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Introduction

This unit serves as a gateway to over 30 units that have been specifically developed to reflect the enormous interest in Scottish culture and society. The collection of units as a whole demonstrates The Open University's commitment to delivering a curriculum that is appropriate for the differing requirements of each of the countries within the United Kingdom.

These units have been collected and developed from across The Open University's catalogue, chosen because of their particular relevance to Scotland. They cover a wide range of subjects dealing with themes such as culture, society and professional development where specifications are sometimes different in Scotland.

The OpenLearn Scotland collection provides you with the opportunity to access free learning resources of particular relevance to Scotland. You may wish to study a single unit to further your interest in a particular topic or to use the learning experience as an opportunity to assess your level of academic ability prior to studying at university level. We hope that, whatever your reason for using OpenLearn, it will provide you with a taste for learning.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this series of units you should:

have a broader understanding of contemporary Scottish society;

have a broader understanding of Scottish culture and identity;

have an understanding of the various frameworks and standards of professional recognition in Scotland;

be aware of the opportunities for further supported study in your chosen area.

1.1 Overview

1 OpenLearn Scotland

1.1 Overview

This unit provides a gateway to over 30 other units that have been specifically developed to have a particular relevance to Scotland.

Culture and society in Scotland

Scotland has a rich and distinctive cultural heritage based on many aspects including language, history, music and literature. For a small country whose population has never been much in excess of five million, Scotland can be justifiably proud of its past achievements. However there have been significant changes in Scotland over the last decade, principally arising from devolution in 1999. This section of OpenLearn Scotland introduces learners to a wide range of topics reflecting both Scotland's past and present.

Professional development in Scotland

Scotland's legal and education systems are distinctive and differ from those of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This therefore leads to differences in frameworks and standards of professional recognition within the United Kingdom.

This section of OpenLearn Scotland introduces learners to areas of professional development where The Open University has developed curricula specifically to meet the needs of students and employers in Scotland.

Things to consider while working through the OpenLearn Scotland collection

While working through these units, you might like to use these OpenLearn tools:

Make notes in your Learning Journal (QuickStart Guide)
Chat with other OpenLearn Scotland users in the Discussion Forum (QuickStart Guide)

1.2 Direct links to units within OpenLearn Scotland

1 OpenLearn Scotland

1.2 Direct links to units within OpenLearn Scotland

The Scottish environment and technology

Great Scots

Scottish history

Scottish literature

Politics and society in Scotland

Education in Scotland

Law in Scotland

Social care in Scotland

2.1 Overview

2 Education in Scotland

2.1 Overview

The Scottish education system is distinctive and has a long independent history. The units within this section cover the national curriculum framework in Scotland and give examples of learning in some Scottish schools.

In teachers' professional development, The Open University works with The General Teaching Council for Scotland (the independent regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland) to develop courses and qualifications specifically tailored to Scotland's needs, e.g. the Maths PGDE and the Chartered Teacher Programme. A taster of one of the modules from The Open University's Chartered Teacher qualification is included in this section.

2.2 Curriculum framework in Scotland

In this unit you will find discussion of national curricula frameworks relating to Scotland, England and the Republic of Ireland. These literacy curricula vary in the details of their prescription and the level of flexibility.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Curriculum framework in Scotland (5 hours).

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you will have reflected on the following themes which a number of commentators have noted in relation to literacy policy in the Scottish context:

child-centredness versus the need for conformity in response to concerns voiced over falling standards;
the demands for focus and conformity from prescribed guidelines versus flexibility afforded to teachers and LEAs;
reductionist skills-based approaches versus whole-language meaning-based approaches.

2.3 Chartered teachers in Scotland

This unit will help you to reflect on your previous knowledge and experience of teaching and learning, to consider what support may be available to you, and to begin to prioritise your professional development needs. The unit originates from The Open University's Chartered Teacher Programme for Scotland but would be of interest to other teachers reflecting on their practice and considering their professional development opportunities.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Chartered teachers in Scotland (3 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

review your experience in teaching and learning and begin the process of identifying your professional development targets;
start the process of organising a portfolio and collecting evidence to support your claim to Chartered Teacher Status;
consider the nature of the evidence that might be collected, and prioritise what additional evidence is required.

2.4 Am I ready to study in English?

Scotland benefits from having a culturally diverse population. Historically, Scotland has been a country of net emigration, with more people leaving Scotland to live elsewhere than moving to live in Scotland, but for the past four years Scotland's population has risen due to immigration. This unit is aimed at people for whom English is an additional language. It offers learners the opportunity to assess their English language skills and to decide whether they feel ready to start studying at higher education level.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Am I ready to study in English? (5 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

use online learning resources confidently;
make a choice about the suitability of higher education for you at the moment;
identify language areas which you may want to develop further.

