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Seminararbeit / Hausarbeit
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British Cultural Studies 01 Country and people Geographically: Two large islands & hundreds of smaller ones (no agreement on name)
Largest = GB (= The United Kingdom of GB and Northern Ireland or just Great Britain)
second largest= Ireland ( together: GB & Ireland) Politically: 2 states: 1. The Republic of Ireland / Eire /informal: Ireland
2. United Kingdom of GB and Northern Ireland, has authority over GB, NE of Ireland, most smaller islands
United Nations: the United Kingdom; Olympic Games/currency: Great Britain (Pounds- GBP) All together used to be called: The British Isles ( now regarded as outdated, reminds of political domination) GB & Ireland is the most common but isn't politically and geographically correct ;it doesn’t regard the small islands, and the rather independent “crown dependencies” like the Isle of Man.
Historical/Poetic names: Albion (Latin = albus = white), reminding of white chalk cliffs around Dover; Britannia = name for female embodiment of Britain with helmet and trident Why is Great Britain “Great”?? Answer: Was used to distinguish it from the smaller area in France which is called Brittany in modern English
Four Nations Often: people call Britain England, could seem offensive; England is one of four nations: Political unification of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England; completed 1800 (However, in 1922, most of Ireland became a separate state) Culture & Lifestyle varied a lot: : England and Lowland Scotland = Germanic (spoke the language which has developed into modern English) Highland Scotland, Wales & Ireland = Celtic The nations tended to differ in economic, social, legal systems, now: rather blurred but not disappeared: same passports, but many aspects of government that are organized separately or even differently, strong sense of identity (Welsh, Irish, Scottish) - Adjective used to talk about everything in the UK = British - Briton: official contexts: citizen of GB (Ancient Britons = those living in southern Britain before and during Roman occupation (AD 43-410) (thought to be the Welsh) - Ireland: Erin (poetic) or Emerald Isle (green countryside) - Caledonia, Cambria, Hibernia: Roman names for Scotland, Wales & Ireland - John Bull: fictional character to personify Englishness and certain English virtues. (comparison: Uncle Sam in the USA) appearance typical of 18th century country gentleman, evoking an idyllic rural past
Other tokens of national identity: - Surnames: Mac/Mc (Scottish or Irish), O (as in O’Brien) (Irish), Evans/Jones/Morgan/Price/Williams (Welsh origin), Smith (most common - First names of men: John (England), Ian (Scottish), Sean (Irish) (all 3 are common throughout GB) - Nicknames: Jock (Scottish), Paddy/Mick (Irish), Dai/Taffy (Welsh) -> may be insulting , especially in plural form - Clothes in Scotland: kilt, skirt with a tartan pattern worn my men is a very well-known symbol of Scottish-ness - Characteristics (no facts, only stereotypes): Irish as great talkers, Scots being careful with money, Welsh for good singing ability - Instruments: harp (Wales & Ireland), bagpipes (Scotland) - The Union flag: “Union Jack” (national Flag of the UK): the St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick crosses.
Dominance of England - Population: UK Total 60.6 (2006) (rising steadily): 50.8 (5.1 Scotland, 3.0 Wales, 1.7 Northern Ireland) government and everyday life according to the English customs; Political unification .was achieved because England was able to assert her economic and military power over the other nations, main language of four nations: English - Today: in aspects of British public life (e.g. Bank of England controls supply of money in Britain)(Queen known as Elizabeth II even though Scotland and Northern Ireland never had Elizabeth I); the word Anglo: word England derived from Anglo, used e.g. in news: Anglo-American-relations mean GB-American-relations. National Loyalties often even English people don’t bother to distinguish between English and British and talk about places such as Edinburgh as if it was a part of England>> use “Britain” when talking about people from Britain to describe their nationality Ethnic groups (2001): 88.6% of people in Britain are white British, other important ones: White other (2.4%), Asian Indian (1.8%), Asian Pakistani (1.3%), black Caribbean
=> 25% of all born babies are born to at least one foreign-born parent; Immigration is higher than emigration, but emigration is still very high; also: a long history of immigration from Scotland, Wales and Ireland to England. Millions living in England who would never (or not only) describe themselves as English, same for other immigrants. Don’t mind being called British but not English Support the countries of their parents/grandparents or support England in sports, unless they play against their country of decent (e.g. a Caribbean rooting for the West Indies; other way around: The English don’t regard Scottish, Welsh or Irish as foreigners and can identify themselves with their teams.
