BRITISH CULTURE



BRITISH CULTURE


Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (NI = Ulster)

Other names:

The Republic of Ireland – Eire

The British Isles (Ireland disagrees)

Atlantic Archipelago

England

Great Britain (which should be just England, Wales and Scotland)

United Kingdom (a proposition to use)


UK has 243000 sq km, 61mln population.

Survey of people and households – opwszechny spis ludnosci

exponential growth – wzrost wykładnikowy


CENSUS


Senchus fer n'Alba - The first counting of people happened in Scotland in VII century

Domsday Book – sourvey by William the Conqueror, he sent men to make sourvey on conquered lands to get info and set proper taxes.

Thomas Malthus, 1798, "An Essay On The Principle Of Population" – said that population grew faster than food production.

John Rickman presented 12 points to promote the idea of national headcount.


1801 – the first national headcount in England and was every ten years (except 1941)

27.03.2011 The last census, the longest and most detail, 32 page booklet, 4 pages of questions, 1000 fine for those who declined to fill it


Controversies about census

very expensive – 482m pounds of costs

"out of date almost before it's done"

data security – how is goverment going to use the data?

Alex Deane said it's too detailed, it's a lot more detailed in other countries

not reliable – according to 2001 census fourth largest religion was Jedi

the US arms manufacturer Lockhead Martin

U NION JACK ( adopted in 1801)

National flag and naval ensign (also war flag, but with different ratio)

combination of three crosses: the cross

of St George (England),

of St Andrew(Scotland),

of St.Patrick (Ireland )


MONARCHY IN BRITAIN


constitutional monarchy – power shared by constitution and monarchs

Europe has six constitutional monarchies.


Since 1714 to 1901 Britain has German Connections. Queen Victoria married to a German, she preferred to speak in German


17 July 1917 – the change of the name of the dynasty from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor


Victoria + Albert

Edward VII (1901-1910) + Alexandra

George V (1910-1936)

Edward VIII (1936 – 325 days -> abdication)

George VI + Elizabeth (Queen mother)

Elizabeth II Margaret

Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward











THE QUEEN

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary House of Windsor

Elizabeth II was born in 21 April 1926, she married Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh in 20 November 1947.

In 6 February 1952 Goeorge VI dies, Elisabeth takes over his power.

On the 2 June 1953 Elizabeth II was coronated. 16 countries recognized her as queen.


The Queen reigns but does not rule (she has authority but no power).

Her duties:


Bill – projekt ustawy. Before bill becomes law, it has to pass many places. If the bill passes in parliament, the queen has to sign it.


Since XX century the ruling monarch can marry a catholic and daughter can become a ruler. Up until then monarch could marry only a protestant and power passed only to male children.


Nation – community of people inhabiting the same territory, sharing language, culture and tradition.

MONARCHY IN MEDIA


X VIc. - Elizabeth the First, probably the first monarch who recognizes that it's important how are you seen by others. The vast majority would never seen the queen in person. She's also represented in portraits as a loving, wise and peaceful queen. There was used a rich iconography, they tried to make an impression of enormous distance.


Queen Victoria had totally different kind of picture, she was represented realistically, her portrait was full of emotions and partially informal.


Aristocracy gradually declines. In XIX century it's the middle class shapes politics. Cult of domesticity.


1839 – the beginning of photography. Queen Victoria uses it to help her popularity.


BBC exists since 1936 and was broadcasted since then, except during the time of war.


1898 – Kodak releases a new model of a camera, it could take a picture a lot faster and anyone was able to take a photography; there was also takes a photograph of dead counselor Bismarck.


1937 – coronation of king George VI, the first coronation that was broadcasted in the radio. People listening to it weren't sure how to behave (like stand, remove their hats etc).


2 June 1953 – TV broadcast of coronation Elizabeth II. The ceremony was 2.5h long. The BBC's live transmission was 7h long. About 20 million people watched it.


1955 – lady Diana gave an interview for the BBC, she talked about her issues while being married and other private aspects of life like bulimia and self-harm.

Mediated monarchy – monarchy that exists thanks to the media. Royal soap opera. It exists to preserve monarchy.

LEGAL PRACTISES AND CUSTOMS

Uncodified constitution – there is no defining document that can be termed "the constitution". Because the political system evolved over time, rather than being changed suddenly in an event such as a revolution, it is continuously being defined by acts of Parliament and decisions of the Law Courts (see Constitution of the United Kingdom). Two written constitutions were enacted during The Commonwealth of Oliver Cromwell, the Instrument of Government of 1653 and the Humble Petition and Advice of 1657; these were overridden by the Restoration of the crown in 1660.