3.1 Overview

3 The Scottish environment and technology

3.1 Overview

This section of OpenLearn Scotland introduces learners to both ancient and modern Scotland, from the geological history of the Scottish Highlands right up to the creation of the semiconductor transistor by two Scottish computer engineers and the global dimension of the Scottish oil industry.

A further two units in this section focus on famous bridges in Scotland: the first is about the Tay Bridge and the legacy of its failure on bridge building ever since; the second is about the environmental challenges facing the landmark Forth Road Bridge.

3.2 Mountain building in Scotland

Some of Britain's most dramatic scenery is to be found in the Scottish Highlands. The sight of mighty Ben Nevis, the desolate plateau of the Cairngorms and the imposing landscapes of Glen Coe can unleash the call of the wild in all of us. Although these landforms were largely carved by glacial activity that ended some 10,000 years ago, the rocks themselves tell of a much older history. The Highlands are merely eroded stumps of a much higher range of ancient mountains. This unit is an account of the origin and demise of that ancient mountain range, based on the geological evidence laid before us in rock exposures.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Mountain building in Scotland (30 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe the geological history of the Scottish Highlands;
give examples of igneous, metamorphic and structurally complex rocks.

3.3 The Tay Bridge disaster

This unit will analyse a particular historical event, the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879. The disaster came towards the end of a period of intense development of the railway system in the UK. The bridge had materials that were well known: cast iron was used for the columns and wrought iron for the trussed girders. The construction of the bridge was, at the time, the largest single engineering project in Britain, the Tay estuary being about two miles wide near Dundee, and the bridge was the longest in the world.

The disaster had a major influence on the way bridges were built afterwards, in particular the replacement Tay Bridge built alongside the failed structure, and the larger Forth Rail Bridge near Edinburgh. This is a good case study for examining not only the way the investigation developed and the forensic tools used, but also for the new light that can be shed on the causes of the failure using methods not available to, or not appreciated by, the Victorian investigators

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

The Tay Bridge disaster (20 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

critically evaluate disasters and their causes, especially from mechanical or material failures;
demonstrate the importance of systematic and rigorous analysis of disasters so that future failures can be avoided or prevented.

3.4 Forth Road Bridge

This unit focuses on the Forth Road Bridge that connects Edinburgh with Fife. It is a suspension bridge and continues to face a number of problems regarding its deteriorating condition. A short video illustrates some of the major structural issues facing the bridge as well as examining some of the proposed changes to the use of the bridge to help increase its lifespan.

Edinburgh reaches over the Firth of Forth with two great bridges – the photogenic Victorian Forth Rail Bridge and the slender Forth Road Bridge, opened in 1964. The latter suspends the road from cables, but it is being threatened by rust. Water has found its way inside the cables, causing them to rust and weaken. By 2014 heavy goods vehicles may no longer be able to use it; and by 2019 the bridge may have to be closed altogether.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Forth Road Bridge (1 study hour)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand the basic structural issues of the Forth Road Bridge;
give examples of how engineers are trying to alleviate the wear and tear on the bridge.

3.5 The incredible shrinking chip

This unit focuses on the creation of a semiconductor transistor – a versatile tiny transistor that is now at the heart of the electronics industry. In video clips the history of the incredible shrinking chip, its Scottish connections and an explanation of the physics that make chips work are accompanied by a reconstruction of the making of a transistor using the crude techniques of yesteryear.

In this unit we follow two Scottish computer engineers with little or no physics knowledge as they set out to repeat the Nobel Prize-winning experiment from 1947 that resulted in the semiconductor transistor. The versatility of that transistor is now at the heart of the electronics industry. Millions of transistor switches are shrunk down into the microprocessors found in computers, mobile phones and almost everything else electrical.

There is an interview with Gordon Moore, a founder of Intel, about the law of computing that bears his name. It's a rule of thumb which says that processor power doubles every eighteen months. The video footage shows how the industry has managed to keep Moore's Law going for nearly 30 years. It explains the physics that makes chips work, and how the same physics will eventually trip the industry up.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

The incredible shrinking chip (1 study hour)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand the basic physics that makes chips work;
define Moore's Law.

3.6 Oil industry in Scotland

Photographs can solicit powerful emotional responses and are often used to draw people's attention to issues or to raise awareness of demands. This unit takes a look at how one set of photographs, used as part of a particular demand, was created. It looks at the process of producing images by exploring a series of photographs made with the intention of affecting the way a globalised industry is seen and understood. The industry in question is the oil industry based in Aberdeen, on Scotland's north-east coast, an industry with global ramifications. The photo essay reproduces several pictures researched and made by Owen Logan in collaboration with the history project, Lives in the Oil Industry, based at the University of Aberdeen.

The significance of the oil industry in Scotland is due in some measure to the way it is part of the political and economic relations that span the globe. This makes a place like Aberdeen very dependent on distant events.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Oil industry in Scotland: making photographs, making demands (5 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe how photographs affect a globalised industry;
understand the global dimension of the Scottish oil industry and how that has affected the local population.

