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Contemporary British Culture andSociety

Chapter 1 Introduction

Autumn Semester, Sept. 2005

Xiao Huiyun

100s of free ppts fromwww.pptpoint.comlibrary
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Objectives

In this chapter we will look atsome general features of Britainand set the scene for the moredetailed examination of particular

aspects of life there which aredealt with in later chapters


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Focal Questions

What is the full name of the British state? Whatcountries does it consist of?

What is the total population of the UnitedKingdom? Where do most people live?

Do you think that most of the ethnic minoritiesin Britain have different age structures fromthat of the white population? Why?

What do you think are the most importantfactors in determining class?

How do you understand the status of women incontemporary Britain?

What are some of the key changes over the lastfifty years in the UK?


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Procedures

Presentation by Students Focalquestions 3 & 4

Lectures by the teacher

Class discussion Exploitation

Activities (p.11)Assignment for the next chapter


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A1 Geography

The British Islesis a traditional termused to identify the group of islands offthe northwest coast of Europe consistingof Great Britain, Irelandand the manysmaller adjacent islands (over 16). Theseislands form an archipelagooff the westcoast of Europe, 315,134 km2 (121,674

square miles).

To many Irishpeople as well as Scottishand Welshnationalists, the term "British

Isles" is unacceptable.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britainhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelagohttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waleshttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waleshttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelagohttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain


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A1 Geography continued

The term is no longer used in Irish state documents, hasbeen abandoned from Irish schoolbooks and is beingphased out of textbooks. Its usage is also decreasing inofficial British state documentation, out of

sensitivity to the concerns of Irish, Scottish and Welshpeople and the evolvingnew geo-political relationships.

Alternatives However the issue of a replacementterm remains unsettled as of 2003, though in thecontext of the Northern Ireland peace process the term

"Islands of the North Atlantic" (IONA), a terminitiallycreated by former Conservative PartyMP Sir John Biggs-Davison, has been used as a neutral term to describethese islands .
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_of_the_North_Atlantichttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_of_the_North_Atlantichttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=John_Biggs-Davison&action=edithttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_of_the_North_Atlantichttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003


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A1 Geography continued

IONA ?

The British Isles


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A 1 Geography cont. *n.a.

National Flag The United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Northern Ireland


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Chief of the State -- QueenElizabeth II


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ENGLAND

Demographics:

Population: 51 Million

Language: English People: Anglo-Saxons, Scots, Welsh, Irish,

West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians, Chinese

Religion: Church of England, Methodist,Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh

Capital City: London


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ENGLAND cont.

Culture:

They have artistic contributions in theatre ,

literature, and architecture. Staple food: Fish and Chips, bacon, eggs,

sausage, and mash.

Its not famous for quality but its a cuisine.

There are astonishing regional variations inaccents.


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St. James Park, London
http://sps.bigwhoop.org/gallery/LondonPart1/Dscn3259?full=1


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England cont

Windsor Castle Leeds Castle


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Fish and Chips

English staple food


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WALES

Demographics:

Population: 2.9 Million

Capital city: Cardiff People: Celts, Anglo-Saxons

Language: Welsh, English

Religion: Nonconformist Protestants,Anglicans, Catholics


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WALES cont.

Culture: One thing that marks Wales out from the rest

of the Britain is the survival of Welsh as aliving language.

Welsh food is not well-known. They eatlaverbread (a mixture of seaweed, oatmeal

and bacon served on toast), Rarebit (cheeseon toast with the added flavor of mustard andbeer).


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Caerphilly Castle, South Wales


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Beaumaris Castle, N. Wales
http://www.castlewales.com/beaumar.html


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NORTHERN IRELAND

Demographics:


Capital city: Belfast People: Irish

Language: English, and Irish

Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 3.4%Protestant in the Republic; 60% Protestant,40% Roman Catholic in Northern Ireland


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NORTHERN IRELAND cont.

Culture:

Perform a dance known as the jigwhich

they do to Irish folk music.Very festive people and dance on various

occasions.

Meals are based around meats like lamb, beef,and pork.

Main meal is usually lunch, not dinner.


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Irish Townhouse b&b


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Irish Jig


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SCOTLAND

Demographics:


Capital city: Edinburgh People: Celts, Anglo-Saxons

Language: English, Gaelic

Religion: Presbyterian Church of Scotland,other Presbyterian churches, Anglicans,Catholics


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SCOTLAND cont.

