hu0004 british culture and society week 1
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IFP Culture and Society ModuleLondon Metropolitan UniversityWeek 1 - Introduction to the UKTRANSCRIPT
British Society and Culture Week 1
What Do We Mean By Britain?
• Britain is not England and England is not the same as Britain - though the language is English.
• Generally understood that Britain is made up of four separate nations - names?
• England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland.• However, there is another name for this
group of countries.• The United Kingdom - UK.• Names - UK or GB, is there a difference?
What’s in a Name - UK or GB?
• Great Britain - (geographic) mainland (or main island), archipelago consisting of England, Scotland and Wales
• British Isles - (geographic) GB plus all the other islands including Ireland
• United Kingdom - (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - (political )
• Britain often used as political term for the UK.• British but not United Kingdomish!
Britannia
• Britannia became the figure of national personification of the United Kingdom during the 18th century
Common misconceptions and sources of confusion
• Some people think the other countries are the same as England - very upsetting to the other nationalities. Try asking a Scotsman if he’s English!
• N Ireland is part of the UK but the Republic of Ireland is not - separate nation since 1921.
• British Parliament in London. Scotland, Wales and NI all have their own parliaments (assemblies), but England does not.
What is the problem with this map?
N Ireland is not shown.
UK in Relation to Europe
About Britain - the Geography:Not a Land of Extremes!
• Satellite Image of the UK
• Anything surprising about this image?
Climate and Weather
• Lack of cloud! UK has a reputation for poor weather, cool and wet.
• Temperate climate - subject to seasonal change• 4 seasons, though sometimes it feels as if 1 is missed out!?• Generally moderate• In the path of the Gulf Stream, bringing mild, often damp
weather from the SW across the Atlantic.• Recent instances of more extreme weather - global
warming or natural cycle?• Often very changeable and unpredictable - favourite
conversation topic.• ‘If you don’t like the weather here, just wait 10 minutes!’
Topography and Landscape
• Again, no extremes, but very varied
• A lot of coastline - BBC series ‘Coast’
• Lower land to the south and east
• Higher ground to the north and west
• Several national parks• What does this map tell
you about probable population distribution?
Beautiful Britain
Demographic
• Popn map? O’Drisc p34
• Last census 2001 - nearly 59m.• 85% white British• 15% other races and ethnicities• Mostly urban - About 75% living in
towns and cities• Current issues - declining birth rate and
life expectancy increasing > fewer young people and more older.
What do we mean by British?
• We will return to this question later, but you can be thinking about it.
Complexity of being British• Sport is a good model to demonstrate.• England, Scotland, Wales and NI have own
teams for football and most other sports.• But in the Olympics, which includes almost
all sports, it’s GB. ( but in a similar competition, the Commonwealth games, it’s Eng, Scot, Wales and NI)
• Cricket - England represents the UK!• So sometimes people support Britain, at other
times they are English/Welsh/Scottish/N Irish!• So diverse and multiple feelings of identity
and also fierce national rivalries- England v Scotland football matches!
• England is often seen as the ‘enemy’, the team it’s most important to beat.
• Historically, it was England (under Norman rule), which invaded and oppressed the other ‘home nations’.
• For some this goes beyond sport and is critical to their whole identity.
• Post WW2 (1945) arrival of Commonwealth communities in UK - Norman Tebbit’s ‘cricket test!?
• 2010 - communities in London supporting every team in the World Cup.
The Home Nations - Scotland• From ‘Scoti’ - Latin for the land of the Gaels,
relatives of the Celts who had settled in Scotland and Ireland - the Gaelic language.
• Independent kingdom until the Act of Union (with England) in 1707 - there had been the same monarch since James in 1603.
• Still today has its own Parliament, legal system - economy- North Sea oil
• Many Scots have achieved great success in UK terms - Gordon Brown, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gordon Ramsey
• However, many Scots feel Scottish rather than British and want political independence - success of SNP.
• Ben Nevis - highest mountain in Britain. Scotland has some of the best scenery in Britain, even the world (when you can see it).
• Scots guard in full traditional costume, kilt, bagpipes and sporran .
