Abstract:
This paper explores the (re)production of embodied gendered and racialised identities as part
of commemorations devised by the Scottish government to mark the Centenary of WWI, 2014-
18. In particular, we demonstrate how the Centenary has re-established Scotland’s key
contribution to British military power instead of providing a platform for a broader discussion
of British wars and Scotland’s role therein. Our analysis posits that this reframing was achieved
through the (re)production of a gendered polarisation between white ‘dead’ soldier-heroes,
‘local lads’ and bearers of a ‘proud Scottish military tradition’; and women as embodiments of
patriotic motherhood. We further explore the deployment of specific discursive and
performative means to transform Dr Elsie Inglis, the only woman whose contribution was
singled out by WW100 Scotland, into a patriotic war heroine. This was achieved by the
militarisation of her work; the obscuring of identity, class- and race-based hierarchies within
women’s war-work; and, finally, through the subversion of feminist ideas and practices in
Inglis’ work for the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. Lastly, we reflect on the gendered legacy of
the Centenary, emphasising the necessity for critical engagement with Britain’s wars and
Scotland’s role therein.
