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Cold Leviathan: Civil Defence and Technocracy in Scottish Local Government, 1980–1991.

  • Published In: Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, 2024, v. 44, n. 2. P. 101 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Gledhill, Jim 3 of 3

Abstract

At the height of Cold War nuclear tensions in the early 1980s, the British government's decision to renew civil defence met widespread opposition from local authorities in Scotland. Many councils refused to comply with statutory civil defence planning regulations introduced by the Scottish Office in 1983. This article focusses on two differing regional case studies – the Highlands and Lothians – to consider the impact of the 1983 regulations and the technocratic rationale underlying them. It will argue that technocratic civil defence was the corollary of a deindustrialising society, incompatible with communal mobilisation and a touchpaper for political conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Scottish Historical Studies. 2024/11, Vol. 44, Issue 2, p101
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:1748-538X
  • DOI:10.3366/jshs.2024.0381
  • Accession Number:182053137
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of Scottish Historical Studies is the property of Edinburgh University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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