03 Geography: Land and climate: lack of extremes (mountains not too high, flat land, but also many hills, not very hot or cold) - more or less the same as in Northwest-Europe mainland Climate It doesn’t rain all the time in GB (Romans created the rumor)(London does not get more rain in a year than most other major European cities including Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, etc.) Amount of rain: More rain in the west; Mild winters = snow only regularly in higher areas (often no snow at all); generally slightly colder in the east; Summer warmer & sunnier in the south, People dislike the weather changeability (Saying: Britain doesn’t have a climate, it only has weather)(never sure of a dry day; warm days in winter; cold days in summer)
Fahrenheit: August 10, 2003 (Heathrow airport): First time Temp passed 100°F in the history of Britain (100.2°F =37.9°C); Since then on multiple occasions Climate change: (1) temperatures generally rising;(2) Difference between warmer, drier south-east and cooler, wetter north-west becoming larger; (3) Extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent Land and settlement: Variety of different landscapes: South & East low-lying (either flat plains or gently rolling hills); North & West mountainous areas (also have flat areas) Forests largely disappeared (human influence) Great proportion of grassland (2nd most in Europe, only Ireland) Human influence: (especially southern England) enclosure of fields with hedgerows (dug up by farmers to increase size of field; home to a variety of bird life) Majority of the land: human habitation (densely populated + love for privacy (countryside + more land) (but still many untouched regions) => Cities being built more outward than upward (England and Wales) Most people (80%) live in towns or cities (rather than villages or in the countryside)
Environment and pollution:
First country to use term smog (world’s first industrialized country) 1952: worst smog level (4,000 – 8,000 deaths) Water pollution high ( e.g. River Thames ) 1960s and 70s: laws passed to hinder pollution by open coal fires (banned) in factories and homes Pollution level has gone down but air pollution by use of motor cars (as in the rest of Europe). Air quality mentioned in news (warnings) National issue with greenhouse gases: how to provide for Britain’s energy needs and reduce its energy consumption (Oil reserves in the North Sea won’t last) => green energy: solar, tidal, wave and wind power Wind power especially good for GB: Wind farms (common) (unpopular, ruin the countryside) => offshore Problem: Sea Atlantic waves getting taller (= they have more energy than before = strip sand from beaches and cause damage to cliffs ; global warming = rising sea levels; East is sinking away; London also in danger of flooding (Thames) animal species migrating to cities (because of food shortages) - foxes, squirrels, brown hares
London: Largest city in Western Europe, dominates Britain (government, banks, monarch, Parliament, transport, major legal institutions, national television/newspapers, .) (a bit more intensive than in Germany/Berlin) 1/5 of UK population lives in London (London 7x larger than 2nd largest) (majority live in suburbs)(1/3 were born outside Britain) London used to be small (also had no Parliament or royal court, was in Westminster, now a part of the city) (original part is now called “square mile” or “the City” -> Home to country’s main financial organizations (250,000 work there; only 10,000 live there) West End: many theaters, cinemas and expensive shops -> richer because many used to move/live there because of less pollution wind comes from west, blowing pollution east, fact in many cities) East End: poorer residential area of central London (home of the Cockney and waves of immigrant groups => London has many other parts, not too much crime for a British city, has some of most rich and poor areas in Britain, more than 300 different languages from over 70 different countries, majority lives in suburbs
Southern England
area surrounding suburbs of London = 'commuter land' : area surrounding London (most densely populated area in UK w/o large city); further out:
Kent: (from Dover to London) known as the garden of England (fruits and vegetables)
The Downs (south of London): series of Hills: sheep farming, farther south: ends in White Cliffs
Economy: mainly trade, the provision of services and light manufacturing (not much heavy industry, no de-industrialization) East Anglia (to the north-east of London): relatively rural; large expanses of uniformly flat land + dry climate => main area for growing of wheat & other arable crops
The Fens: reclaimed by the sea (watery and misty feeling); Norfolk Broads (further east): hundreds of waterways, no towns, very popular for boating holidays
The Midlands of England:
Birmingham is Britain’s 2nd largest city during Industrial Revolution: Birmingham ("Black Country”) developed into country’s major engineering center
Today: decline in heavy industry, BUT still: iron & steel into variety of goods other industrial area between Manchester & Black country: The Potteries: produce china; Grimsby: country’s major fish processing center
Tourism has flourished (“Shakespeare country” (birthplace) & Nottingham (Legend of Robin Hood))
Northern England:
The Pennine mountains run up the middle; either side: large deposits of coal, iron ore -> areas leading Industrial Revolution (also induced a certain civic pride, energetic realism) Western side (Manchester area)-> 19th century: world’s leading producer of cotton goods
Eastern side (Bradford & Leeds): became world’s leading producers of woolen goods
