About the talk:
Secessionist movements – those seeking make a region independent from another country – have taken root in regions around the world. What motivates individuals to support secession? Using mixed methods, I examine this question in relation to the Scottish independence movement. Drawing on public opinion models, I highlight secessionist rhetoric gathered during interviews conducted with pro-secession elites during fieldwork to get a sense of the types of secession-related arguments to which voters are exposed. I use survey data from the Scottish Referendum Study to identify the profile of typical supporters and opponents of Scottish independence. Finally, I link Scotland comparatively to other secessionist movements in Europe, namely in Wales and Catalonia. During the presentation, I will walk students through the steps of research design, requesting their input in designing a methodological framework to assess my research question. Through this, students will learn not only about the dynamics supporting secessionism and the Scottish context, but also about mixed-method research design.

About the speaker:
Kevin Gatter is a PhD candidate in political science at UCLA. His research interests include territorial politics, nationalism, secessionism, and decolonization. Kevin has conducted fieldwork in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska), Catalonia, Montenegro, Northern Ireland, Puerto Rico, Quebec, Scotland, Wales. Kevin holds BA and MA degrees in international studies from American University.

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