introduction to the UK-I

UnitIABriefIntroductiontotheUnitedKingdomWhatdoyouknowabouttheU.K?•UnionJackisthenationalflagoftheUnitedKingdom.•Itcombinesthered-on-whitecrossesofEngland’sStGeorgeandIreland'sStPatrick,withthewhite-on-bluecrossofScotland’sStAndrewtheMapofU.K.ABriefintroductionI.FullnameanditscomplexityII.StatusintheinternationalaffairsIII.TheconstitutepartsoftheU.K.England:---itspositionofinBritain---historyanditinfluenceoncultureScotland:---Strongsenseofitsownidentity;---UnionwithEnglandWales:---culturalidentityTheNorthernIsland:---bloodyconflictsvs.peaceandunificationPartOne:GeneralintroductiontotheU.K.I.AcomplicatedcountrywithacomplicatednameII.imperialpastanditseffectsIII.StatusininternationalaffairsI.AcomplicatedCountrywithacomplicatednameWhatarethedifferencesamongEngland/Britain/GreatBritain?Englishman=Britishman?U.K.:Thenamereferstotheunionofwhatoncewereseparatedcountries,andtheyareEngland,Scotland,WalesandNorthernIreland.GreatBritainismadeupof3partsEngland,ScotlandandWales.thelargestislandinEurope.I.AcomplicatedCountrywithacomplicatednamei.AcomplicatednameTheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIrelandEnglandScotlandWalesii.AcomplicatedcountryComplexity:diversityDifferencesbetweenthefourconstitutecountrieslanguage,economy,position,customsandtraditionsMultiracialsocietymostareChristians,manyareMuslims(becauseofimmigration)Asocietywithrelativelyobviousclass-structureCulturaldivisionbetweenhighlandandlowlandScots,aswellasnorthandsouthEngland(Southisonaveragemorewealthythanthenorth)ThedifferencesbetweenthecapitalsandtheprovincesDifferentreligionsGenderdifference:maleandfemalelivedifferentlivesII.TheimperialpastanditseffectsThedaysofempireendedafterWorldWarIICloserelationshipwiththe50ormorecoloniesoftheempire,whichmaintainlinksthroughCommonwealthofNations.ThemakeupoftheBritishpopulationimmigrationfromIndia,Pakistan,orCaribbeancountriesinthe1950sand1960s.1/20arenon-Europeanethnicity.III.StatusintheinternationalaffairstheCommonwealthofNationAmemberoftheEuropeanUnionsince1973British-AmericanrelationAMemberofG8PartTwoEnglandWhatistheindigenouspeopleinBritain?Whattolearn?WhatisthepositionofEnglandintheUK?Whydoestheauthorsay“Britishhistoryhasbeenahistoryofinvasion”?HowdideachoftheinvasionsinfluenceEnglishculture?Position:largestpopulation80%ofBritishpeopleliveinEngland.ThecapitalofEnglandisalsoLondonhighlyurbanizedphysicallythelargestofthefournationsculturalandeconomicdominancetheweakestsenseofaseparateEnglishculturewithinBritainPosition:CulturalandeconomicdominanceThesignificantroleofLondon--capitalcity--inthesouth;largestcityinthecountry;1/7ofthenation’spopulation--culturecenter--businesscenter--financialcenter,oneofthe3majorinternationalfinancialcentersintheworld(NYCandHK)ThehistoryofEngland:---ahistoryofinvasionBefore1stcenturyAD,BritainwasmadeupofmanytribalkingdomsofCelticsWhen?Who?Where?Affects?1.43AD—5thcentury1.When:43AD,Who:RomanEmpireWhere:EnglandandWales,---apartoftheRomanEmpirefornearly400years.Affects:---DifferentsenseofnationalidentitybetweenEngland/WalesandScotland/NorthernIreland---RomanCatholics##Whydidn’tRomanEmpireinvadeScotlandorIreland?(P8,forgeographicreasons).2.Aroundthe5thand6thcenturyGermanicpeopleAnglosandSaxoninvadedBritainAffects:EitherabsorbedtheCelticpeople,orpushthemtothewesternandnorthernedgesofBritain.Nationalidentity:WhydotheEnglishpeoplethinkofAnglosandSaxon,butnotCelticorRomanEmpire,theirforefathers?WithdrawnfromBritainvs.absorbtheCelticpeopleThestoryofkingArthur,--“Roundtable”,Anindicatorofdemocracy(bindingmonarchyintoamoredemocraticsystem)Englishlanguage+Englishidentity3.Fromthelate8thcenturyferociousVikingsofScandinaviacontrollednorthernandeasternEngland.3.Fromthelate8thcenturyAffectsEnglishhero:English(AnglosSaxon)TheoriginofSaxonversusDane:aculturaldividebetweennorthernersandsouthernersNortherners(Vikings):lesssophisticated,poorer.Southerners(Saxon):richer,moresophisticated,arrogant,unfriendlyBritishnavy+prosewriting4.In1066Normans,fromnorthernFrance,ledbyWilliamtheConqueror1.InfluenceofFrencharistocracythebeginningofMiddleEnglishImportedarulingclass:Norman(French-speaking)aristocracyruledalargelySaxonandEnglishspeakingpopulation.Today,FrenchisstillconsideredanelitelanguageinboththeU.K.andU.S.A.2.AwiderBritishidentityformed.(AfewhundredyearsofvariouspartsofBrutishIslesjoiningtogether)3.PowertransferredfrommonarchtotheparliamentTwoheroiclegendsKingArthurRobinHoodTimeidentityEventsCulturalinfluenceTwoheroiclegendsKingArthurRobinHoodTimeIn5thcenturyAD;UndertherulingofNormansidentityKingofEngland,CelticSaxonnobleman,greenwoodheroEventsAgainstAnglo-SaxoninvasionExcalibur;“roundtable”Robfromtherichtogivetothepoor;againstNormansrulingclassCulturalinfluencebindmonarchyintoamoredemocraticsociety……ScotlandFocalPoints:WhatisthepositionofScotland?WhydoestheScottishhaveaverystrongsenseoftheirownidentity?I.ThepositionofScotland:Thesecondlargestofthefournations,bothinpopulationandingeographicareaBeingmostconfidentofitsownidentity.II.WhydoesScottish