South: Sheffield: production of steel goods
==> Second half of 20th century: decline in heavy industry hit the north hard! (high rate of unemployment) steep slopes around Pennine mountains -> hard to settle and unsuitable for agriculture, different settlement pattern: uninhabited countryside never far away from towns and cities (<=> Southern England)
Further north of England is sparsely populated; Lake District = National Park (great for walking holidays)
"the north-south divide”: describes differene between poor north & rich south; south has almost always had lower rates of unemployment, more expensive houses; decline of heavy industry lead to migration of highly qualified workers to the south; but: some of poorest areas in south (London)
Southern uplands: small towns (far apart), economy depends on sheep farming
Highlands: mountains, deep valleys, numerous small islands (off the west coast); known for beauty; same land area as southern England (but less than 1 million inhabitants); Tourism and production of whisky
Central plain & strip of east coast extending northwards -> 80% of population; Same problems as industrial north of England in late 20th century (but: oil industry helped keep unemployment down) Largest Cities: Glasgow (1st) & Edinburgh (2nd)
Glasgow: heavy industry, bad housing conditions (district: Gorbals), but: strong artistic heritage (design, architecture), many immigrants from Ireland (same religious problems as in northern Ireland in parts of Glasgow (e.g. sports))
Edinburgh: middle-class image, capital, seat of its parliament (separate from England), historic buildings, associated with education, scholarship, law, administration => nickname “Athens of the north”
Wales
Same as Scotland: Most people live in small part (in Wales: south-east)
Coal mining during Industrial Revolution -> south Wales (now nearly non-existent)
=> Transition to other types of employment slow and painful Mount Snowdon (north-west): largest National Park in Britain
Northern Ireland: Belfast: manufacture of linen and shipbuilding; Northern Ireland similar to Ireland -> largely agricultural Areas of spectacular beauty: one is Giant’s Causeway (north coast (rocks look like enormous stepping stones))
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) : especially in Aberdeen (lack of light), quite up north; SAD has increased in Britain over past 2 decades because people are going outside less, thus experiencing less daylight than they used to => depression
04 Identity 1 Ethnic identity: the four nations Some people living in England (from Scotland, Wales, Ireland) have strong ethnic identity (also to the identity of ancestors), for many: little more than emotional attachment
sporting/social clubs promote the country they represent and try to do things differently from the English
general rise in ethnic and national profiles! (Census, languages (e.g. Cornish)
Scotland Way of speaking English is distinctive (Dialect: “Scots”)(hard to understand for English/Welsh) historical cultural split between highland and lowland Scotland Gaelic sense of identity (tens of thousands) (First language: Scottish Gaelic or just “Gallic”) Robert Burns: Scotland’s national poet (“Burn suppers” on January 25 every year – parties (kilts, traditional songs/dances(“reels”), eat haggis) Two views: The sentimental nationalist (pride in country and past (including traditions)) & the realist (not eager of tradition) Wales organization of public life similar to England not as many symbols, but Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr (established independet Wales, only 5 years) - countrywide celebrations can speak English, not everybody’s first language 20% Welsh mother tongue in comparison: strong for a minority language (all children in Wales learn Welsh, newspaper in Welsh and Welsh TV channel, signs written in Welsh and English
England British/English? no clear distinction bulldog spirit (courage, determination, refusal to surrender) search for icon, english symbol (Stonehenge, Angel of the North, cup of tea - problem: stonehenge not made by english; tea from india!) => limit to differences between 4 nations! look the same, eat the same, religion, attitudes rather minor exceptions! similar for people with european background (poland/Italy), but rather different when looking at other backgrounds (look different - no choice when to display ethnic background) => 2 major groups! Other ethnic identities
1 black Caribbeans: most born in Britain, long-established immigration began in 1948, fought for Britain in WW2, then many more (especially took jobs in transport sector) similar cultural practices! proportion of Christian/non-religious people; creole treated as Scots; music had influence (reggae, calypso); Notting Hill Carnival started by Caribbean immigrants proud of roots, increasing while culture, habits, attitutes become less distinctive 2 Asians: mostly from Indian subcontinent (also Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, ) also around 1950, continued waves differentiation needed (indian background often more educated than pakistani or bangaldeshi people; religious identity not the same) forge a distinct hybrid identity as British Asians, comfortable
2 The family
family identity rather weak More sentimental significance than lifelong responsibility (godmother/father, best man) household: rather nuclear family than different generations Britain average compared to EU: nr of people in a household lower, more people living alone Unmarried partnerships more common (less respect for formalities!) (=partner) less distinct concerning some ethnic minorities generation gap?