The evolution of legal practices and custom.

Sources of law and British constitution:

Separation of powers

Parilament

The house of commons

The House of Lords












PASSING THE BILL (the raw material of a law)

House of commons ->

House of Lords->

Consideration Of Amendments

Royal Ascent

Prime minister function started in XVIII c. In 1714 Steward dynasty ends and Hanoverian dynasty begins. King George I, the first Hannovarian monarch in England, wasn't happy about becoming the king of England, he wanted to stay in Hannover. He refused to learn English and did not want to take a part in English politics. When ministers met they needed a leader and since king wasn't interested or absent. Cabinet of ministers was made (usually consists 24 ministers).


Elections:

In UK you have to be 18+ and a citizen of UK or commonwealth. The right to vote begins in XIXc, before that it was an elitist privilege. In 1848 was sign by 2mln people – the Great Charter, a program of reforms of the voting system. Women weren't mentioned, in 1918 all women over 40 and those who were property owners could vote, in 1928 all women could vote.


The first elections were in 1917, the last elections were in 6th May 2010. The house of lords has 650 ppl, therefore there were 650 constituences.


constituency – okreg wyborczy


hung parliament – there is no majority in the house of commons. The only solution is the coalition.


POLITICS was shaped by two parties:

- „Tory” derives from the Irish toraidhe (outlaw)

- squires (landowners)

- the Anglican church

- masses of the rural population

- want strong monarchy

- the tories change into the conservative party in the 1830s

- Robert Peel – founder

- Benjamin Disraeli – first Prime Minister

- whig” - a pejorative name of obscure origin

- merchants

- financial capitalists

- landed aristocracy

- the liberal party in the second half of the XIXc

- Strong Parliament



- People's Party in 1970s

- 1990 – UK Green Party

- the Green Party of England and Wales

- the Green Party in Northern Ireland

- the Scottish Green Party

- Caroline Lucas






















RELIGION IN THE UK


After 1945 many people came from the former British colonies, which influenced growth of multicultural character of the society. (~71.6% Christians, 15.5% Atheists, 2.7% Muslims)


Churches doesn't receive any funds from the government.


Institutional Churches




Free Churches

The Church of England (the most powerful, was made after the schism 1534(the act of supremacy), however dogmas were changed later).


Ordination of women


The Church of Scotland

The church is a symbol of Scottish identity. Official beginning as the state church was in 1690. These were the last days of Scottish independence.

1707 – the act of union of Scotland and England (Scotland was forced to sign it).


The number of members of religion declines with exception of Pentecostal (kosciol zielonoswiatkowy) and Islam.

CULTURE

The way of understanding Culture is influenced by the specificity of times.

Culture- the tending and cultivation of something in particular animal or crop.

1869- publication of text, which was very helpful of understanding the culture – “Culture and Anarchy” written by Matthew Arnold (Victorian poet). This text gives the definition of culture.

“the best knowledge and through of the time and the sources of therefore of sweetness and light “


The historical contexts:


1920- mass media were developed, pulp fictions, culture were everywhere, produced like on assembly line, mass production, culture(especially higher were in danger)

“Culture has always been a minority keeping”- F.R.Leavis


Academy attacked the popular culture, as they thought that it may make problems to people to get back to real life. (books, movies)


Richard Hoggart (1960 British Culture Critics)

wanted to analyze influence of literacy on working class and tried to explain the concept of working class culture. He came himself from the working class. He wrote novels about everyday's life, customs.


He became founding director of The Birmingham Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies (1964), the most important center for cultural studies in the GB


Everyday's life is made mostly of culture, example of 'lady first'.

Meaning is the social construct, example of coke.


THE HISTORY OF BRITISH COLONIALISM

Britain controlled about 33.3 mln square km and about 425.4 mln people. ( ) of the world. Great administrative and organizational skills.


XV c.

Henry VII – started exploration of Britain overseas. Tudor dynasty, idea of colonialism, travels.


John Cabbot. John went to Canada, thinking it is Asia and never came back from the second journey.


.

Richard Hakluyt and John Dee – founding fathers of the imperial ideology, they wrote reasons of imperialism. During the reign of Elizabeth, GB was aggressively trying to get more colonies They hit to English national identity and pride, so it encouraged people to believe that imperialism is good.

„The Principal Navigations, Voyages and Discoveries of the English Nation” (1589)

Three main powers trying to make colonies: GB, Portugal and Spain.


