuals and are committed to widening access to those who have the ability and potential to benefit from higher education.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must have obtained, or expect to obtain, a UK honours degree at 2.1 or above (or equivalent for non-UK qualifications), and/or a Masters degree in a relevant discipline. For international qualifications, please see equivalent entry requirements here: www.dundee.ac.uk/study/international/country/.

English language requirement: IELTS (Academic) overall score must be at least 7.0 (with not less than 7.0 in reading, listening, speaking and writing). The University of Dundee accepts a variety of equivalent qualifications and alternative ways to demonstrate language proficiency; please see full details of the University’s English language requirements here: www.dundee.ac.uk/guides/english-language-requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Step 1: Email: Professor Graeme Morton [Email Address Removed] to (1) send a copy of your CV and (2) discuss your potential application and any practicalities (e.g. suitable start date).

Step 2: After discussion with Prof Morton, formal applications can be made via our direct application system. When applying, please follow the instructions below:

Candidates must apply for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in PhD in History (3 Year) using our direct application system.

Please select the study mode (full-time/part-time) and start date agreed with the lead supervisor.

In the Research Proposal section, please:

-         Enter the lead supervisor’s name in the ‘proposed supervisor’ box

-         Enter the project title listed at the top of this page in the ‘proposed project title’ box

In the ‘personal statement’ section, please outline your suitability for the project selected.