Culture: Greatest Scottish accomplishments come in the form

of science, literature, and philosophy.

Bagpipes are very famous in Scotland. Social gathering known as ceilidhwere very popular

in the traditional culture in which folk stories weretold.

Today, stories are substituted for drinking and

dancing. Scots are known primarily for game dishes like

smoked salmon and venison


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Scottish Dance


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Castles of Scotland

A2 P l i


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A2 Population2002 Census

UK 59,289,194

England 51,138,831

Wales 2,903,085

Scotland 5,162,011

Northern Ireland 1,685,267


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A2 Population continuedDensity

UK average 243/km2

England 376/km2

Scotland 65/km2

Wales 141/km2

N. Ireland 122/km2

France 106/km2

US 27/km2


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A 2 Population cont.Ageing Population

1981-2021 64 yrs 14%-23%


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A 3 Ethnic Groups

British society is seen as multicultural but notracially tolerant. It is also seen as divided byclass and unwelcoming to foreigners

Reasons for relatively poor performance of ethnic minority children:

(with the exception of Asian children) Low IQ e.g. Eysenck has suggested that West

Indian children have a lower IQ than others. TheSwann report could find no evidence of this.

Material deprivation the majority of ethnicminority groups are working class and theirchildren experience the same materialdisadvantage of other working class children.


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A 3 Ethnic Groups cont.

Hidden curriculum culturally and linguisticallybiased against ethnic minority groups.

Labelling

teachers tend to stereotype ethnicminority students and attach negative labelswhich become self fulfilling prophecies.

Racism racism in wider society diminishes self

esteem. The school can be seen asrepresentative of the Dominant culture and istherefore rejected.


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The Chinese in Britain

Estimated number: 250,000 (including Chinese

students and illegal immigrants) Came from Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia,

Vietnam, Hong Kong and mainland China.

Now mainly live in big cities like London,

Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle and

Glasgow, etc.


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Jobs: engage in catering & catering-related business.Compared with other coloured minorities, they sufferless discrimination. Law-abiding, business does notconflict with the local British, seldom ask for financial

assistance. Problems among the 2nd-generation Chinese (most of

them professionals):

They have to struggle for a future. Many cannot findjobs after finishing education in Britain.

They face an identity crisis.

The Chinese start to participate in political affairs. Thereare Chinese Councilors in London, Manchester, Liverpool,etc. Some have joined Cons. or Labor Parties.
http://www.pbase.com/scooter41/london


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http://www.pbase.com/scooter41/london


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A 4 Class

The United Kingdom is increasingly described asa classless society. *Major(1990) *Blair(1999)

However many people still believe society is

ordered in terms of class and that discriminationoccurs between classes.

Everything a Briton does and says is influencedby class.

Accent*, vocabulary*, job*, hobbies* and typesof relationship all fit into the class structure.


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A 4 Class cont.

Social Classification for 21st Century

1 A Large employers & highermanagerial occupations 9%

1 B Higher professional occu. 12%

2 Lower professional occu. 17%

3 Intermediate occupations 14%

4 Small employers & own accountworkers 9%


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A 4 Class cont.

5 Lower supervisors & craft & relatedoccupations 10%

6 Semi-routine occu. 21%

7 Routine occu 8%

Only 25%of Britons now consider themselves workingclass compared with 51%in 1955 (1CM/Guardian),while 35%see themselves as middle class, up from28%in 1986 (Mail on Sunday). But 85%still think

Britain is a class-based society, with 69%believing thattop jobs are only available to the privileged few(NOP/Sunday Express).And many of them don't eventhink of themselves as British.


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A 5 50 Years of Change

The 1950s a time of great changes in

fields of economy, culture, politics.

The 1960s

a decade of young rebelliousyoung generation

The 1970s a decade of strikes and recession

The 1980s a decade of Thatcherism

The 1990s a decade of great expectation

A 5 The Devolution


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A 5. The Devolution


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A 5 Devolution cont.

Britishness ?

17%of English people say they owe

allegiance to England, not Britain (BritishSocial Attitudes/Guardian); 66%ofteenagers in England regard themselves

as English not British. In Wales, 79%seethemselves as Welsh, and in Scotland,82%as Scottish (Sunday Times).


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References

British Studies Web Pages

Dalton, A. ApparentParadoxes in British

Culture & its Literature http//www. Woodlands-junior. Kent.

Sch/uk. html

http//huaren.org/diaspora/europe/britain/doc/0395-01.html

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