• Most famous Scotsman?• ‘Rabbie Burns’ – Burns Night – piping in the
haggis• Scottish dancing – ‘cayleigh’• People are Scottish, not Scotch!• Which is the term for whisky.
• Saint Andrew - Patron Saint of Scotland• Scottish flag, St Andrew cross• Famous Scots in history – Mary Queen
of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie• Capital Edinburgh (not Glasgow), home
of famous festival (Athens of the north)
Wales - Cymru
• The name from Germanic ‘Walha’ - foreigner, stranger, or maybe ‘wealas’ - slave.
• In Welsh Cymru - cymry - compatriots in old Welsh
• Never been a nation state but a kingdom until 1536 when finally came under English law - after 1000 years of wars and skirmishes against the ‘English’.
• But strong cultural tradition built around the language - recent revival, dual language signs today.
• Learning Welsh now compulsory in primary schools.
• Mount Snowdon - apart from the SE of Wales, most of the country very rural, and in the north mountainous.
• Strong musical/choral tradition• Until late 20th C, coal mining was main
industry.• Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (Welsh
capital), symbolic of recent regeneration
Ireland and Northern Ireland
• One island but 2 separate states - Eire and NI• From 1970 until recently a very troubled area - ‘the
troubles’ - what about?• Settled by the Gaels and later Vikings - early Middle
Ages, 12th C, the English arrived and soon Ireland became virtually a colony under English control.
• Following Reformation, religious dimension - England Protestant, Ireland Catholic
• Irish peasants treated very badly - Great Famine of the 1840s - independence movement, Sinn Fein - IRA
• 19th C - Irish problem big issue in British politics• Finally- 1920 Govt of Ireland Act - created split
nation – eventually leaving the ‘6 counties’ in the NE as part of the UK, Northern Ireland/Ulster, but with a sizable minority of Catholics.
Recent History – ‘The Troubles’
• Late 60s – eruption of violence between Catholics and Protestants
• The Catholics protesting about discrimination • Involvement of paramilitary groups • The Irish Republican Army (IRA) – Catholic
nationalist – united Ireland• Ulster Defence Association (UDA) –
Protestant, Loyalist – wanting to remain part of the UK
• British army brought in to ‘keep the peace’
England
• Biggest in size and population.• One country, but many regions and big cities• North-South divide - stereotypes of typical
northerners and southerners.• London still a magnet, but also resented for
its wealth and domination of the news/media• 6 main regions• London and SE, South West, East Anglia,
Midlands, North West, North East• However, many base identity on their city -
Scousers, Mancies, Brummies, Geordies
Social Class
• In Britain, but especially England, class is still a very important factor in people’s identity.
• In part a legacy of the Norman feudal system (aristocracy and peasants), but more recently the Industrial Revolution (middle and working classes)
• Today, less obvious and more flexible, but still very important
Nationality & Identity
• Like many countries, nationality & identity are not straightforward.
• By Britishness do we really mean Englishness?
• Scots, Welsh, N. Irish, Manx & mixed race inhabitants do not call themselves British.
• Great Britain used since 1603 when James VI of Scotland became James I of England.
• United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, Act of Union (Eng., Scot. Wales).
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and N.I. In 1921, after Irish independence.
Britain today
What do we mean by British?
• Living in Britain• Holding a British passport• Born in Britain• Family in Britain for 2 or more generations• Vote in British elections• Obey (mostly) British laws• Share (mostly) majority values and attitudes• Support British sports teams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_%28terminology%29
What are some of these key British values and attitudes?
Is there a typical British person?
Key elements of Britishness
• Diversity/Tolerance• Democracy - Parliamentary tradition• Moderation, reformist, non-revolutionary• Freedom - Justice• Pragmatism and practicality over
intellectualism• Entrepeneurialism – imperialism• Individualism, privacy – ‘an Englishman’s
home …..?’• Stoicism• Scepticism - anti-authoritarian
Diversity
• Today very multicultural with many ethnic groups
• But diversity amongst the British• Britain and Britishness - very complex
concepts