Set 1
Country and People
[1.1] Geographically Speaking
In the north-western part of Europe there are two large islands and many other small ones. One of the two large islands (the largest) is Great Britain and the other one is Ireland.
[1.2] Politically Speaking
There are two states governing the two big islands and the many tiny ones around them. One of these states is officially called The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and it has authority over the whole bigger island and a small piece of the north of the smaller one. The remaining part of the smaller island is governed by the other state, which is called The Republic of Ireland.
[1.3] The Four Nations
Even though there's one single state governing the whole country, Great Britain is made up of four nations with specific and different cultures and lifestyles. These nations are England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland.
In terms of the culture and lifestyle these nations had, the Celtic and the Germanic models were the most prominent ones. Thus, Ireland, Wales and Highland Scotland was inclined towards the Celts, whereas England and Lowland Scotland took the Germanic culture as their own.
[1.4] The Dominance of England
The reason why England is the most dominant and influential of the four nations is because it's been able to impose its will through a superior economic and military power.
Today, there are many easily recognizable aspects that accounts for the dominance of England over the other Nations, as for example the fact that English is the most widely spoken language throughout Britain. Furthermore, there's a tendency to consider England as the norm and other parts of Britain as special cases, so when something involves England it is taken for granted and therefore not mentioned, but when it regards Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland it always is.
[1.5] National Loyalties
Even though the majority of the British live in England, not all of them feel loyalty to this nation. This is because England has been for the most part of the latest centuries the destination of millions immigrating from not only the three other nations, but also from south Asia and the Caribbean. Therefore, people who were born outside Britain, or even whose parents or grandparents are of foreign origin, tend to feel more attached and loyal to the country they come from rather than to England.
This is particularly noticeable in sporting contests. When England competes against for example, Scotland, English citizens with Scottish ancestry will most likely support Scotland. But if England competes against Mexico these same people will support England.
Identity
[1.6] Ethic Identities
In the book, the term identity is dealt by taking into consideration the ethnical characteristics, and the sense of consciousness of belonging in a group that individuals have. This is the reason why people whose roots lay beyond Britain and Ireland have a stronger sense of national identity. As opposed to English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish, people from Asia or America look different to the majority in Britain and this make them knit together and develop a stronger sense of identity.
[1.7] The family
There's a sense of attachment and union within families in the UK, but in comparison with other parts of the world it is rather weak. As a matter of fact, it is uncommon to hold family gatherings with people that are outside the household unit. Generally, a family unit will be made up of the parents and the children, and very seldomly will the grandparents live with the first.
However, this stereotypical family structure is little by little becoming less common as now roughly 40% of births happen outside marriage and single-parenthood is a phenomenon very present nowadays.
[1.8] Geographical identity
There's practically no sense of attachment to the place of birth, but local pride does exist if the place when people live is nice and pleasant (regardless of whether they were borned there or not). What is more common is to come across with a feel of identity associated with a county. People from Liverpool are proud to belong to that city; people from Newcastle feel that way too, as well as people form Manchester, London, Glasgow, etc. Going beyond the limits of cities, there's a division in England between northeners and shoutheners. The former see themselves as a more honest and warmer-hearted than the unfriendly shoutheners.
[1.9] Class
Social classes in Britain can be divided in three different groups: the working class, the middle-class, and then the high-class people. There are clear differences among them which range from daily habits, the food they eat, topics of conversation, pastimes, sports, to values and demeanor.
However, what's most interesting is that it's not money bring these different classes apart, it actually is accent. In fact, there's this accent called Received Pronunciation which is used by people belonging to the high society, and then there's the non-standard English accent which the lower classes use.
In addition to all this, another thing worthy of consideration is the phenomenon that's come along over the past few decades: the inverted snobbery. This is a tendency in which people from the high classes act or speak like the working class do on the grounds that they are more honest and all around better people.
[1.10] Men and women
Britain adheres to the tendency of putting women on the same level as men, and the fact the it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex is proof that this does happen. However, often unconsciously, women are expected to fulfill roles and behave in ways that differ with what men are expected to. For example, no one will bat an eye if a man looks untidy, but when it comes to women it's not very well seen. Also, it feels kinda awkward if a man cries, but not quite so if a women does.
[1.11] Religious and political identity
With the obvious exception of Northern Ireland and some people in Scotland, neither religion nor politics have important implications in people's sense of identity. They just don't care who you support or what you worship. Not even in a proposal of marriage or friendship does religion have in important role.
With the obvious exception of Northern Ireland and some people in Scotland, neither religion nor politics have important implications in people's sense of identity. They just don't care who you support or what you worship. Not even in a proposal of marriage or friendship does religion have in important role.