XVI c.

1600 – the East India Company founded, an association of trading companies. Their idea was to control trade in India ( cotton, spices and silk). Portugal gets weaker, so GB tries to overtake the trade. Commercial character of Britain in India.


XVIIc.

1757 – the battle of Plassey, Robert Clive was GB's commander

Rivalry between GB, Portugal and France.


XIxC.

1857-59 – Indian Mutiny, British government domination in India. 1957 rebellion of Indian army, the bullets covered with blood of pigs and cows. Britain took over the EIC,

1947 the independence of EIC.




North America

Motives of conquer: religious (puritans) and economic (merchants).

British colonies in NA started during the reign of James I (1603- 1625).

the Virginia Company of London

1783 – American Revolution and The Treaty of Paris (independence of British colonies in NA)

Mayflower- Mayflower was the ship that transported first British colonialists in 21st November 1620 in the amount of 102 people.


Consequences of colonism:


In XVII and XVIII c. the slavery became foundation of British Empire.

Olaudah Equiano (1745 – 1797) – born in aristocratic family in modern Nigeria in XVIIIc. He had slaves. As a teenager is captured by white traders and sent to NA. Bought himself freedom, went to Britain and became discoverer, the first black man who went to the Arctic. He was an active member who tried to abolish slavery in GB.

1781, the captain of the slave ship Zong decided to throw overboard 100 slaves to get insurance.

1789 – „The Interesting Narrative”, the first autobiography written by a black man. (quotation from booklet „On the slave ship”)

3.5 mln slaves transported to NA.



XIX c.





In XIX English were prone to think their nation is the best in the world. It was used to justify colonialism. We have the highest standards of justice, decency etc. so we share what we have the best to those who we conquer.


„Land of Hope and Glory” song The song says that God approves imperialism and colonialism. We, as Englishmen, follow the God's plan.


Rudyard Kipling

He was a great supporter of the idea of colonialism. In a poem written in 1999 he tried to give US how to deal with ??



Chinua Achebe




Postcolonial studies


Before it people who were colonialised had nothing to say about it, and all works were written by white middle class people.


Franz Fanon - „The Wretched of the Earth”, 1961

In this book Franz talks about process of decolonization( free minds of colonialized people, to start thinking independently, not as white people told them, to try to know their history and roots.)


Without history you don't know about your roots and it is easier to control you. School was a powerful weapon for controlling minds. The children were taught the real civilization started when colonizers arrived.


W.B. Yeats – “The Second Coming)- an apocalyptic vision embed in his poem inspirited Chinua Achebe to write his “Things Fall Apart”


“Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.”


Chinua Achebe – he describes Africa from colonialised men’s point, everything is very real. He doesn’t want to describe idealized Africa


Whatever happens to Okonko happens to whole clan. When Okonko commits suicide the whole clan ceases to exist.

Clans had complex social structures, everyone knew what their job is, they also know who to contact when they need something.

Male is a ruler, but female is the goddess who is responsible about the village.

The role of the mother is supreme, she protects. Role of the father is inferior to it.


When white missionaries arrive, there's a lot of changes. They were responsible for the final collapse of the Africans. White missionaries, when came to spread religion, they firstly converted the „worthless people” (outcasts, called ekulepu?). They were rejected by the society, so missionaries offered them a sense of belonging. Okonko decides to follow the new religion, which is the beginning of an end for the stability of the clan. People abandoned their old style of life. In the end Okonko commits suicide, described by the white person.


Achebe writes about what happens when two different cultures meet.


Sideline = marginalization


Cross Cultural Encounters in Great Britain: The „Other Stories”.

Britain has absorbed a large quantities of migrants through the years.


„Britain has been and remains both resistant and accommodating” - Robert Winder, „Bloody Foreigners. The Story of Immigration to Britain”


1554 – John Locke (not the philosopher with the same name, he's a trader) brings first slaves from Africa.

Slave trading was very profitable, in XVII GB was the most important slave trading nation in the whole world, the economic prosperity of the GB in XVII and XVIII v owes a lot to this kind of industry.

A slave were often just a props (rekwizytami). In XVIIIc GB it was trendy to have a slave.

1807 – the abolition of the slave trade, it became illegal

1834 – the abolition of slavery

1948 – the British Nationality Act

Britain has shortages of labour. This act gives UK citizenship to all former British colonies.

Flow of people into UK from former colonies. The first immigrants came from West Indies (the chain of islands that separate Caribbean sea and Atlantic Ocean). Among of the first settlers were Jamaicans.