4.1 Overview

4 Great Scots

4.1 Overview

For a small country whose population has never been much in excess of five million, Scotland seems to have more than its fair share of famous men and women. Native Scots or those descended directly from them have been the recipients of some 11 per cent of all the Nobel Prizes that have been awarded.

In this section of the OpenLearn Scotland collection, we look in detail at the lives and work of four great Scots: John Napier, James Clerk Maxwell, Robert Owen and David Hume.

4.2 John Napier

For many years, John Napier (1550–1617) spent his leisure time devising means for making arithmetical calculations easier. Just why a Scots laird at the turn of the seventeenth century should have thus devoted the energies left over from the management of his estates remains a puzzle. Up to the publication of his description of logarithms in 1614, three years before his death, Napier was best known to the world for his Protestant religious treatise A plaine discovery of the whole Revelation of Saint John (1594), a well received work which was translated into several foreign languages.

Napier's interest in mathematics, and in computational methods in particular, seems to have started in his early twenties (in the 1570s), and continued mostly unknown to the wider world until the flurry of publishing activity forty years later which revealed first his table of logarithms (Mirifici logarithmorum canonis descripto, 1614), then three further computation aids (Rabdologiae, 1617), and after his death an account of how logarithms themselves were calculated.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

John Napier (3 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand the significance of John Napier's contributions to mathematics;
give examples of the factors that influenced Napier's mathematical work.

Further details about John Napier can also be found at: www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Napier.html

4.3 James Clerk Maxwell

James Clerk Maxwell produced a unified theory of the electromagnetic field and used it to show that light is a type of electromagnetic wave. This prediction dates from the early 1860s when Maxwell was at King's College, London. Shortly afterwards Maxwell decided to retire to his family estate in Galloway in order to concentrate on research, unhindered by other duties.

This unit presents Maxwell's greatest triumph – the prediction that electromagnetic waves can propagate vast distances through empty space and the realisation that light is itself an electromagnetic wave. Visible light has a very narrow range of wavelengths, but this tells us more about the sensitivity of our eyes than about the nature of electromagnetic radiation. A few years after Maxwell's death, other types of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, X-rays and gamma rays, were discovered.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

James Clerk Maxwell (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

explain the meaning of the newly defined terms and symbols, and use them appropriately;
state the equation of continuity and use it in simple problems;
state and name the differential versions of Maxwell's four laws of electromagnetism.

Further details about James Clerk Maxwell can also be found at: www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Maxwell.html

4.4 Robert Owen and New Lanark

Robert Owen (1771–1858) was one of the most important and controversial figures of his generation. He lived through the ages of Enlightenment and Romanticism and was personally touched by the ideas and dramatic changes that characterised that era. Profitting enormously during the first half of his life from the progress of industry and having the financial means, he later devoted himself to publicising and practising his social and economic ideas. Most of these derived from Enlightenment notions and, he thought, could eliminate poverty and crime, contributing to social and moral betterment. Some of his ideas were confirmed by personal experience as a philanthropic employer who strongly emphasized the importance of environment, education and, ultimately, cooperation in improving social conditions.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Robert Owen and New Lanark (12 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should understand:

the Enlightenment ideas that underpinned Robert Owen's social reform agenda;
how Owen's background and experience at New Lanark fed through into his thinking in the essays in A New View of Society;
the main proposals in the essays;
New Lanark's role as a model for social reform during this period.

4.5 David Hume

This unit examines David Hume's reasons for being complacent in the face of death, as these are laid out in his suppressed essay of 1755, ‘Of the immortality of the soul’. More generally, they examine some of the shifts in attitude concerning death and religious belief which were taking place in Europe at the end of the eighteenth century, through examination of this and other short essays.

Hume was a pivotal figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and his death in 1776 was widely anticipated. He is best known today as a historian (through his History of England of 1754–62) and a philosopher. Hume's Treatise of Human Nature is regarded by many as one of the most significant philosophical works to have been written in English.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

David Hume (16 study hours)

Learning outcomes

Having studied this unit, you should gain:

familiarity with debates in the late Enlightenment concerning suicide, immortality, the nature of evidence, the existence of God and related topics, plus some experience of participating in these debates;
acquaintance with some characteristic shifts and continuities in the move from Enlightenment ideals towards Romantic ones, including the new respect for sentiment; the increased emphasis on individualism, privacy and personal response; new conceptions of nature, including human nature; the continuing fascination with non-European cultures;
confidence that study can transform a centuries-old text into an enjoyable, informative, articulate and reasoned discussion of a familiar topic, even if at first that text seems obscure or arcane;
direct experience of this transformative process through careful examination of the set readings and appreciation of some necessary background information.