[1.12] Social en everyday contacts
For many people networking is an important part of their identity and their lives. Having social connections with people with the same interests, favorite sports or pastimes is quite important for them.
[1.13] Identity in Northern Ireland
There's a clear-cut division in Northern Ireland's society. On the one hand there is half a nation who want Ireland to remain part of the UK, and on the other side there are the people who support the idea of Ireland being part of the Irish Republic.
In this setting it's rare for people from the opposing communities talk with each other. Kids are sent to different schools and it is on the university that many times they cross paths for the first time.
[1.14] Being British
Most British people would much rather feel a patriotic sentiment towards their nation than towards Britain. This has been accounted for in many pools, like, for example, one conducted in 2002 in which almost half of the respondents said that the national flag had little, if any, importance to them.
However, there's one moment in particular when British patriotism is arose, and this is when their identity is threatened from the outside. For example through the activities of the European Union.
Attitudes
[1.15] Stereotypes and change
[1.16] English versus British
[1.17] Multiculturalism
[1.18] Conservatism
[1.19] Being different
[1.20] Love of nature
[1.21] Love of animals
[1.22] Public spiritedness and amateurism
[1.23] Privacy and sex
Set 2
Prehistory
[2.1] The Roman Period (43-410)
Even though the Romans occupied Britannia (most of what nowadays is England and Wales) for almost four hundred years, they uncharacteristically left very little behind. During their rein, however, they succeeded in imposing their ways over a part of the Celt population. The Scots and the Picts, who were enemies of the Romans, were the other part of the Celts. They lived up in Scotland, off the scope of the Roman power and influence. The group of Celts that experienced the influence of the Romans are called Britons, and the ones that didn't are called Gaels.
[2.2] The Germanic invasions (410-1066)
The first Germanic invasion was carried out in the fifth century by the Angles and the Saxons, and the south-east of the country was soon part of their rein. By the end of the sixth century their way of life predominated in nearly all of present-day England, especially in the countryside where they had a greater influence.
Another wave of Germanic invasion was executed in the eighth century by invaders from Scandinavia known as Vikings, and via armed conflict the north and east of the country was all they were able to conquer.
At this stage, with the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings having already made Christianity their religion, and with not many cultural differences, they soon were united under a same political state. It was the United Kingdom.
[2.3] The medieval period (1066-1458)
In 1066 the Normans successfully invaded and became the rulers of England. Then the Norman soldiers were given the ownership of pieces of land along with the people living on it. This later triggered the foundation of a hierarchy-based feudal system coming all the way down from the peasants (which where the English speaking Saxons), to the Normandy French-speaking lords, to the great nobles or barons, and finally to the almighty king.
Regarding the politics in this period, in the next 250 years the powerful Anglo-Norman kingdom extended to parts of Ireland and the entire territory of Wales. Only Scotland did manage to remain independent but was occasionally obliged to fight for it. At the level of culture though, it was the language of the Anglo-Saxons and not French the one that prevailed.
Other important events during the medieval period are:
_The survival and even the strength the Welsh culture remain with. The language and the typical song and poetry festivals were never endangered.
_The switch to the Gaelic language and culture by the The Anglo-Norman lords even though it was prohibited.
_In spite to its independence, the gradual switch to English in Scotland.
By the end of this period, there was a division between the lowlands and the highlands. In the former the way of life was similar to that of England and in the second the Gaelic culture prevailed.
[2.4] The sixteenth century: the tudors
In the sixteenth century there was a series of events with a significant level of repercussion.
The Bubonic plague which had been around for three centuries had its toll in the sixteenth-century Great Britain. It killed thousands of blue-collar workers and as a consequence the ties between lords and peasants were weakened. This favored monarchs as it increased their power. Also during the Tudor dynasty (1485 - 1603) The Lords and the Commons in the Parliament were no longer of equal importance as the monarchs were heavily represented by the Commons and therefore this party had much more power.
It is also in this century when Protestantism sprung up and established in England. Another important event was the exploration of America, which introduced the new notion that Great Britain wasn't a perimeter country but rather a central one. Last but not least, this is also the time where Shakespeare came along and had an enormous influence in the English language.
[2.5] The seventeenth century and the Civil War
In the midst of the standardization of English in Scotland and the union of this nation with England, the tension between religion and state arose. Some kings were killed for not being Catholic enough, and funnily enough some other for being too Catholic. In addition, ideological Protestantism grew in England as vocal detractors to Catholicism.
All this plus the conflict between the royalist and the parliamentarians led to the Civil War which the parliamentary forces won. However, after the leader of the parliamentary army, Oliver Cromwell, took over the government of Britain and Ireland, he failed to impose his system of government.
