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

pics

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