5.1 Overview

5 Scottish History

5.1 Overview

This section deals with the history of Scotland and is designed to stimulate thinking on some of the major events and themes which have shaped Scotland over a period covering the seventeenth century to the present day.

These selected units introduce learners to Scotland's rich heritage and also to its wider European and international context.

If you are interested in learning more about Scottish history, The Open University runs a collaborative scheme with the University of Dundee to provide a programme of distance learning courses suited to anyone with a serious interest in Scotland's past and its culture.

5.2 The origins of the wars of the three kingdoms

From Catholic rebellion to Civil War, what happened during the latter years of the reign of Charles I that caused people to take up arms against their fellow citizens? This unit looks at the background of the wars between England, Scotland and Ireland and how the King's actions led to the rift between royalists and parliamentarians.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

The origins of the wars of the three kingdoms (12 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe the developments in the British Isles that led to the outbreak of war;
assess the debates between historians about the cause of the wars;
understand how to use evidence from church records to learn about changes in religion and society.

5.3 Heritage case studies: Scotland

These case studies introduce various typologies of heritage and the methods used to study them. They help draw attention to the fact that the heritage traditions in England, Scotland and Wales are not the same and are enshrined in slightly different legislation. Every study of heritage requires an understanding of the legal context and the traditions and history governing the object of heritage.

The first case study, by Mary-Catherine Garden, involves public memories of two significant historical events, the battles of Bannockburn and Culloden, which have helped forge national consciousness in Scotland but which have little visible archaeological evidence to inform the viewer. Intangible heritage, linked to a physical site, presents problems of its own.

The second case study examines the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, its designation as a World Heritage Site and how Edinburgh is managed as heritage site.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Heritage case studies: Scotland (5 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand significant issues affecting heritage;
engage effectively in debates about heritage issues in Scotland.

5.4 Dundee, jute and empire

This unit focuses on the economics of empire, and, in particular, of the British Empire in the second half of the nineteenth century. The theme of producers and consumers is central.

The unit starts by introducing some of the debates surrounding the economics of British imperialism. It then goes on to explore how empire and imperial trade shaped economic structures and urban society in late nineteenth-century Britain.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Dundee, jute and empire (12 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand some of the debates surrounding the economics of British Imperialism;
describe how empire and trade shaped economic structures and urban society in late 19th-century Britain;
give examples of how Dundee's jute trade was influenced by British imperialism.

5.5 Science in the Scottish Enlightenment

This unit is concerned with science in Scotland, one of the most dynamic centres of Enlightenment thinking. Writers speak of the mid-eighteenth century as Scotland's ‘Golden Age’. In order to get a flavour of this age, it is necessary to take a very broad view of what we mean by ‘science’. Staying within the boundaries recognised by modern science faculties misses most of what is distinctive about eighteenth-century Scotland. The interconnections and cross-fertilisation between disciplines that we now regard as having little to do with each other is one of the remarkable features of the Scottish scene. Geologists associated with historians, economists with chemists, philosophers with surgeons, lawyers with farmers, church ministers with architects.

This unit examines the historical background from which an astonishing cluster of intellectuals and ideas emerged.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Science in the Scottish Enlightenment (5 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand developments in Scotland with regard to the Enlightenment period;
give Scottish examples from the community of philosophers and scientists from the Enlightenment period;
describe how these Scots helped influence the Industrial Revolution and the American Revolution.

5.6 The history of medicine: a Scottish perspective

This unit looks at how historians seek to understand past diseases and epidemics. These had social, political and medical implications as they inevitably damaged the economic resources of a community. An example based in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary is used to illustrate how changes in medical delivery affected the local population.

In addition there is a description of the work of the eminent Scot William Cullen, professor of medicine at Edinburgh University (1752), who described the body as a complex and highly integrated mechanism composed of solid organs, nervous system and fluids.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

The history of medicine: a Scottish perspective (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe the Scottish contributions to the history of medical thinking and practice in the 19th century;
give examples of the many medical advances influenced by wider social, economic, political and cultural contexts;
understand how developments in medical education permitted women to qualify and practise as doctors.

5.7 Health, disease and society: Scottish influence in the 19th century

This unit examines the roles of Scots who contributed to the comprehensive transformation of medicine in the nineteenth century. It begins by observing how laboratory practices led to improved techniques of medical diagnosis. This is followed by assessing how Scots contributed to the emerging collective identity of medical practitioners, as well as the improvements in licensing that led to reform of the medical professions. Many new developments in medical education also enabled women to qualify and practise medicine for the first time.