[2.6] The eighteenth century and the industrial revolution
When the Act of Union was passed, Scottish members of the parliament joined the English and Welsh parliament giving birth to the "United Kingdom of Great Britain." In this new setting, traces of past battles showed up as supporters of the old parliamentarians, the Whigs, were against the Tories (pro monarchy people). This led to the beginning of the party system in Britain.
Arguably the most important event of this century was the industrial revolution, which caused millions to move from the rural areas to cities. Most of them migrated to the industrial center of Great Britain located the northern areas of England. In the south of England, in turn, London was the business capital.
[2.7] The nineteenth century: queen Victoria
In the beginning of this century Britain lost its authority over The United States, and was busy trying to maintain other colonies while at the same time being involved in a war with France. Nevertheless, as the century progressed Britain's rule over several colonies spread out around the world was unprecedented. All Canada, Australia, New Zeland, India, large parts of Africa, and islands in the Caribbean belonged to the British empire.
Previous to this growth of the empire, colonization was a matter of commerce, but at point in time it was seen in a different light, something like the course of destiny. Along with the imposing economic development Great Britain was going through, a new sentiment of arrogance and supreme confidence arouse in the British society. Therefore, the country deemed it as a duty to spread their culture and civilization around the world.
In the industrial society of this century there were many great changes in the social structure. The holders of power were now tradespeople and professionals and not landowners and before. These powerful people made their riches off cheap labour done by people working in horrendous conditions.
Queen Victoria: In a new era when the monarchy held very little power, she was regarded as a symbol of Britain's success. Her hard-working spirit won her a very good public image and was deemed as the personification of the morals of the time.
[2.8] Imperialism
[2.8] Imperialism
[2.9] The twentieth century: the birth of the labour party
The twentieth century kicked off in Britain with a series of problems that shook the whole country. It was not longer the world's riches country, women were standing up for their rights, the army wasn't completely satisfied with some policies of the government, and the House of Lords was struggling to survive.
By the 1920s these problems had been sorted out, but following this dramatic period Britain was starting to loss control over its colonies. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa started to act separately from Britain. Even Ireland became a independent country. At this point, the world wasn't as Britain-centered as before, and in 1962 when the Cuban missile crisis broke out it was resolved without need for Britain's involvement.
On a different note, politics was also going through changes. The working class gained enough power to have a say in Britain's future, and from the 1930s to the 1980s the Trades Union Congress thrived as a political force, but has since faded down.
[2.10] The World Wars
[2.10] The World Wars
Set 3
Political Life
[3.1] The Public Attitude to Politics
The British don't usually go so far as to say politicians are thieves, but they do look on them as dishonest people, and lairs. In a satirical way, people say that the first rule of politics is never believe anything until it's been officially denied, implying that the truth is exactly the opposite to what they claim. Furthermore, the British are generally indifferent to politics, and rarely become passionate about it. Politics is for them a boring topic of conversation. This lack of enthusiasm is reflected in the general ignorance of who they are.
[3.2] The Style of Democracy
In many aspects of life the British manage with a relatively small set of laws, so there are few rules telling people what they must or must not do and thus, few rules telling the government what it can or cannot do.
A distinctive characteristic of the English democracy is the traditional idea that people and government should leave each other alone as much as possible, which is why people are not obliged to vote at elections. Additionally, people are not really involved in governing and lawmaking, and the government can make drastic changes without having to ask them for it. In Britain, democracy never meant that people were involved in the running of the country, but rather that they only had to choose who is to govern the country, and then let them get on with in.
[3.3] The Constitution
As opposed to almost all modern countries, Britain does not have a constitution. However, this does not mean that it does not have rules, principles or procedures, but that there's not a single written document which can be considered as the highest law.
Instead, the principles, procedures and people's rights come from other sources. Some of them are written down in laws agreed by Parliament, some have been spoken and written down (for example judgments made in a court), and some others have never been written down at all, but are effectively set by custom and practice.
[3.4] The style of politics
Politics in the UK are conducted in a rather informal way. Important decision are preferably made at lunch and over some drinks rather than at official meetings.
However, the parliament is run with a greater degree of formality as its member are obliged to proceed honoring some ancient traditions of procedure.
Another distinctive feature of politics in the UK is that politicians are very often cooperative among each other. They see the advantages of this and even when they support different parties, they are always open to cooperate if there's mutual benefit.
[3.5] The party system
There are two big dominating parties in the political scene in the UK: the conservative party and the Labour party. A third option is the Liberal Democratic party but it has lost relevance over the last decades, time during which the Labour party replaced the Liberal party as the second most popular party. The labour party, as opposed to the other two, was created outside the parliament when an increasing urban proletariat needed a political force to represent their interests.
