British Studies Introduction Estra Tõnisson estra@kivilinn.tartu.ee
What do these terms mean? Great Britain UK England Ireland The British Isles
Geographically and politically speaking Great Britain = island with 3 countries Ireland = island British Isles = these two islands and all smaller ones UK = the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland = separate country
Identifying symbols of the four nations National Anthem Union Jack
Rule Britannia! Britannia was the original name given by the Romans to the province that comprised what is now England and Wales Britannia is seen as a a woman wearing a helmet, and carrying a shield and trident. It is a symbol that blends the concepts of empire, militarism and economics. sung as an unofficial national anthem.
Population in 2007 – 61 million
Population in 2011 – about 63,18 million
British identity – hard to talk about... Queueing Tea The food is not the best People are cold, reserved Stiff upper lip Need of personal space
Do Don’t Stand in line Say ‘Excuse me’ Pay as you go Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ Shake hands Say ‘Sorry’ Smile Open doors to other people Drive on the left Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze Don’t Queue jump Talk loudly on the bus (or use your mobile phone) Brag Smoke in public places
Some other facts: How many cups of tea in a day per nation? 165 million cups
Favourite take-away food Curry - this is used to generically refer to Indian food, the word actually means a dish with sauce/gravy.
British Identities and Attitudes Ethnic identity: four nations Multicultural identity Identity through family Geographical identity Class Identity in the Northern Ireland Being British
Geographical identity Local pride Identification with a city – Liverpudlians and Geordies, Mancunians, Glaswegians, Brummies, Londoners Wayne Rooney - Scouse Adele Grammys 2012 - North-London accent Cheryl Cole - too Geordie for the US? Cheryl Cole interview 2011 Scottish accent BBC – Voices
National identity:four nations National loyalty strong among the people, who are not from England Culture Education Sports Language English=British?
Being British As an Englishman I am proud to be a gentleman, to lose gracefully and to stand in queues. Oliver Clark, London, United Kingdom To feel British is something you experience when you are away from Britain. Its green countryside. Safety when walking the streets. The fact that we band together against adversity. So many things have been invented in our country Barry Ashcroft, Barnet, Herts, United Kingdom
Being British means being proud of our history, for without it we have nothing to base our future on. It is irrelevant whether we agree with what happened in our country's past (as I am sure future generations will not like what we are doing now) history is a foundation to build on. If we had not had an Empire would we have such a diverse society as we do now? We need to be proud of all that we achieve. Being British also means in times of adversity getting on with life, supporting those weaker than ourselves, being a friend to others and a help to our neighbours. The British play by the rules, and enjoy Sunday pub lunches and still love cricket on the green Sue Fletcher, France
To be British is to be multicultural To be British is to be multicultural. The 4 nations that make up Britain, each with their own cultures, the many peoples that conquered us in our ancient history and the many we conquered in more recent times have all contributed to our multi-cultural culture and multi-lingual language James, United Kingdom
Becoming a British citizen The test lasts for 45 minutes during which time the entrants have to answer 24 multiple choice questions. To pass the test, the student must receive a grade of 75% or higher (at least 18 correct answers out of 24 questions). Life in the UK test
Creature comforts