Finally, using many Scottish examples, the last section of this unit presents information about how healthcare institutions, namely asylums, were again influenced by social, economic, political and cultural contexts.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Health, disease and society: Scottish influence in the 19th century (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe the Scottish contributions to the history of medical thinking and practice in the nineteenth century;
give examples of many medical advances that were influenced by wider social, economic, political and cultural contexts;
understand how developments in medical education permitted women to qualify and practise as doctors;
appreciate that the laboratory had a limited impact on medical practice until the twentieth century;
describe the status of medical practitioners in Europe during the nineteenth century;
understand how different historical approaches describe women's access to the medical profession;
appreciate the ways in which the growth of British psychiatric institutions was influenced by wider social, economic, political and cultural contexts.

6.1 Overview

6 Law in Scotland

6.1 Overview

These units will introduce you to the Scottish legal system. Scots law today represents centuries of development and growth. Its evolution has been influenced by many factors, social and economic, the effects of war and religious change, political and governmental changes, alliances with overseas powers such as France, and Union with England. Since 1999, the new Scottish Parliament has had its own law-making powers.

The first unit in this section provides a taster for a new course on law making in Scotland. The second unit looks more specifically at the importance of law in social work education in Scotland.

Scottish Parliament website: Welcome to the official website of the Scottish Parliament. Our founding principles are openness, accountability, the sharing of power and equal opportunities. These are at the heart of all our activities and we hope you find this website lives up to these principles.

6.2 Introduction to the law in Scotland

This unit will introduce you to law making in Scotland. It is taken from W150 An introduction to law in contemporary Scotland, a new 15-point course from The Open University's Centre for Law. The unit begins by developing your general and legal study skills such as reading unfamiliar information, note taking and critical thinking. It then asks you to think about what law is and introduces you to the legal history of Scotland. The unit then moves to look at the Scottish Parliament by giving an overview of its role in the law-making process.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Introduction to the law in Scotland (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

After studying this unit you should be able to:

consider what is law and what are the sources of law;
understand the legal history of Scotland;
explain how Acts of the Scottish Parliament originate;
understand the role of Scottish Parliament in making law;
understand the difference between primary and delegated legislation;
read and discuss Acts of the Scottish Parliament;
understand the role of the UK Parliament;
understand the relationship between the Scottish and UK Parliaments.

6.3 Social work and the law in Scotland

In this unit you will be asked to reflect on the meanings of both social work and law. You will find that these concepts are open to a range of possible definitions, and that the functions of social work and law can change depending on the practice context. Their meaning is also affected by the perspective from which they are viewed, for example, the service user's experience of social work and law will not always match the expectations of the professional or the perceptions of the general public.

This unit also explains why you need to understand this relationship through considering the professional practice requirements of social work in Scotland and the importance of law in social work education.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Social work and the law in Scotland (15 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe the relationship between social work practice and law;
understand the legal framework that regulates social work in Scotland;
have an awareness of the role of law in countering discrimination.

7.1 Overview

7 Scottish Literature

7.1 Overview

Scottish literature is defined as literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers, but is there such a thing as a literary and cultural identity which is distinctively Scottish?

This section of the OpenLearn Scotland collection is designed to stimulate thinking on the relationship between writing and identity. Learners are introduced to the work of two enormously influential figures in Scottish literature and culture: Lewis Grassic Gibbon and Sorley MacLean.

A further two units in this section feature Jackie Kay, the contemporary Scottish poet and novelist, and focus on poetry and defining identity.

7.2 Lewis Grassic Gibbon: Sunset Song

This unit sets out by locating debates about what literature is for in the context of Scotland in the 1930s. There follows a part-by-part textual analysis of Sunset Song, the first novel in a trilogy by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, in the light of these concerns. Finally there is consideration of debates over Sunset Song from the 1930s to the present, looking at the reviews of the first edition, the disagreements over its nationalist or socialist credentials, and its place in contemporary Scottish education and culture.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon: Sunset Song (15 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

illustrate how Sunset Song has a value as a work of literature separate from its propagandistic ambitions;
describe how Sunset Song qualifies as literature that serves an instrumental function by providing a critique of capitalism.

7.3 The poetry of Sorley MacLean

This unit introduces the poetry of Sorley MacLean (1911–1996), one of the most distinguished of all Gaelic poets, whose work has been translated into several foreign languages. Many of his poems are included alongside an interview with the poet himself. In the audio clips Sorley reads some of his poems in Gaelic as well as English and discusses the influence of language in developing such materials.

In addition you may find it helpful to visit a website dedicated to the works of Sorley MacLean: www.somhairlemacgilleain.org.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

The poetry of Sorley MacLean (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand the power of MacLean's poetry in its original Gaelic;
give examples of how such poetry engages with historical and cultural change.

7.4 What is poetry?

Have you always wanted to try to write poetry but never quite managed to start? This unit is designed to illustrate the techniques behind both the traditional forms of poetry and free verse. You will learn how you can use your own experiences to develop ideas and how to harness your imagination.