Many teenagers happy living with parents Rebellion of teenagers rather short-lived phenomenon
3 Geographical identity identity based on place of birth not very common But : quite a strong sense of identification with cities or regions, like Manchester or North England e.g. Mancunians (Manchester), Cockney (Londoners) (funny: Crap Towns) Cockney = traditionally, people born within sound of church St. Mary-le-Bow), term used to denote people who come from a wider area of innermost eastern suburbs, describes strong London accent, associated with working-class, rhyming slang Id with larger geographical area even stronger (e.g. northeners) stereotypically see themselves as tougher, more honest,
4 Class class system still important, because of flexibility (possibilities to change one's class) rather difficult for people to have social contact with people in other class; different background = different daily habits (time to eat, topics, styles of english, pastimes), attitudes (not because of liking class system!) not only wealth that defines class; most obvious: what person talks about (attitude, interests) & how he talks (standard British English vs. non-standard) almost everyone able to use standard English (learnt at school), clearest indication of class: accent most prestigious: RP (not limited to part of country <=> other accents! ) mostly, strong regional accent assumed to be working class, RP upper(-middle) class social climbing: trying to appear as if belonging to higher class; nowadays: opposite is common!
= inverted snobbery: middle class trying to adopt working-class values/habits, believing the lower class is 'better', e.g. more honest not that strict anymore (radio: accents, ), classes mix more easily, more similar in attitutes 5 Men and women gender identity actually similar to other northern european countries illegal to discriminate, but still large nr of differences! many expectations in everyday life (looking untidy-men, emotions-women), but slowly reducing domestic roles: sharp decrease in differences (financial situation seen as responsibility of both, children care (still mums tend to stay at home, but man has full responsibility, too public roles: many occupations no differences anymore, but exceptions! strong differences in several work sectors (health, social work, education, transport, construction) 6 Social and Everyday Contacts very important!'desire to belong' contacts with people sharing interests/attitudes, also at work - work also as part of identity 7 Religion/politics neither very important (exception: some minorities + Northern Ireland + some in Scotland) Scotland: Celtic vs Glasgow, rivalry based on religion! for most: voting habits/religion of future son/daughter-in-law not important for parents 8 Identity in Northern Ireland different: ethnicityy, family, politics, religion inter-related and important, social class minor role! two communities, polarized society!
1. people with ancestors from Scotland/England, Protestant, want to be part of UK
2. " "" from Ireland, Catholic, become part of Irish Republic live side by side, but segregated! different hosuing estates/tv, radio/doctors,schools, . extremes softening, apply less to middle-class! (e.g. rugby, middleclass sport, no differentiation) 9 Being British => not really british sense of identity, polls found that it's not that important, but: proud to be british! no contradiction: they don't want to represent country, not actively patriotic => more and more interest: need to find common values in multicultural society, fear that UK might break up, especially strong patriotic feeling: when threatened from the outside, e.g. EU personal identity: humour
= quality that british people cling to! funny remarks, not special humour/best jokes, but making people laugh, everyday way of talking (not only with friends), also: laugh at yourself!
also: bravery in the face of misfortune, and modesty05 Attitudes | |
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