English: Culture and History UK & US (CHUKUS) – UAntwerpen – Toegepaste Taalkunde – 2020-2021
English: Culture and History
Introduction
American presidents since Reagan
Ronald George Bush Bill George W. Barack Donald
Reagan Senior Clinton Bush Junior Obama Trump
Republican Republican Democra Republican Democrat Republican
t
British prime ministers since Thatcher
Margaret John Tony Gordon David Theresa May Boris Johnson
Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron
Conservative Conservat Labour Labour Conservat Conservative Conservative
* ive ive
1979-1990 1990- 1997- 2007- 2010- 2016-2019 2019-…
1997 2007 2010 2016
*The Conservatives are also called The Tories
Boris Johnson and Donald Trump: similarities
- Appearance
- Both lean heavily to the right
- Both members of the establishments that they say they are fighting against
Culture and History UK
British Civilisation: Chapter 1 pp. 3-12 + 15-24
- Anything that does not overlap with the study material seen in class, you can study the big
lines of. You see e.g. a lot of figures of immigration in chapter 1, but you do not need to know
any figures that we did not see.
- Pages with roman numbers are a very good overview and guideline for studying and situating
things. However, you do not need to know all of these dates:
- Anything before 1800: you need to know the century (Exception: Battle of Hastings, 1066)
1800-1900: you need to be able to situate things in the correct decade
From 1900: you need to know specific years
Terminology & basic facts
Terminology: locations
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, English: Culture and History UK & US (CHUKUS) – UAntwerpen – Toegepaste Taalkunde – 2020-2021
- United Kingdom Great Britain The British Isles
- Inhabitants: Britons or British people
- Empire: the British territories during the height of colonialism
o The Empire does not exist anymore; now it is the Commonwealth
- Commonwealth: intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states,
mostly former colonies of the British Empire (e.g. Canada, India, Australia)
This can come on the exam:
British Isles British Islands + Ireland
British Islands UK + Channel Islands +
Isle of Man
United Kingdom Great Britain + Northern
Ireland
Great Britain Scotland + Wales +
England
Ireland (Island) Ireland (State; Republic of
Ireland = country) +
Northern Ireland
Channel Islands Guernsey + Jersey + Sark
(Islands in the North
Sea)
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, English: Culture and History UK & US (CHUKUS) – UAntwerpen – Toegepaste Taalkunde – 2020-2021
Terminology: politics
- Two main parties: Labour &
Conservative Party (Tories)
o Tories = historic nickname
that Conservative party has
- Other important parties: Liberal
Democrats (Lib-Dems), Scottish
National Party (SNP), Democratic
Unionist Party (DUP), UK
Independence Party (UKIP)
o These parties are very minor
compared to the main parties
o Third biggest party = SNP
- Parliament: House of Lords &
House of Commons
o House of Lords: people with
titles; not elected
o House of Commons: people who have been
elected
- MP = Member of Parliament
- UK = Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Basic facts
The country
- UK population: 65 million
- UK capital: London (inhabitants: 10 million + 14
million in metropolitan area)
o About one third of the population lives in
one city Disproportionate Conflicts &
different life styles
- Other capitals: Cardiff (Wales), Edinburgh
(Scotland), Belfast (Northern Ireland)
The royal family
Red circle =
line of
succession
In the future,
the UK will
have a king
for several
generations.
Queen
Elizabeth II:
the monarch
of the UK
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, English: Culture and History UK & US (CHUKUS) – UAntwerpen – Toegepaste Taalkunde – 2020-2021
Baby Harry & Meghan: Archie
Flags: UK flag
Flag of Wales
was not
incorporated in
the Union Flag
Flag of England (Saint
George’s Cross) + Flag of
Scotland Original Union
Flag
Ireland was annexed to the
UK Irish flag added to
Union Flag
Republic of Ireland became
independent, but the Irish
cross was never removed
from the flag
Anthems
The UK
An anthem is “a solemn patriotic song officially adopted by a country as an
expression of national identity”
- “God Save the Queen” (alternatively “God Save the King”, depending on
the gender of the monarch) is felt to be the national anthem of the UK.
o It is the royal anthem as well.
o It is one of two national anthems used by New Zealand since 1977. It is
also the royal anthem of Australia (since 1984), Canada (since 1980),
and Barbados.