The unit introduces common techniques underlying free verse and traditional forms of poetry, and how it is necessary to use these techniques in order to harness what T.S. Eliot called the ‘logic of the imagination’. It discusses the possibility of using your own experience, but also the power of imagination and of utilising different personae in your poems. You are also introduced to the basic terminology and practical elements of poetry: the line, line breaks, stanzas, couplets, tercets, quatrains and other stanza lengths, rhyme, rhythm, caesura and metre.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

What is poetry? (12 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of your study of this unit, you should have:

an understanding of the common techniques underlying free verse and traditional forms of poetry;
begun to identify aspects of your own experience and imagination that you can use when writing poems;
learnt the basic terminology and practical elements of poetry.

7.5 Identity in question

Why is identity important and how are identities formed? This unit looks at the many different ways in which identity can be categorised. By examining the requirements of the state, how a child views gender, and the importance of race or place of birth, you will start to understand how each individual can have more than one identity. This unit focuses upon the individual's perception of self in relation to others; the relationships between multi-ethnicity, cultural diversity and identity; and the effects of inequality and social class upon identity. It also looks at inequality and social class as they relate to perceived identity.

You are encouraged to look at a poem by Jackie Kay, who was born in Glasgow in 1961. Her mother was a white Scottish woman and her father a black Nigerian student. She has written extensively about the subject of identity in the context of her own experiences, for example, of being an adopted child brought up in Glasgow.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Identity in question (12 study hours)

Learning outcomes

After studying this unit you should be able to:

provide a definition of identity;
recognise how gender and socio-economic categories such as class can be used as a source of identity;
discuss social structures in terms of gender, class and nation.

8.1 Overview

8 Politics and society in Scotland

8.1 Overview

Following the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2007, the balance of power and system of government in Scotland has changed significantly, giving rise to Scotland's first minority government, led by the Scottish National Party.

The first three units in this section consider issues of nationalism, political devolution and the role of nation-regions in the European Union. The final two units consider social issues such as geographical identity and poverty in Scotland.

8.2 Nationalism, self-determination and secession

What makes a ‘nation’ and what makes peoples strive for nationhood? This unit will provide you with an introduction to studying political ideas by looking at how people who see themselves as nations challenge the existing order to assert their right to a state of their own.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Nationalism, self-determination and secession (8 study hours)

Learning outcomes

After studying this unit you should be able to:

grasp the concepts of nation, nationalism and self-determination;
have a better understanding of the role they play in current political disputes;
think about the problem of how to take democratic decisions about secession;
relate political theory to political practice more rigorously;
take a more informed and active part in debates about national and international politics.

8.3 The politics of devolution

This unit examines ‘Scotland’. Having enjoyed political independence until 1707, the survival of many of Scotland's institutions – notably its systems of law, religion and education – after Union with England contributed to the preservation of its singular identity. The different way in which Scotland was incorporated into the UK, through a monarchical take-over rather than by conquest (as was the case in Wales and Ireland), may account for the lesser impact the development of the UK exerted on Scottish distinctiveness.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

The politics of devolution (8 study hours)

Learning outcomes

After studying this unit, you should be able to:

understand the process of political devolution in the UK;
relate this process to both historical developments and to the wider context of contemporary events in Europe;
practise the skill of reading, summarising and evaluating academic arguments;
engage more actively as a citizen in relevant political debates (especially if you are a citizen of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland).

8.4 A Europe of the regions?

What role will the ‘regions’ play in the emerging governance structures of the European Union? This unit examines the rise of the regions and regionalism in Western Europe. You will look at the possible development pathways for Europe: will it become a Federal super-state or a decentralised ‘Europe of the Regions’?

The unit discusses the future of Europe, and it looks particularly closely at what may happen to the smaller political units presently existing below the level of the nation-state. These include nation-regions like Scotland and Wales, larger entities like the German Länder, and smaller, more recently created regions with less existing cultural unity. Despite the very large differences between them, for our purposes all these political entities are called ‘regions’.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

A Europe of the regions? (8 study hours)

Learning outcomes

After studying this unit you should be able to:

recognise the varieties of region and sub-state nations that exist within Europe;
explain the growth of regionalism;
critically assess the view that what is evolving is a ‘Europe of the Regions’;
engage better with debates about the future direction of Europe, and the place of your nation or ‘region’ within it;
improve your skills of academic reading and note taking for future use.

8.5 Who belongs to Glasgow?

There are many different ways of interpreting and representing the character and identity of a place – many different geographical imaginations. Identities of places are a product of social action and of how people construct their own representations of particular places. Thus this unit explores ideas about place and identity using the concept of ‘geographical imagination’.

This is achieved by examining the images that represent a place, to reveal how those images came about and describe two sets of relationships which are important in understanding the character of a place: power relations and local-global relations.

