NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ON-LINE

Review of Scottish Culture European Ethnological Research Centre c/o National Museums of Scotland Chambers St Edinburgh EH1 1JF UK ISBN 1 86232 276 7 Ł14 Before commenting on this review please read the FAQ page Home page Notes for publishers Want to be a reviewer? Anthologies. Books. Audio. Magazines. Software. Video. Artefacts. Web design by Gerald England This page last updated: 11th August 2004.		Review of Scottish Culture #15
		ROSC is a substantial journal published annually. The first part, almost half the issue, celebrates the Museum of Scottish Country Life. The first article shows how efforts begun largely in the 50s finally resulted in the 2002 opening of a new open-air museum at Kittochside. Alexander Fenton explores how the rural landscape has changed as a result of farming activities. François Sigaut writes about Rural Society in Europe from 1786, when the first successful threshing machine appeared in Scotland, until 1878. Why 1878? You'll have to read the article to find out. A S Mather covers the next period, specifically 1865-1950 being a period of War in Europe and we learn from him the effects this had on a rural society feeding an urban popluation. The next batch of articles moves away from the social sciences to hard science. Duncan Dornan writes Farming is an ancient craft, perhaps even viewed often as an art. It is in some eyes therefore an unlikely, if not unsuitable, area of human endeavor in which to find the application of science. John Burnett in the next article BACTERIA AND BUREAUCRACY: SCIENCE, PUBLIC HEALTH AND DAIRY FARMING suggests there are four kinds of science — Savent science which is carried out to please a patron. Analytical science which seeks below the surface to find the compostion of things studied. Experimentalist science which tries to describe systems and to impose control on them. Techno-science which aims to develop new products and exploit them. This latter is further subdivided into Capitalist techno-science which serves the purposes of industry. State techno-science which produces public policy. Moving from science to art, Gary J West explores music and song in rural society whilst Ian Campbell in WRITING THE COUNTRYSIDE tells us how the countryside of Scotland has been described in 19th and 20th century fiction. The second part of the journal is concerned with the DICTIONARY OF THE OLDER SCOTTISH TONGUE. The first part was published in 1931 and the final part in 2002. Following an account of the history of its compliation, Jane E A Dawson gives us a delightful piece about gossiping and baptism. The third part contains several general articles. Ian Russell writes about the flute bands of North-East Scotland and their annual walks. Elizabeth Beaton contributes an engaging piece about carved decorations - PAPER SAILORS AND MERMAIDS AS HOUSE DECORATIONS IN COASTAL MORAY AND BANFFSHIRE. The volume ends with some shorter pieces, news items and book reviews. Altogether it is a sturdy journal with a wealth of interest.
		reviewer: Martin Grampound.