o God Save the Queen (or King) first used in its current form in 1744
- Remnant of colonialism: Queen is officially still the monarch of those other
places
England
- Opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics dedicated time and music to
informal anthems of the four devolved nations of the UK:
o Jerusalem, for England – Danny Boy, for Northern Ireland – Flower of
Scotland, for Scotland – Bread of Heaven, for Wales
o UK was not really presented as a United Nation, but the focus rather lied
on national pride
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, English: Culture and History UK & US (CHUKUS) – UAntwerpen – Toegepaste Taalkunde – 2020-2021
- Since Jerusalem is considered to be England’s most popular ‘patriotic’
song, it has often been used as an alternative national anthem and there
have been calls to give it official status
o Jerusalem is a short poem (c.1808) by William Blake
o Today it is best known as the anthem Jerusalem, with music written by Sir
Hubert Parry in 1916
Other
- Rule Britannia
- Nimrod
- Land of Hope and Glory
- All resonate the Empire past and are not always deemed appropriate. Very
patriotic songs.
British identity
British identity is a complex and multi-layered something. It is fractioned and
fragmented in many different ways.
The British way of life
- The 'British way of life' and British identities are determined by how people
function within and react, whether positively, negatively or apathetically, to
local and national structures. For example:
o Government policies influence citizens and their families
o Commercial organizations influence choices in food, music, clothes and
fashion
o The media may try to shape news values and agendas, or seek more
profits
o Devolved government bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
initiate policies for their own regions
Britain’s historical growth and structural change
There are two generally held views of Britain’s historical growth and structural
change:
(A traditional one argues that) Britain’s development over time has been
guided by pragmatism, common sense, and experience of what works
in practice, rather than by FML arrangements and theories
o Pragmatism: view of being very practical; practicality
o UK does not have an official constitution like the US does. It has grown
over time; it is more a collection of documents.
A second view maintains that this argument, while having some partial
validity, does not take into account the historical realities of oppression,
unfairness, division of opinion and lack of shared values within the UK
itself Take these things into account
Competing pressures and cultural and social fragmentation are arguably more
prominent in contemporary Britain than a shared set of beliefs, unity and a
common core.
‘Restoring’ society and the past
- Contemporary British society is often measured against an assumed earlier,
more positive history, ‘the olden days’
o Reflected in the US and in Trump’s campaign ‘Make America great again!’
Also applicable to the UK, but they do not really have a slogan for this
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- However, the past in Britain was not as idyllic as is sometimes
nostalgically imagined
o There were periods when the levels of crime, aggression, violence,
poverty & deprivation were far greater than they are now, in both the
cities & the countryside
o UK is going to the dogs Restore golden age But golden age is a myth
- Yet the myth of a golden age and older patterns of positive behaviour still
hold considerable romantic attraction for many British people
Tension between presumed tradition attempts at modernisation or
change
Contemporary issues/conditions
State and direction of contemporary British society
- Britain today is a complex society in which diversity and change have created
problems as well as advantages
- Division created by Brexit: a lot of discussion on what divides Britain
o Tensions closed open; city country; graduates non-graduates;
owners renters; whites non-whites; old young
- Debates about the state & direction of contemporary British society and
the role of its institutions are common
- Diversity & change have created problems as well as advantages
- Divisions caused by factors such as
o Political, cultural & ethnic distinctiveness of Wales, Scotland,
Northern Ireland and England
UK is not one country but four, so to speak: four countries in a trench
coat nations in their own right, but not independent; sense of
separateness rather than union
o Alleged cultural & economic gaps between north & south
Dominant influence of London on the rest of the country (as well
as its separateness)
Demands for greater autonomy, democracy & accountability in
devolved and local government areas and less centralised control
from London
Devolved & local governments = decentralised; distribution of
power Governments with centralised control from London,
which is out of touch with the rest of the UK
South = more affluent, more well-off North = where Industrial
Revolution started; much poorer; were not able to adapt as well as the
South
Several dimensions of antagonism
- Tensions between national identity and ethnicity
- Growing generational differences between young & old in all ethnic groups
(associated with the increasing longevity and numbers of the elderly in an
ageing society)
- Disparities between affluent & economically depressed regions
throughout the country (including the crime, decay & social deprivation found
in many inner-city & rural locations)
- Inequality between rich & poor, with a growing underclass of
disadvantaged, alienated or rootless people; growing gap
- Tensions between cities & the countryside; especially London
Political variety
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- Political variety (reflected in support for different political parties in different
parts of country)
- Continuing debates on the positions of women, special-interest groups,
migrants & minority ethnic communities
- Relation with the world
o Ireland & Northern Ireland: ‘Ireland as an island should be united’
o EU: What relationship does the UK want to maintain with the EU?
