Contemporary British Culture and Society

1. Contemporary British Culture and Society Chapter 1 Introduction Autumn Semester, Sept. 2004 Xiao Huiyun

2. Objectives • In this chapter we will look at some general features of Britain and set the scene for the more detailed examination of particular aspects of life there which are dealt with in later chapters

3. Focal Questions • What is the full name of the British state? What countries does it consist of? • What is the total population of the United Kingdom? Where do most people live? • Do you think that most of the ethnic minorities in Britain have different age structures from that of the white population? Why? • What do you think are the most important factors in determining class? • How do you understand the status of women in contemporary Britain? • What are some of the key changes over the last fifty years in the UK?

4. Procedures • Presentation by Students – Focal questions 3 & 4 • Lectures by the teacher • Class discussion – Exploitation Activities (p.11) • Assignment for the next chapter

5. A1 Geography • The British Isles is a traditional term used to identify the group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe consisting of Great Britain, Ireland and the many smaller adjacent islands (over 16). These islands form an archipelago off the west coast of Europe, 315,134 km2 (121,674 square miles). • To many Irish people as well as Scottish and Welsh nationalists, the term "British Isles" is unacceptable.

6. A1 Geography continued • The term is no longer used in Irish state documents, has been abandoned from Irish schoolbooks and is being phased out of textbooks. Its usage is also decreasing in official British state documentation, out of sensitivity to the concerns of Irish, Scottish and Welsh people and the evolving new geo-political relationships. • Alternatives However the issue of a replacement term remains unsettled as of 2003, though in the context of the Northern Ireland peace process the term "Islands of the North Atlantic" (IONA), a term initially created by former Conservative Party MP Sir John Biggs-Davison, has been used as a neutral term to describe these islands .

7. A1 Geography continued IONA ?– The British Isles

8. A 1 Geography cont. *n.a. • National Flag The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

9. Chief of the State -- Queen Elizabeth II

10. 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

11. ENGLAND cont. • Culture: • They have artistic contributions in theatre , literature, and architecture. • Staple food: Fish and Chips, bacon, eggs, sausage, and mash. • It’s not famous for quality but it’s a cuisine. • There are astonishing regional variations in accents.

12. St. James Park, London

13. England cont • Windsor Castle Leeds Castle

14. Fish and Chips • English staple food

15. WALES • Demographics: • Population: 2.9 Million • Capital city: Cardiff • People: Celts, Anglo-Saxons • Language: Welsh, English • Religion: Nonconformist Protestants, Anglicans, Catholics

16. WALES cont. • Culture: • One thing that marks Wales out from the rest of the Britain is the survival of Welsh as a living language. • Welsh food is not well-known. They eat laverbread (a mixture of seaweed, oatmeal and bacon served on toast), Rarebit (cheese on toast with the added flavor of mustard and beer).

17. Caerphilly Castle, South Wales

18. Beaumaris Castle, N. Wales

19. NORTHERN IRELAND • Demographics: • Population: 1.6 Million • 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

20. NORTHERN IRELAND cont. • Culture: • Perform a dance known as the “jig” which 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.

21. Irish Townhouse b&b

22. Irish Jig

23. SCOTLAND • Demographics: • Population: 5.1 Million • Capital city: Edinburgh • People: Celts, Anglo-Saxons • Language: English, Gaelic • Religion: Presbyterian Church of Scotland, other Presbyterian churches, Anglicans, Catholics

24. 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 ceilidh were very popular in the traditional culture in which folk stories were told. • Today, stories are substituted for drinking and dancing. • Scots are known primarily for game dishes like smoked salmon and venison

25. Scottish Dance

26. Castles of Scotland

27. A2 Population 2002 Census UK 59,289,194 England 51,138,831 Wales 2,903,085 Scotland 5,162,011 Northern Ireland 1,685,267

28. A2 Population continued Density UK average 243/km2 England 376/km2 Scotland 65/km2 Wales 141/km2 N. Ireland 122/km2 France 106/km2 US 27/km2

29. A 2 Population cont. Ageing Population 1981-2021 64 yrs 14%-23% 黄线

30. A 3 Ethnic Groups • British society is seen as multicultural but not racially tolerant. It is also seen as divided by class 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. The Swann report could find no evidence of this. • Material deprivation – the majority of ethnic minority groups are working class and their children experience the same material disadvantage of other working class children.

31. A 3 Ethnic Groups cont. • Hidden curriculum – culturally and linguistically biased against ethnic minority groups. • Labelling – teachers tend to stereotype ethnic minority students and attach negative labels which become self fulfilling prophecies. • Racism – racism in wider society diminishes self esteem. The school can be seen as representative of the Dominant culture and is therefore rejected.

32. A 3 Ethnic Groups cont. • 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.

33. A 3 Ethnic Groups cont. • Jobs: ¾ engage in catering & catering-related business. Compared with other coloured minorities, they suffer less discrimination. Law-abiding, business does not conflict 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 find jobs after finishing education in Britain. • They face an identity crisis. • The Chinese start to participate in political affairs. There are Chinese Councilors in London, Manchester, Liverpool, etc. Some have joined Cons. or Labor Parties.

35. A 4 Class • The United Kingdom is increasingly described as a classless society. *Major(1990) *Blair(1999) • However many people still believe society is ordered in terms of class and that discrimination occurs between classes. • Everything a Briton does and says is influenced by class. • Accent*, vocabulary*, job*, hobbies* and types of relationship all fit into the class structure.

36. A 4 Class cont. • Social Classification for 21st Century • 1 A Large employers & higher managerial occupations 9% • 1 B Higher professional occu. 12% • 2 Lower professional occu. 17% • 3 Intermediate occupations 14% • 4 Small employers & own account workers 9%

37. A 4 Class cont. • 5 Lower supervisors & craft & related occupations 10% • 6 Semi-routine occu. 21% • 7 Routine occu 8% • Only 25% of Britons now consider themselves working class compared with 51% in 1955 (1CM/Guardian), while 35% see themselves as middle class, up from 28% in 1986 (Mail on Sunday). But 85% still think Britain is a class-based society, with 69% believing that top jobs are only available to the privileged few (NOP/Sunday Express). And many of them don't even think of themselves as British.

38. 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 rebellious young generation • The 1970s – a decade of strikes and recession • The 1980s – a decade of Thatcherism • The 1990s – a decade of great expectation

39. A 5. The Devolution

40. A 5 Devolution cont. • Britishness ? • 17% of English people say they owe allegiance to England, not Britain (British Social Attitudes/Guardian); 66% of teenagers in England regard themselves as English not British. In Wales, 79% see themselves as Welsh, and in Scotland, 82% as Scottish (Sunday Times).

41. References • British Studies Web Pages • Dalton, A. ‘Apparent’ Paradoxes in British Culture & its Literature • http//www. Woodlands-junior. Kent. Sch/uk. html • http//huaren.org/diaspora/europe/britain/doc/0395-01.html