Scottish Ethnicity and the Making of New Zealand Society, 1850-1930 - (Scottish Historical Review Monographs) by Tanja Bueltmann (Paperback)

About the Book

This book makes an original contribution to the growing body of knowledge on the Scots abroad, presenting a coherent and comprehensive account of the Scottish immigrant experience in New Zealand.

Book Synopsis

The Scots accounted for around a quarter of all UK-born immigrants to New Zealand between 1861 and 1945, but have only been accorded scant attention in New Zealand histories, specialist immigration histories and Scottish Diaspora Studies. This is all the more peculiar because the flow of Scots to New Zealand, although relatively unimportant to Scotland, constituted a sizable element to the country's much smaller population. Seen as adaptable, integrating relatively more quickly than other ethnic migrant groups in New Zealand, the Scots' presence was obscured by a fixation on the romanticised shortbread tin façade of Scottish identity overseas. Uncovering Scottish ethnicity from the verges of nostalgia, this study documents the notable imprint Scots left on New Zealand. The book examines Scottish immigrant community life, culture and identity between 1850 and 1930, and: *explores informal and formal networks, associational life and transferred cultural practices to capture how Scottish immigrants negotiated their ethnicity, but also how that ethnicity fed into wider social structures in New Zealand; *argues that Scottish ethnicity in New Zealand functioned more as a positive mechanism for integration into the new society than as a protective and defensive source of reassurance and comfort; and*contends that Scots contributed disproportionately to the making of New Zealand society.

Review Quotes

This first-rate book confirms the importance of scholarly research on the still sparsely surveyed terrain of the shared and unshared ideas and actions among diverse settlers of British origin, whose varying levels of visibility are brought into the spotlight in this study. It deserves a wide readership and will, I hope, encourage further research into similar and more recent periods of history, including other sets of British migrants in New Zealand and comparable sites of settlement.--David Pearson "American Historical Review"

Scottish Ethnicity and the Making of New Zealand Society is clinically efficient, professional and deals with this subject in a very thorough manner. It is a welcome addition to scholarship on the Scottish Diaspora and should be very well received by both academics and casual readers alike.--Erin C.M. Grant, University of Otago "History Scotland, Vol. 13 No. 1"

Tanja Bueltmann's study is an impressive achievement and its deftly handled, comparative endeavour and succinct engagment with relevant theory bodes well for future work...--Angela McCarthy, University of Otago "Scottish Historical Review"

This is an important book, rooted in impressive research, and it demonstrates how a study of associational culture has much to offer scholars of migration and diaspora--D.A.J. MacPherson "Journal of British Studies"