Scottish Cities Project

Archive Collection

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Bookmark:http://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb254-ms257

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Dates of Creation
Name of Creator
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Physical Description

Scope and Content

The collection includes:

General Material, 1967-1969
Questionnaires, 'Study of Political Life in Dundee', 1968
Questionnaires, 'Comparative study of Scottish politics' Edinburgh area, 1969
Punch Cards, c 1968-1979
Press cutting, c1967

Administrative / Biographical History

J. M. Bochel was a lecturer in politics at the University of Dundee. Together with Professor Frank Bealy (University of Aberdeen), Professor J. Cornford (University of Edinburgh) and J. Brand (University of Strathclyde) they organised the 'Scottish Cities Project', a comparative study of the political systems in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1968. The study was concerned with examining how local government works, relations between electorate and local government, and how the differences between the four cities related to their political histories and social and economic structures. According to the researchers this survey was carried out at a particularly interesting time, as the 'Progressive' groups, which controlled the Edinburgh and Dundee councils were generally accepted by voters and other parties to be 'Tories' in all but name, but were not affiliated to their national party, and appeared to cherish their 'non-political' role. Meanwhile, they were being challenged by the local representatives of the Conservative party to regroup themselves under their banner. This survey demonstrates that there were a number of differences between the two approaches to local politics, and there was significant friction and distrust between them. This survey also took place during the first of the surges of significant support for the Scottish National Party, and that most of the interviews were carried out during the month of May 1968 when the SNP gained several council seats in Scotland.

Arrangement

Records are arranged in series.

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