The video presented in this unit was made in Glasgow in 1993. it is not about Glasgow as such: it is about Glasgow's image. Glasgow, however, fulfils the aims of this unit by being the most successful among British cities in developing/manufacturing a new identity in the ‘post-industrial’ era.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Who belongs to Glasgow? (3 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

understand how images about place and identity can be explored using different ‘geographical imaginations’;
describe how identities of places are a product of social action and of how people construct their own representations of particular places.

8.6 Poverty in Scotland

Poverty in Scotland 2007 is the fifth in a series of books which, since the mid-1990s, have provided a comprehensive picture of the extent of poverty in Scottish society. Each of these books has been charged with making accessible what is often a complex world of figures, diverse measurements, competing definitions and contrasting interpretations of poverty – and identifying what should be done to address poverty.

This book is presented as a pdf and was first produced in 2006. The reestablished Scottish Parliament promised to promote distinctly Scottish ways of addressing poverty and social exclusion in Scotland. This book examines how successful the combined efforts of Westminster and Holyrood have been in tackling poverty in Scotland.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Poverty in Scotland (30 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

define measurements of poverty, living with poverty and groups of poverty;
describe rural poverty, community-based responses, financial exclusion, local taxation, employability and health.

9.1 Overview

9 Social care in Scotland

9.1 Overview

There are over 139,000 social service workers in Scotland, providing care and support to some of the most vulnerable sections of society. The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for specifying the standards to which social service workers involved in providing or delivering social work, social care services, early education and child care will work.

In this section of the OpenLearn Scotland collection, we look at issues relating to social care by focusing on three particular institutions: Lennox Castle Hospital, the Orchard Centre in Bonnyrigg and the Plus organisation based in Stirling.

The final unit in this section looks more specifically at the importance of law in social work education in Scotland.

9.2 Lennox Castle Hospital

This unit looks at the history of institutions in the twentieth century, starting with a case study of Lennox Castle Hospital. It tries to make sense of the history of Lennox Castle, and of institutional life in general, through testimony of those who experienced institutions as inmates and as nurses, as well as through Erving Goffman's model of the ‘total institution’. It examines the social bases of segregation, the professionalisation of staff in asylums and institutions, and campaigns for change in the treatment of those segregated from society in institutions.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Lennox Castle Hospital (8 study hours)

Learning outcomes

After studying this unit you should be able to:

use Goffman's model of ‘the total institution’ to organise and explain information that has been observed and recorded;
describe the development of large-scale institutions in the nineteenth century which were designed to segregate, control and in some cases, cure, their inmates.

9.3 Mental health practice: Bonnyrigg

Like many subjects, mental health is complex. This is partly because the language used in discussions about mental health is diverse, can mean different things to different people, and can sometimes be misleading. For example, the term ‘mental health’ is usually used in discussions about just the opposite: ‘mental illness!’ There are, however, good reasons for the confusion surrounding its language. One reason is that decisions about what constitutes ‘mental health’, ‘mental illness’ or ‘mental disorder’ and so forth are difficult to make and so people often disagree about them. Another reason is that such decisions are also value-laden. In this unit, you explore some of the problems with defining mental health.

It is clear that the well being of communities and the well being of the individuals within them are intrinsically linked. The Orchard Centre is a community resource centre for people with mental health problems in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, Scotland. There is an opportunity in this unit to hear the project manager of the Orchard Centre and a qualified social worker talk about the work of the centre and the values that underpin it.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Mental health practice: Bonnyrigg (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

distinguish between mental health and mental illness;
give examples of how community resource centres can benefit the well being of individuals and communities in terms of mental health.

9.4 Working together with children: Stirling

This unit explores a wide range of children's experiences, a number of different services and interviews with a number of key practitioners. It features voluntary as well as statutory work with children and tries to capture some of the details of everyday life for children, parents and practitioners.

The associated video material features children, practitioners and practice in the Plus organisation based in Stirling, Scotland. Looking at the overview of the Plus organisation will give you an idea of the kinds of issues and debates that are examined in this unit.

The video clips will enable you to develop an analytical approach to contexts of practice. We will be using them throughout the unit to illustrate and explore ideas, issues and debates, and to stimulate discussion and reflection among students.

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Working together with children: Stirling (10 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

acquire and critically apply the research, analytical and evaluative skills needed for effective practice and the promotion of equality across universal and specialist services for children;
develop a skilled, dynamic and ethical approach to working with children;
understand and analyse the contributions of different approaches to the study of children, childhood and families, and recognise the potential for uncertainty, ambiguity and limits to knowledge of the subject;
organise, synthesise and interrogate opinions and arguments associated with issues related to children and childhood.

9.5 Social work and the law in Scotland

To access this material click on the unit link below. It leads to a separate OpenLearn unit and will open in a new window.

Social work and the law in Scotland (15 study hours)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

describe the relationship between social work practice and law;
understand the legal framework that regulates social work in Scotland;
have an awareness of the role of law in countering discrimination.

