The rise of secessionism in Catalonia: A study of the shift in nationalist discourse from an identity perspective

Abstract: In 2017 Catalonia held a referendum for independence, after years with an increasingly pro-independence social and political climate. The shift in the nationalist discourse from devolution to secession and increasing support for independence inspired this thesis where the aim is to explore the dynamics behind the change from an identity perspective. With a framework of social identity theory and social representations of history, a critical discourse analytical method is used. Presidential speeches have been studied in order to understand strategies of mobilization in the name of nation and national identity. Guided by the strategies of “Identity Entrepreneurs” the findings show that widespread support could be gained by the inclusionary profile of the nationalist movement, maximising mobilisation in a diverse society. Furthermore, that the actualization of historical narratives, both by circumstances and political elite, awakened the sense of threat from Spanish repression and activated conflict and contestation between the Catalan and Spanish identities. Finally, the consequent process of “Othering” the Spanish state and communicating a preferred Catalan identity, led to dual identification becoming increasingly difficult. Providing understanding as to why there was an increasing amount of individuals identifying as exclusively Catalan and supporting independence.