1948 – Empire Windrush (ship) brought entire deck of immigrants. 492 immigrants from Jamaica. 60 Polish women.

Windrush generation – the first wave of immigrants from the former British colonies


Those who left in colonies had to attend schools with white teachers. They were taught they were British and they are no different from British people.


Dilip Hiro - „I remember a Christmas pantomime in Barbados where everyone departed for England. That was the happy ending...”

The Final Passage, Caryl Philips


Great Britain is represented as an ideal country, mythological land. „We all the same flag, the same empire.”


In West Indies economic situation was terrible, so Jamaicans wanted to move to GB.


Louise Benett „Colonization in Reverse”


1958 – race riots, before immigrants were seen as a local issue, since riots they were as national one

1961 – Gallup poll. What should be done with the immigrants? 67% in favor of restrictions. 6% for a total ban.

1962 – legal changes that are supposed to control immigration begin.





















WOMEN’S FRANCHISE

A binary opposition – man vs. woman. Woman role was to be an amusement and an ornament for her master- man.


The Angel In The House- written by Coventry Patmore was a tribute for woman, for her home duties, her passivity and grace.


Virginia Woolf - an English writer, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century also a feminist said that woman should kill that angel <3 She also said that woman is free if she has her own space and money ( “A room on one’s own”)


Absent presence – woman was present in literature, but in everyday life she was absent, invisible.


The object of study – like an exotic animal. Men have desire to meet her, to get to know her. Female body was seen as worse, even as something evil. Woman were seen as a worse version of man.


The object of sexual desire – prostitution and female trade in Victorian England.


An object of commercial contract:


The Odd Women - an 1893 novel by the English novelist George Gissing. Its themes are the role of women in society, marriage, morals and the early feminist movement.


Sexual Anarchy – a beginning of a long process of transformations – both cultural and political.


The Cause – A wish for a right to vote.

Emmeline Prankhurst - a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote. The founder of The Women's Social and Political Union. She had two daughters – Christabel and Sylwia.


The Women's Social and Political Union - as the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom. It was the first group whose members were known as "suffragettes"



Suffragists – Used peaceful and constitutional means

Suffragettes – used more provocative methods

1918 – vote given for all men over 21 and women over 30 who were householders or the wives of householders

1928 – women were given a right to vote on the same rights as men.

Shakespeare Sister - woman in literature

Dictionary Of National Biography – women were ignored here because they were thought that they didn’t have part in sharpening history and culture of Britain.

Florence Nightingale –(Angel of Mercy, Lady with a lamp)- she decided to when Crimean war began. She organized a group of volunteers and went to Turkey and made network of help. The Nightingale School and home for nurses were established in St, Thomas Hospital.

Mary Seacole – black pioneer of alternative medicine, she volunteered her services to Nightingale, but was dismissed, because of her skin color., so she did it by herself, and her own money.

Eizabeth Garett – she wanted to be a doctor, started a surgeal nurse course, and also attended doctor courses, but men were unhappy about it, so she wrote an exam without signing her name on paper and get the highest note. Finally she managed to be a doctor and made a new hospital, where were only female stuff.

Elizabeth Fry – “the Angel Of Prison” she revolutioned conditions in prisons.

Julia Margaret Cameron – a photographer, she wanted to be an artist.

Mary Read – 18th century pirate



BRITISH CULTURAL POLITICS.

VISIBILITY AND INVISIBILITY IN BRITISH ART.


Artists of color – they went to England After 2nd World War


Avinash Chantra – a painter influenced by cubism. He went to London to sell his paintings , he wanted to exhibit them in London Gallery but no one were interested in his works. He was asked if he can paint tigers and elephants by the owner of gallery, due to his skin color.


50s and 60s ways of thinking of art in UK

Western Art:

Ethic Art :






Heritage Film And TV


1979 – Thatcherism in England. She was supporter of Victorian middle class values. She believed in power of The Empire. She created idealistic vision of colonial history. Department of National Heritage. Return of traditional values.

1997 – Margaret Tacher is replaced. Time of Labour party Tony Blair and vision of UK changed image. He decided to treat Britain as a product, which he wants to sell to the world. The beginning of “Cool Britain” – from the company, which were selling ice creams. Multicultural, super fast, dynamic changes. Changed view on a culture.

Culture can bring money and profits.

1988 – “freeze” by Damien Hirst, other funny authors: Tracy Emin, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Gillian Wearing, Animals in formalin, a sculptures made from blood.























Anarchy in UK

28



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