10.1 Overview

10 Conclusion

10.1 Overview

This unit has presented a variety of units that have been specifically developed to reflect the enormous interest in Scottish culture and society. The collection of units as a whole demonstrates The Open University's commitment to deliver a curriculum that is appropriate for the differing requirements of each of the countries in the United Kingdom.

These units have been collected and developed from across The Open University's catalogue, having been assessed as having particular relevance to Scotland. They cover a wide range of subjects dealing with themes such as culture, society and professional development where specifications are sometimes different in Scotland.

10.2 Links to external resources

10 Conclusion

10.2 Links to external resources

Here we have listed some external Scottish resources, links to which can be found within various units of the OpenLearn Scotland collection. They are intended to be useful sources of further information and to support a broader understanding of Scottish culture and identity.

Scottish Parliament

This is the official website of the Scottish Parliament, whose founding principles are openness, accountability, the sharing of power and equal opportunities. These are at the heart of all Scottish Parliament activities.

Diverse Routes into Higher Education in Scotland

The Diverse Routes website supports access to higher education for refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Scotland and offers information on learning opportunities, financial support, credit transfer facilities, English language courses and much more.

Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC)

The STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists, the members of 46 affiliated trade unions. STUC speaks for trade union members in and out of work, in the community and in the workplace, in all occupational sectors and across Scotland.

Homecoming Scotland 2009

This is a unique website inviting you to celebrate your Scottish connections in 2009. Whether you live in Scotland, are part of our extended global family, or maybe you just love Scotland, join us in our 2009 celebrations.

BBC In Search of Scotland

This is the interactive Scottish History Site of BBC Online.

Historic Scotland

Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government and we are charged with safeguarding the nation's historic environment and promoting its understanding and enjoyment on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is held in Edinburgh, UNESCO City of Literature, every August. The Book Festival plays host to hundreds of ‘meet the author’ events, including high profile debates and discussions. Each year writers from all over the world gather to become part of this unique forum in which audience and author meet to exchange thoughts and opinions on some of the world's most pressing issues. The Open University in Scotland has sponsored events at the Book Festival for a number of years.

Dates for the next Book Festival: 15–31 August 2009

Our Dynamic Earth

Our Dynamic Earth is a charitable trust committed to the education and lifelong learning of Earth Sciences through the running of its visitor attraction experience in Edinburgh and a dedicated schools science programme.

10.3 Further study

10 Conclusion

10.3 Further study

The resources within this unit have covered a wide range of subject areas including education, environment, technology, history, law, literature, politics, social care and social sciences.

If you are interested in becoming an Open University student you might want to visit New to the OU.

Below is a list of the Open University courses that have been drawn upon to create the OpenLearn Scotland collection.

What is poetry? is from A175 Start writing poetry.
Heritage case studies: Scotland is from A180 Heritage, whose heritage?.
Dundee, jute and empire is from A200 Exploring history: medieval to modern 1400–1900.
The origins of the wars of the three kingdoms is from A200 Exploring history: medieval to modern 1400–1900.
David Hume is from A207 From Enlightenment to Romanticism c.1780–1830.
Robert Owen and New Lanark is from A207 From Enlightenment to Romanticism c.1780–1830.
Health, disease and society: Scottish influence in the 19th century is from A218 Medicine and society in Europe 1500–1930.
The history of medicine: a Scottish perspective is from A218 Medicine and society in Europe 1500–1930.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon: Sunset Song is from A300 20th century literature: texts and debates.
Science in the Scottish Enlightenment is from AS208 The rise of scientific Europe 1500–1800.
Identity in question is from DD100 An introduction to the social sciences: understanding social change.
A Europe of the regions? is from DD200 Governing Europe.
Nationalism, self-determination and secession is from DD203 Power, dissent, equality: understanding contemporary politics.
The politics of devolution is from DD203 Power, dissent, equality: understanding contemporary politics.
Oil industry in Scotland: making photographs, making demands is from DD205 Living in a globalised world.
Chartered teachers in Scotland is from EE851 Self-evaluation.
Lennox Castle Hospital is from K100 Understanding health and social care.
Mental health practice: Bonnyrigg is from K113 Foundations for social work practice.
Social work and the law in Scotland is from K207 The law and social work in Scotland.
Working together with children: Stirling is from KE312 Working together for children.
James Clerk Maxwell is from SMT359 Electromagnetism.
Mountain building in Scotland is from SXR339 Ancient mountains: practical geology in Scotland.
Introduction to the law in Scotland is from W150 An introduction to law in contemporary Scotland.

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Acknowledgements

Unit Image

Source: Kate Signorini

All other material within this unit originated at The Open University.

Related educational resources

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:41:28 GMT

This is a list of all the Related educational resources for the unit SCOT_1 - OpenLearn Scotland