o US: Britons feel more strongly aligned with the US than with the EU
o Former Empire & Commonwealth: former empire countries form current
Commonwealth
Decline in the traditional deference to authority
- Such features illustrate some, if not all, of the divisions in British society. They
also suggest a decline in the traditional deference to authority,
consensus views and support for national institutions such as the
monarchy, the professions, schools, churches and Parliament.
o This is often called the ‘bulldog spirit’. Although British in general, it is
more an English characteristic as such.
Trust in Parliament is very low
o The phrase originated in the Second World War, when Winston
Churchill’s attitude to rally the troops and fight the enemy (on the
beaches of Normandy) shaped a national resilience.
Term was first used in resistance against the Germans
o British persistence to have Britain go their own way might have
attributed to the Leave result of the EU referendum. It can also be argued
that “self-delusion is a lingering attribute of former imperial nations
adjusting to a lesser reality” (NYT)
UK is self-deluded in that it is still a big player in the world, whereas in
reality, they are just another small country
Top 3 Britons: three one minute biographies
From the top 3 of the 2002 BBC poll on ‘the Greatest Briton’, you can see what
Britons think is important in society and in a person. But do these really
constitute the canon of key figures in British culture & history?
- Note: Diana, Princess of Wales was judged to be a greater historical British
figure than William Shakespeare
- The top 19 entries were people of English origin
- The highest-placed Scottish entry was Alexander Fleming in 20 th place, with
the highest Welsh entry, Owain Glyndŵr, at number 23
- 60 out of 100 lived in the 20th century
- Only 13 of the top 100 were women
- There were no black Britons on the list
Take this poll with a serious grain of salt: clearly a bias at work.
Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
- Prime Minister (1940 – 1945, 1951 – 1955)
- Historically ranked as one of the greatest British prime ministers
- Kept the nation’s spirit up during World War II, when the
country had to defend itself against Hitler’s attempts to invade
- Important figure in post-war reconstruction and post-war
international & national politics
- Received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953
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Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 – 1859)
- A prominent, driving figure behind the Industrial Revolution
which began in Britain, he revolutionised public transport and
modern engineering
- One of the most versatile and audacious engineers of the 19th century,
responsible for the design of tunnels, bridges, railway lines and ships
o Designer of the Great Western Railway, Clifton Suspension Bridge, SS
Great Britain and numerous significant ships, tunnels and bridges
A lot of those bridges, tunnels, railway lines… still exist
today
o Many talents
Lady Diana (often referred to as Lady Di) (1961 – 1997)
- Princess Diana was Princess of Wales while married to Prince
Charles
- First wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (marriage 1981 – 1996), and mother
of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry
- One of the most adored members of the British royal family, she died in a
1997 car crash in Paris whilst being chased by paparazzi
- Admired and known for her philanthropic deeds, humanitarian aid and the
good causes that she supported and championed
Brexit
Britain and the EU
- Member of the EEC (European Economic Community) in 1973
- UK was part of EU since 1992: 1992 Maastricht Treaty – Founding of the
European Union
- 2009 Lisbon Treaty
o Lisbon Treaty is relevant: article 50 ‘Members have the right to quit the
EU’
- Fall 2014 £ 1.7 bn extra contribution
- June 2016 Brexit referendum under David Cameron
o Britons feel negatively against the EU: a lot of people felt that a lot of
money went to the EU
- UK left EU officially on the 31st of January 2020
European Elections Map on ppt is just an illustration, do not learn it.
- By having been part of the EU: 73 UK MEPs (Members of European Parliament)
- The UK was divided into twelve regions. Each region had between three & ten
MEPs
Why Brexit?
