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Архитектура Аудит Военная наука Иностранные языки Медицина Металлургия Метрология Образование Политология Производство Психология Стандартизация Технологии |
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Архитектура Аудит Военная наука Иностранные языки Медицина Металлургия Метрология Образование Политология Производство Психология Стандартизация Технологии |
Workshop II. REASSESSMENT OF BRITISHNESS
The three texts below deal with the problematic question of national identity and the alleged tensions between the peoples of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). As you read them try to find answers to the following questions. 1. Is there a British nation, a British national identity or something called "Britishness" and how long have these been in existence? 2. Are there only mutually exclusive national identities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? 3. Or are there dual nationalities, e.g. English and British or Welsh and British?
What is Britain today? The empire has disappeared and Britain has experienced a reduced world role since 1945. As the country has become more multicultural and multireligious a sense of British national confidence and cohesion has allegedly declined, to be replaced with confusion. Arguably, a reassessment of Britishness is required. WHAT IS BRITAIN? (Richard Jay, "Political Ideologies: ail Introduction") The orthodox image of Britain is that of a long-established political identity, focused upon the supremacy of the Westminster Parliament as the forum of the nation, and recognising the diversity of nationalities and cultures represented within the unity of the Kingdom. Different party ideologies may view this differently: Liberals emphasise diversity and decentralisation; Conservatives the elements of continuity, authority and unity; Labour those of working-class solidarity and the capacity of the central state to deliver uniform economic and social benefits throughout the Union. These images, however, are not exhaustive, nor without their complications. Those on the (significantly termed) "Celtic fringe" would argue that much of the traditional sense of Britishness derived from images of Englishness — standard pronunciation, a literary canon, sights of the white cliffs of Dover, honey for tea, and the crack of leather on willow on an English summer's afternoon. A succession of Romantic and neo-Romantic movements have imbued the national culture with rural nostalgia, feudal longings and reverence for tradition. England's green and pleasant land, however, was built on the economic foundations of commerce, financial speculation, and industrial muscle. And modernising movements, like the National Efficiency movement early in the twentieth century, which have sought to update Britain's scientific and entrepreneurial skills, to replace the aristocratic culture of leisure and amateurishness with one of professionalism and drive, have faced an uphill battle. The Union, too, was always, in a sense, a Protestant union forged against external Catholic powers, and the subversive potential of Catholicism within. Not only, in the end, did this mean that Catholic Ireland fled the British family of nations, but secularisation has left traditional national institutions like the Church of England in an increasingly anomalous role. Finally, the Union went hand in hand with empire, images of British martial spirit and military success, and a faith in the British as a governing race, dispensing the benefits of political liberty, civilisation, and culture. Most of these traditional conceptions are under threat. The end of empire has undermined much of the instrumental rationale for maintaining the Union. As in France and Germany, immigration has established black minorities which challenge traditional identities. Is Britishness tested by possession of British citizenship, or, as Lord Tebbitt once suggested, by which side you cheer for in the test match? These trials indicate two different directions for the future. One, which has had the higher profile over the last two decades, and has been driven by the Conservative right represented by Enoch Powell, Lady Thatcher, and John Major, is towards a tighter and narrower definition of Britishness. This involves reinvigorating an idea of conservative nationhood — one built around the revival of "Victorian values" of traditional family morality, economic freedom, pre-war educational standards, law and order, defence of the Union, and patriotic resistance to foreign bullies, not least to Brussels and the idea of a federal Europe. The other view challenges the antiquated nature of British institutions, its emphasis on centralisation, unity and orthodoxy rather than equality and diversity, which looks to partnership not national solidarity, and outwards towards participation in a wider Europe rather than backwards to the relics of a dead imperial culture. Which will prevail remains to be seen. Notes: 1. The Romantic Movement — a group of writers, artists, etc who followed their feelings and emotions rather than logical thought or reason, and who preferred wild, natural beauty to things made by man. It first became popular in the late 18th century; 2. Lord Tebbitt — a British politician in The Conservative Party. He had several important positions in M. Thatcher's government and was known for his strong criticism of left-wing politicians and their ideas; 3. test match — a cricket or rugby match played between teams of different countries; 4. Enoch Powell — a British politician in the Conservative Party, who was a government minister in the early 1960s, and later left the party and became an MP in Northern Ireland. Although some people admired him for his intelligence, his patriotism, and his opposition to the EU, he was greatly criticized for the speech he made in 1968 in which he said that if the UK allowed too many black people to come, there would be fighting and "rivers of blood" in the streets. Comprehension questions:
Discussion questions and tasks: 1. What is the orthodox image of Britain? What do different political parties emphasize in the image and why? 2. Do those on the Celtic fringe embrace the British identity? How do they substantiate their position? 3. Expand on the images of Englishness the author lists. What complications do they contain? 4. What changes has the Union undergone in terms of religious, military and social developments? 5. What challenges traditional conceptions and identities? 6. What did Lord Tebbitt suggest? Is his idea worthwhile? 7. What are the two directions towards the definition of Britishness? Prove that the two approaches are completely opposite. Exercise 29 Explain the following in English: 1) standard pronunciation 2) financial speculation 3) literary canon 4) industrial muscle 5) rural nostalgia 6) instrumental rationale Exercise 30 a) Add nouns to the participles given and translate the phrases into Russian: long-established short-lived long-standing short-handed long-awaited short-staffed long-anticipated short-tempered long-lasting short-sighted b) Translate the phrases and make up sentences with them: to go hand in hand with from head to foot to see eye to eye on hand-to-hand combat to run neck and neck with foot-and-mouth to stand shoulder to shoulder on cheek by jowl with to stand back to back hand in glove with to live from hand to mouth to bind hand and foot Exercise 31 Match the following nouns with their definitions:
Exercise 32 Translate the following phrases into Russian and recall how they are used in the text: to deliver, dispense benefits to imbue the culture with to seek to update skills to face an uphill battle to forge a union to have a high profile to reinvigorate an idea Now use some of the words above in the following sentences. These liberal and republican ideas soon__________ within the Catholic political classes, and shaped the formation of popular national politics over the following century. Protestant leaders increasingly argued that, irrespective of nationalist claims, this would ________, equipped with symbols alien to British Protestant culture. In the inter-war period, the post-revolutionary leadership of the new Irish Republic ________ a political culture for the state and _________ it with new national symbols. The new political culture __________ the Irish scientific professional skills to replace the cultural and economic dependence of the colonial past by creating an economically self-sufficient state. The attempts in recent years to reconstruct images of Irish nationhood ________: instead, complex patterns of conflict and collaboration emerge. 5. Women's rights and individual freedoms rather than traditional moral values were to have _________ in the reformed culture. 6. In 1990, the election of the liberal barrister as President appeared to mark the advent of a new Ireland and was expected to _________ throughout the country. Exercise 33 Translate the sentences into English using the studied words and phrases. 1. Многообразие языков, на которых говорят в этой стране, показывает весь спектр национальностей, проживающих здесь.
6. Давно укоренившаяся ортодоксальность идей на официальном уровне не мешает молодому поколению экспериментировать как в моде, так и в музыке.
8. Президент страны заявил, что появившиеся в прессе сообщения о возможности его переизбрания на второй срок явились не более чем пустым домыслом.
The next text examines whether Britishness exists any longer,either in its arguable former state or in changed form. It emphasizes the tensions inherent in such a concept. BRITISH UNITY IN DIVERSITY (Mary Ann Sieghart, the "Times") What is Britishness? Is it more than the sum of its parts — or less? Many Scots and not a few Welsh believe that Britishness is no more than a disguised version of Englishness. Exploring the questions of national identity for the BBC, I have just visited three towns with the same name — one each in Scotland, Wales and England — to try to discover whether there is an overarching sense of identity that it still makes sense to call British. Nobody in Newport, Shropshire [England], had a problem with Britishness. In Newport, Gwent [Wales], some of the Welsh felt British, though others prefer to call themselves European. But it was in Newport-on-Tay, near Dundee [Scotland], that we found the greatest reluctance to sign up to a common identity of Britishness. Here is Billy Kay, a local writer: "The British identity that I'm supposed to feel part of I see as being first of all an imperial identity through the Empire and then an identity which has been forced by the idea of people coming together to fight two world wars. I don't think that's a healthy identity to carry into the 21st century". This is a common complaint — that Britishness is something from the past that has little relevance today. When the Act of Union uniting England, Wales and Scotland was signed in 1707, people had to be persuaded to attach an extra loyalty to their long-standing allegiance to region or nation. Successive governments used the common religion of Protestantism as a propaganda weapon to encourage the English, Scottish and Welsh to unite around a common flag — and against Catholic enemies. The Empire — which was always the British, not the English Empire — was also a unifying force. It drew heavily on the expertise of the Scots and Welsh as doctors, traders, explorers and administrators. Then there was the monarchy. Queen Victoria [1819-1901] perhaps perfected the art of being monarch to all of Britain and the Empire. Meanwhile, successive wars have brought Britons together in defence of the Empire and the Union. It was the Battle of Britain, not the Battle of England, that took place over the Channel and southern counties. But history is history; the Empire has gone, the Church no longer binds us, the Armed Forces are shrinking and the monarchy is troubled. Some people feel that the glue of nationhood has dried up. Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish nationalists, no longer wants to be attached to what he sees as a Britain in decline. He looks to Europe as Scotland's new stage. So do a surprising number in Newport, Gwent. Alan Richards, a sales director, has found that doing business with Europe has changed his outlook. "I see our future very much as being linked to Europe as a whole; that includes England. I see England merely as part of Europe". But he is still unusual: probably a majority of the Welsh still think of themselves as British too. We are all capable of overlapping loyalties and identities — Britishness need not detract from Welshness. And as a nation we have a surprising amount in common. We are good at winning wars together. We are all good explorers, travellers, traders, philanthropists and inventors. We share a sense of fair play, and probity in public life. We respect the law. These British values and ways of thinking that we all share have been somewhat eclipsed by Scottish and Welsh strivings for national identity. So frustrated are they by English political domination that they have allowed themselves to forget how much the nations of Britain still have in common. Some people see the devolution of power to Scotland and Wales as a threat to the Union. But it could be that, by venting their differences through politics, the Scots and Welsh would feel more comfortable as part of the joint enterprise called Great Britain. Comprehension questions:
Discussion questions: 1. What was the aim of the author's visit to the three towns of Britain? What conclusions did he come to? 2. What does a sense of identity imply? 3. Why are people reluctant to sign up to an identity and to the British one in particular? 4. What forces have brought the English, Scottish and Welsh together? Why are these factors no longer as strong as they used to be? 5. What can save and what can ruin the Union? 6. What is Britishness? Exercise 34 Write a summary of the text above. Exercise 35 Explain in English the following sequences. In what context are they used by the author? disguised version of Englishness overarching sense of identity to attach an extra loyalty to glue of nationhood political domination Exercise 36 Find in the text the words used with the adjective COMMON, the noun IDENTITY, the noun LOYALTY. Translate the collocations into Russian. Exercise 3 a) Look up synonyms or equivalents for the following words used by the author. reluctance probity relevance outlook loyalty striving glue devolution b) Match each verb on the left with the four synonymous verbs, one from each group, on the right. 1) to detract from 1) to upstage to improve to connect to annoy to impair
2) to eclipse 2) to spoil to bug to relate to enhance to outstrip 3) to perfect 3) to associate to damage to exasperate to refine to outshine 4) to link 4) to irritate to bind to upgrade to outdo to mar 5) to frustrate Now use some of the verbs in the following sentences in the correct form. 1. Although opinions differ about the nature and success of Thatcherism, the term _____ with policies such as free-market economics, the attempt to cut taxation and public spending. 2. The decline in world power and the relative decline in economic performance _____ inextricably. 3. The _____ of British military power by the United States and Russia was widely forecast as early as the 1840s because of the much greater human and physical resources they could command. 4. The deficiencies of British life often _____ to the mentality and behaviour of Establishment institutions. 5. The commentary _____ from the significance of the events that had just occurred. 6. The task is to establish a new democratic settlement between politics and people, _____ the quality of representation, _____ influence over taxation and spending. 7. Our inheritance from the Conservatives is quite _____: it includes almost 300 schools which have been inspected and found to be failing. 8. This may be a good thing for the people who live in that country, but it is a source of_____ for those who study it and try to understand it. Exercise 38 Give the Russian equivalents for the following collocations and recall how they are used in the text. to sign up to a common identity to feel part of an identity long-standing allegiance to to draw heavily on the expertise of to be in decline identities overlap strivings for national identity devolution of power to to vent differences through/on Use the above collocations or parts of them in the following sentences. 1. The end of empire and the relative_____ of Britain has made Scots question the Union. They no _____ the British identity. 2. Sometimes people unfairly______ their feelings on the nearest and dearest and later regret doing it. 3. Others, however, argue that a collective sense of Britishness was already in existence before the eighteenth century, _____ the common characteristics and values.
