Contemporary British Culture and
Society
Chapter 1 Introduction
Autumn Semester,Sept,2005
Xiao Huiyun
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
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?
Procedures
? Presentation by Students – Focal
questions 3 & 4
? Lectures by the teacher
? Class discussion – Exploitation
Activities (p.11)
? Assignment for the next chapter
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.
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,
A1 Geography continued
IONA?– The British Isles
A 1 Geography cont,*n.a.
? National Flag The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Chief of the State -- Queen
Elizabeth II
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
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.
St,James Park,London
England cont
? Windsor Castle Leeds Castle
Fish and Chips
? English staple food
WALES
? Demographics:
– Population,2.9 Million
– Capital city,Cardiff
– People,Celts,Anglo-Saxons
– Language,Welsh,English
– Religion,Nonconformist Protestants,
Anglicans,Catholics
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).
Caerphilly Castle,South Wales
Beaumaris Castle,N,Wales
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
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.
Irish Townhouse b&b
Irish Jig
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
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
Scottish Dance
Castles of Scotland
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
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
A 2 Population cont.
Ageing Population
1981-2021 64 yrs 14%-23% 黄线
0
5
10
15
20
25
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.
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.
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.
A 3 Ethnic Groups cont.
? Jobs,? 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.
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.
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%
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,
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
A 5,The Devolution
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).
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
Society
Chapter 1 Introduction
Autumn Semester,Sept,2005
Xiao Huiyun
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
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?
Procedures
? Presentation by Students – Focal
questions 3 & 4
? Lectures by the teacher
? Class discussion – Exploitation
Activities (p.11)
? Assignment for the next chapter
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.
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,
A1 Geography continued
IONA?– The British Isles
A 1 Geography cont,*n.a.
? National Flag The United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Chief of the State -- Queen
Elizabeth II
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
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.
St,James Park,London
England cont
? Windsor Castle Leeds Castle
Fish and Chips
? English staple food
WALES
? Demographics:
– Population,2.9 Million
– Capital city,Cardiff
– People,Celts,Anglo-Saxons
– Language,Welsh,English
– Religion,Nonconformist Protestants,
Anglicans,Catholics
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).
Caerphilly Castle,South Wales
Beaumaris Castle,N,Wales
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
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.
Irish Townhouse b&b
Irish Jig
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
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
Scottish Dance
Castles of Scotland
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
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
A 2 Population cont.
Ageing Population
1981-2021 64 yrs 14%-23% 黄线
0
5
10
15
20
25
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.
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.
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.
A 3 Ethnic Groups cont.
? Jobs,? 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.
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.
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%
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,
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
A 5,The Devolution
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).
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