Out of the two most important parties, the one that doesn't control the government often presents itself as an alternative government, ready to step up at any time it is needed. In order to keep up this appearance of readiness they try to keep their disagreements in secret, and when there isn't a reelection of the leading MP, argument and disagreement are arisen.
[3.6] The monarchy
The monarchy hasn't had for a very long time the authority it used to rule with centuries past. Its head, the Queen, has very little power and involvement in the decision-making of the country.
But even though in reality the Queen has no control in the running the politics in the UK, there's a willingness to glorify the royal family and make it seem as if the Queen was actually the most important person in the government. There's even the custom to pretend that the rule of the country is very undemocratic and that it's "her" country rather than the "people's". Furthermore, she is supposedly qualified to dismiss anyone from the government and choose anyone she likes to fulfill any kind of official duty.
In this context we come to ask ourselves what, then, is the Queen's role? Three roles are often mentioned. First, she's the symbolic representation of the government. It's as representative of the UK as the country's flag. Second, in the event of the transition to a dictatorial country via the passing of an undemocratic bill, she has the authority here to disapprove the law. Third, she can lead ceremonial duties on behalf of the government allowing the real one get on with the actual job of running the country.
Now, regarding the future of the monarchy, there's nothing yet indicating that it will cease to exist any time soon. People are either vaguely in favour or indifferent, and generally she's widely admired by British people.
[3.2] The Style of Democracy
In many aspects of life the British manage with a relatively small set of laws, so there are few rules telling people what they must or must not do and thus, few rules telling the government what it can or cannot do.
A distinctive characteristic of the English democracy is the traditional idea that people and government should leave each other alone as much as possible, which is why people are not obliged to vote at elections. Additionally, people are not really involved in governing and lawmaking, and the government can make drastic changes without having to ask them for it. In Britain, democracy never meant that people were involved in the running of the country, but rather that they only had to choose who is to govern the country, and then let them get on with in.
[3.3] The Constitution
As opposed to almost all modern countries, Britain does not have a constitution. However, this does not mean that it does not have rules, principles or procedures, but that there's not a single written document which can be considered as the highest law.
Instead, the principles, procedures and people's rights come from other sources. Some of them are written down in laws agreed by Parliament, some have been spoken and written down (for example judgments made in a court), and some others have never been written down at all, but are effectively set by custom and practice.
[3.4] The style of politics
Politics in the UK are conducted in a rather informal way. Important decision are preferably made at lunch and over some drinks rather than at official meetings.
However, the parliament is run with a greater degree of formality as its member are obliged to proceed honoring some ancient traditions of procedure.
Another distinctive feature of politics in the UK is that politicians are very often cooperative among each other. They see the advantages of this and even when they support different parties, they are always open to cooperate if there's mutual benefit.
[3.5] The party system
There are two big dominating parties in the political scene in the UK: the conservative party and the Labour party. A third option is the Liberal Democratic party but it has lost relevance over the last decades, time during which the Labour party replaced the Liberal party as the second most popular party. The labour party, as opposed to the other two, was created outside the parliament when an increasing urban proletariat needed a political force to represent their interests.
Out of the two most important parties, the one that doesn't control the government often presents itself as an alternative government, ready to step up at any time it is needed. In order to keep up this appearance of readiness they try to keep their disagreements in secret, and when there isn't a reelection of the leading MP, argument and disagreement are arisen.
[3.6] The monarchy
The monarchy hasn't had for a very long time the authority it used to rule with centuries past. Its head, the Queen, has very little power and involvement in the decision-making of the country.
But even though in reality the Queen has no control in the running the politics in the UK, there's a willingness to glorify the royal family and make it seem as if the Queen was actually the most important person in the government. There's even the custom to pretend that the rule of the country is very undemocratic and that it's "her" country rather than the "people's". Furthermore, she is supposedly qualified to dismiss anyone from the government and choose anyone she likes to fulfill any kind of official duty.
In this context we come to ask ourselves what, then, is the Queen's role? Three roles are often mentioned. First, she's the symbolic representation of the government. It's as representative of the UK as the country's flag. Second, in the event of the transition to a dictatorial country via the passing of an undemocratic bill, she has the authority here to disapprove the law. Third, she can lead ceremonial duties on behalf of the government allowing the real one get on with the actual job of running the country.
Now, regarding the future of the monarchy, there's nothing yet indicating that it will cease to exist any time soon. People are either vaguely in favour or indifferent, and generally she's widely admired by British people.
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