6. Their deep-rooted an _____ nation brought the people together in defence of the country. 7. Despite our national identity crises and Scottish and Welsh _____ identity, style is still something Britain possesses in abundance, to the continuing admiration and envy of other races. 8. The English were our allies, our fellow citizens in the great British nation; and_____ and loyalties we _____ a whole which was greater than the sum of its parts. Exercise 39 Fill in the gaps with the words and phrases given below, putting the verbs into the correct form. to decline to imbue the culture with to maintain (2) to feel part of to forge to draw heavily on the expertise to enhance to vent differences on to accept to sign up to
supremacy reverence long-standing allegiance union (2) cohesion strivings for national identity speculation revival reassessment of Britishness secularization difference overlapping identities Some historians argue that there is still a Britain with a _____ to British identity composed of_____, characteristics and values. Before 1707, the history of the geographical British Isles is arguably not about Britishness or Britain. It is about Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, which were different countries, often hostile and_____ one another. Britain, as a political unit is a relatively recent_____ of three older nations. The United Kingdom_____ only in 1801. Historical developments, common institutional structures and alleged values have_____ this inherently unstable _____. The growth of a British identity, for some historians, began largely in the eighteenth century and was conditioned by Protestantism in England, Scotland and Wales, and the expanding empire, which_____ of these nations. One side of the debate_____ that Protestantism in England, Wales and Scotland promoted a sense of_____ from the Catholicism of most of continental Europe. European military victories in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries helped the British to create a worldwide empire with no one to challenge Britain's_____. The establishment of foreign markets expanded trade and_____ job opportunities, promoted wealth and economic strength and increased a sense of national identity, making people_____ it. The English, Scots, Welsh and (partly) the Irish all _____ the notion of a British Empire and _____ a British identity. But, for some historians, the ties of this common British identity have weakened. The empire has disappeared and Britain has experienced a reduced world role since 1945. Protestant belief and strength _____ in modern Britain as _____ has increased and as the country has become more multicultural and multi-religious. A sense of British national confidence and _____ has also declined, to be replaced with confusion, and_____. Arguably, a _____ within Europe is required. The_____ is that the current movement is away from Britishness and towards a renewal of the identities of the four ancient nations within a European and global context. It points to a potential_____ of Englishness and its strengths, as well as indicating the difficulties in defining what is meant by a "nation". It also suggests nationalist reactions to a globalization of economics, _____ international features and_____ for all foreign and the easy assumption that global effects are inevitable and overpowering. The following text deals with the findings of the public opinion poll taken of the population s attitude to national identity. Read it and do the tasks that follow. "CONFIDENT CELTS PUT ENGLAND IN SHADE: WELSH AND SCOTS FIND NEW PRIDE AS ENGLISH FACE IDENTITY CRISIS" (Mark Henderson, the Times) The English are a dull, petty and insecure people who are increasingly reviled by their proud Celtic neighbours, according to a survey into national identity published today. While devolved Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are emerging as confident nations with a strong sense of local identity, Englishness is in crisis, the report by the brand consultants Springpoint says. The [English] national character is seen at best as quaint and boring and at worst vulgar, materialistic and loutish. It is summed up by football hooligans, staid City gents and "people just talking about nothingness", and is disdained by the rest of the United Kingdom. The English find none of the inspiration that Scots, Welsh and Irish derive from their nationhood and are often "dumped with all the least desirable traits and characteristics of Britishness, including the less attractive colonial ones". Positive aspects of Englishness — tolerance, the Royal Family and fine public services such as the health service — are now seen as part of a new British identity that embraces Scots, Welsh and Irish as well. The report, I? UK — Voices of Our Times, finds an affinity for a wide range of national symbols, such as fish and chips, Wimbledon and Big Ben, but these "do not add up to a national identity that connects with people, feeds and inspires them and makes them feel proud". Instead, there is widespread insecurity and self-consciousness. The English see themselves as "people just talking about nothingness" in Laura Ashley sitting rooms, who are "petty, envious, obsessed with money, small-minded, divided". They feel that "Englishness is increasingly irrelevant as a notion, and something from which they distance themselves". The traits are most marked in the South East, which attracts opprobrium both from the Celtic fringe and the North [of England]. Those from the North of England have a strong regional identity, which they often place ahead of an Englishness they can find alien and embarrassing. Many feel closer to the other nations than the English of the South. The report concluded: "Combine the energetic defiance and criticism of the