Critique

Blood, Soil, and the Common Good

Leonie analyses the dynamics of belonging in the Scottish Borders, mapping the overlaps between micro-local patriotism and exclusionary nationalism to demonstrate how local heritage unintentionally codifies birthright privilege.

Léonie Blaire-Cooper

May 26, 2026

Blood, Soil, and the Common Good — This display captures the precise intersection where Hobsbawm’s 'invented tradition' manufactures the stage for Bourdieu’s 'inherited capital.' The pristine regalia—from the framed portrait of the Cornet to the standardised blue and gold livery—transforms a dynamic history into a static, commodified gatekeeper of local belonging. By wrapping this curated imagery in the language of ancient birthright, the exhibition naturalises an exclusive hierarchy. It visualises the process by which multi-generational social networks are converted into undisputed symbolic capital, ensuring that cultural authority and civic dominance remain concentrated firmly within established local lineages.