Table Of ContentRETHINKING STATELESS
NATIONS AND NATIONAL
IDENTITY IN WALES AND
THE BASQUE COUNTRY
SOPHIE WILLIAMS
Rethinking Stateless Nations and National Identity
in Wales and the Basque Country
Sophie Williams
Rethinking Stateless
Nations and National
Identity in Wales and
the Basque Country
Sophie Williams
Office for National Statistics
Newport, Wales
ISBN 978-3-319-91408-4 ISBN 978-3-319-91409-1 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91409-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018947402
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer
International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights
of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction
on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are
exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and
information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication.
Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied,
with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have
been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published
maps and institutional affiliations.
Cover image: Charles Harker/Getty Images
Cover design: Ran Shauli
This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer
International Publishing AG part of Springer Nature
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Pour Jocelyne, tu me manques énormément, et c’est trop dommage que je ne
puisse pas partager celui-ci avec toi. Tu es dans mes pensées pour jamais.
Para Maite, porque me gustaría decirte ‘eskerrik asko’ para todo.
P
reface
This book is based on research conducted for a doctoral thesis, awarded in
January 2017 from Swansea University. The research was conducted over
a three-year period, comprising initial literature review and methodological
investigation, a fieldwork period and a final empirical analysis and presenta-
tion of findings. It is intended for scholars of national identity, or nations
and nationalism more broadly, alongside those interested in ‘stateless
nations’ or academia specific to Wales and/or the Basque Country.
Newport, Wales Sophie Williams
vii
a
cknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank a great many people who helped me organise
and conduct my fieldwork, including all my focus group participants and
interviewees, all of whom were extremely helpful and accommodating.
Special thanks go to: (in Wales) Dyfrig Davies, Emily Hammett, Dr. Siân
Edwards, Sue and Brian Miles, Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Professor
Colin Williams, Dr. Patrick Carlin, Dr. Alan Sandry, Syd Morgan, Mary
Burrows, Dr. Will Roberts, Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones and Siôn
Jobbins in Aberystwyth University, Professor Helen Sullivan, Maryl Rees,
Eirian Conlon, Jennie Hurd, Megan Roberts and the Ebeneser Chapel
in Caernarfon; (in the Basque Country) Professor Daniele Conversi and
the University of the Basque Country, Dr. Begoña Conde, Dr. Rafael
Bengoa, Dr. Amaia Inza Bartolome, Dr. Xabier Itcaina, Dr. Terexa
Lekunberri and Jone Goirigolzarri Garaizar. I would also like to thank
my internal and external examiners for their helpful and constructive
feedback.
I would like to thank the Tŷ Newydd National Writers’ Centre of
Wales in Llanystumdwy for their generous hospitality and for looking
after me for the evening.
I would like to thank my former employer, David Rees AM, for his
support and advice throughout and his generosity in allowing me the
time to complete my Ph.D.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the James Pantyfedwen
Foundation for their great generosity in funding my studies.
ix
x ACkNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Dr. Cillian McGrattan who has supported me
throughout, has read multiple versions of this book and offered his
advice and who has been a constant source of encouragement, for which
I am very grateful.
I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Dr. Julen
Zabalo Bilbao, who has been a consistent supporter and friend and with-
out whom I would not have been able to complete my fieldwork in the
Basque Country.
I would like to thank my thesis supervisors, Professor Jonathan
Bradbury and Dr. Matt Wall, who put up with a lot from me and who
have consistently supported me and enabled me to achieve this work.
Thank you to you both.
I would like to thank my parents, Jan and Paul, for their eternal sup-
port, encouragement and love. They have been with me through thick and
thin, providing intellectual as well as emotional support and I could not
have done it without them. I would also like to thank my parents-in-law,
Eirwen and Gareth, for their love and support, as well as my sister-in-law
and brother-in-law, Caroline and Clive, and my two nieces, Caitlin and
Charlotte.
Finally, I would like to thank my husband Darren for his love and
encouragement, his practical advice and assistance and for always being
there for me when I need him.
c
ontents
1 Introduction 1
2 Stateless Nations Reconceptualised: Theoretical
Framework and Choosing Wales and the Basque Country 15
3 Ordinary Conceptualisations of Welshness and Basqueness 79
4 Political Conceptualisations of Welshness and Basqueness 143
5 Comparing Stateless Nations: Insights from Wales
and the Basque Country 209
6 Conclusion 225
Appendix A: Focus Group Participants (Wales) 243
Appendix B: Focus Group Participants (The Basque Country) 253
Appendix C: Welsh and Basque Interviewee Details 259
xi
xii CONTENTS
Appendix D: Basque and Welsh Political Parties 261
Glossary 269
Index 271