English and England from newly confident Scottish and Welsh; some English people's own insecurity and defensiveness about their own identity; the possible fragmentation of the United Kingdom through devolution; and hints of a more positive, emerging identity for Britain which co-opts some of the positive values of England — and you have a recipe for a "crisis of Englishness". The research involved in-depth interviews with a socially representative range of adults in regional centres across the United Kingdom. Fiona Qilmore, managing director of Springpoint, said the "crisis of Englishness" was a thread that ran through the 77-page report. "I was amazed at its strength", she said. "The English are seen — and see themselves — as insular, restrained, pompous and obsessed with money. Their positive qualities are shared by Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish, but these nations have lots of particular qualities as well". Scots felt by far the strongest separate national allegiance. They have a clear idea of who they are — "tough and hardy, outdoor, friendly, warm". They are enthusiastic about their history and traditions, and their identity is well-understood and respected outside Scotland. The success of the film Braveheart and impending devolution have helped to fuel a burgeoning sense of nationhood that "can provide an emotional uplift, an inspiration, even spiritual feelings". Wales is less aggressive in its national feeling, and its people are more vague about how they identify it. Even so, there is a strong underlying sense of common identity. The Welsh emphasize the strength of communities, a friendly, welcoming character and a sense of social responsibility. "In some ways this can be difficult to pin down, but it seems to be about genuineness and integrity, a real sense of caring", the report found. Many Welsh felt their country was re-emerging after years in England's shadow, as the language revives and devolution and economic regeneration progress. "We're rediscovering ourselves through the language and culture, the beauty of the country", one Cardiff respondent said. Northern Irish identity was also distinct, both from Irishness and the rest of the United Kingdom, though the bulk of the research focused only on Ulster Protestants. They had an easygoing and down-to-earth character, a hardworking streak and a love for "good crack". Others said they identified neither with the "shamrocks and leprechauns" of the Republic nor "Brits" from the mainland. Britishness was picked out as an increasingly powerful concept that encompassed opportunity, respect, tolerance and supportiveness, as well as some sense of national decline. The notion of being British has become acceptable to Celts and ethnic minorities as well as the English — indeed such groups get intensely annoyed by the continuing English tendency to try to appropriate its qualities for themselves. Britain is seen to have "nicer connotations" than England: it has shed its imperialist image and is seen as a force for progress and decency, in contrast to the insularity and conservatism of England. It "adds up to an inclusive identity", the report found. Europe, however, scarcely gets a look-in. British people of all backgrounds gave little communitaire spirit, and most saw it as "distant and not part of their everyday lives". Notes:
Comprehension questions:
Exercise 40 Who or what does the author speak about using the following participles? reviled disdained obsessed restrained published dumped divided shared devolved widespread marked respected Translate the resulting collocations into Russian. Exercise 41 Make up sentences of your own with a) the noun IDENTITY and the following verbs identity to embrace to distance oneself from to shed to add up to to appropriate to encompass to derive from to emerge to connect with to assume b) the following collocations with the noun IDENTITY identity
inclusive umbrella common distinct local regional imperial alien emerging c) the following derivatives of the noun IDENTITY to identify — identical — identification Exercise 42 What does the prefix RE- mean ? Translate the following verbs and make up sentences with them about national identity. to re-emerge to regenerate to revive to rediscover Make up more verbs with the prefix. Exercise 43 Fill in the chart with the traits of character of each given nation using 1. the conclusions of the survey 2. your own background knowledge
N ATIONAL CHARACTER
The English | 1 |
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| The Sottish | 2 |
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| The Welsh | 1 |
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| The Nothern Irish | 2 |
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Discussion questions
1. Is the notion of Britishness changing? What connotations is it developing?
PAIRWORK
In pairs discuss the possible ways the situation in the UK could develop in.
1. The nations embrace Britishness as an umbrella identity.
2. The British identity breaks up and a new society emerges.
3. Englishness is reinvented and tensions grow.
4. Society moves towards a renewal of the identities of the four ancient nations within a European and global context.
Exercise 44
Study the following idioms and make up sentences using them.
It was admirable to see how the British managed to keep a stiff upper lip in spite of the German bombing.
If she could get the movie star's autograph, she knew it would be a feather in her cap.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for the famous billiard player to be overwhelmed by an amateur.
Many artists have been said to be living in an ivory tower.
Make up a situation using the idioms and the active vocabulary of the unit.
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