Before David Cameron (The role of David Cameron came later on)
- Sense of reduced sovereignty/independence: too much regulation placed
upon Britain
o Britain feels that they are a very separate nation. They felt culturally and
politically separated as well: We are Britons rather than Europeans. We
should not be ruled from the outside.
o Sovereignty = the right to make your own decisions
o Regulations e.g. environmental standards Holding Britain back
economically
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- Migration
o Being part of EU opened British borders too wide Fear of migration,
mostly from inside EU
- Financial support that Britain had to provide for other member states
Economic crisis
o ‘We should not pay for the mistakes of other countries’: complaints about
contribution to EU budget (richer countries had to pay contribution)
- Objection to agricultural & fisheries policies
- Opposition against greater political & economic integration
- Free Trade with EU will continue because ‘the EU needs the British market
more than vice versa’ Factually untrue: 10 % EU export to UK 50 % UK
export to EU It is much more important for the UK that Free Trade with the
EU continues
Arguments in out
- Circulated around the time of
the referendum.
- Red tape = bureaucracy; a lot of
rules are regulations that you
have to follow that slow us down
- Better trade terms: trade terms
with other countries outside the
EU
- First out-claim is false/very
unlikely
- Pouring money into EU UK
was getting a lot out of it
- Continue trading freely Still
have to pay contributions
- Second out-claim is untrue. It is
not that much money.
- International influence
Brexit Campaign
- Leave Remain
- Leave campaign based on lies and scare-mongering
o E.g. the famous leave campaigner bus slide 6: We send the EU £350 million
a week; let’s fund our NHS instead. Vote Leave. Let’s take back control.
This figure is false. It isn’t that much money, and part of that contribution
would still have to be used to access the single market. None of that
money would actually be available for things like the NHS (National Health
System of the UK). Leave side was playing into people’s feelings rather
than giving facts.
o Another example: No border. No control. The EU has opened our borders
to 4,000 people every week. Take back control of our country. Vote UKIP
22nd May. + Nigel Farage
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, English: Culture and History UK & US (CHUKUS) – UAntwerpen – Toegepaste Taalkunde – 2020-2021
Implication: anyone could just enter the UK.
Important to note is that people in the UK were not necessarily
concerned with immigration from outside the EU (it was a factor as
well), but more concerned with immigration from within the EU, e.g.
from Poland. Anyone who lives in an EU country can go live in another
EU country. Immigrants steal jobs and government benefits
Free movement would stop when the UK leaves EU
However: more people leave UK every year than people come in
The 2016 Referendum
- This referendum in June started it all
- Prime Minister David Cameron (Conservative)
o Started the referendum under pressure from other parties
o Cameron promised, if the Conservatives won the 2015 general election, a
renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with the EU, which if successful in
repatriating powers would be followed by a referendum in 2016-17 on
continued British membership. A majority wanted to remain in the EU if
David Cameron succeeded in renegotiating substantial treaty changes.
o David Cameron did not want to leave the EU. Then why did he call
this referendum if he wanted to stay? He was trying to re-affirm his
political position because people within his political party did not think he
had the mandate to rule. Cameron then said ‘I’ll show them how popular I
am, I will hold a Brexit referendum and campaign for Remain! And
everyone will see that the people still listen to me.’ This backfired
immensely.
o When the majority voted to leave, he felt that he did not have the
authority to rule anymore Cameron resigns Theresa May
(Conservative Party)
- The moment the voting results came in, all the big ‘Leave’ campaigners
withdrew. They only ran the Leave campaign to protest the government. They
weren’t actually invested in the result and no one wanted to actually start the
Leave.
How Britain voted in the referendum slide 8
- Result: narrow win for ‘Leave’
o 51.9% Leave 48.1% Remain
Turnout: 72.2%
- England & Wales overwhelmingly voted to
leave Scotland voted to remain.
Scotland should get a new referendum on its dependence. The Scottish first
minister has said that a leave vote could trigger a referendum vote in
Scotland to leave Britain. Scots rejected independence in a referendum in
September 2014 by 55 percent to 45 percent, but their opinions may have
altered now.
- Northern Ireland shares a completely porous border with Ireland, which is in
the European Union. Trade issues could arise between the two.
- London, alongside with Scotland, led the vote to remain in the EU, though the
east side of the city voted to leave.
- The majority of Wales voted strongly to leave, except for the largest city
Cardiff, which voted to remain by 60 percent.
Article 50
- Referendum ≠ exit
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