Area Studies/Study Abroad: Great Britain: L356
British
Culture and National Identity
Spring, 2001
Dr. Katharine Jones and Dr. Marion Roydhouse
Office: Dean Roydhouse:
Ravenhill Mansion Room 204
Phone: 951-2600
-- please ask to leave a message on the voice mail if I am not in.
I will get back to you as soon as possible.
E-Mail Address:
roydhousem@philau.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday,
Thursday 8:30 to 9:25am or by appointment.
Office: Dr. Jones:
Ravenhill Mansion Room 303
Phone: 951-2608
E-Mail Address: jonesk@philau.edu
Office
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 1:00 to 2:30pm
College
Studies and Area Studies: Great Britain
This course is one of
several choices in Area Studies in the College Studies Program.
You must take two courses in either languages or area studies in order to
help you understand better the nature of the current world and contemporary
geography and culture.
This particular course
is to help students who plan to study abroad in Great Britain, although it
fulfils general goals for the area studies options and is an open to all
students. We will be interested in the process of learning about another nation,
so that when you travel you can employ the same methods to understand each
culture you encounter. This course is aimed to provide support for the study
abroad program as well as to further the internationalization of the focus of
the university by making the study abroad program an integral part of the
general education curriculum.
College Studies,
overall, is the main general education part of your undergraduate experience at
Philadelphia University where we
prepare you to think critically, write clearly, and understand the national and
international context in which you will work.
College Studies courses also prepare you to know how to find information
and to analyze that information. In
the area studies group of courses we focus on the process of research about
other nations and international issues.
What we will study:
During this semester we
will find out why the British behave the way they do. We will examine British culture, including films, art, sport
and other evidence of the social, political and cultural climate of the
contemporary United Kingdom. In
order to understand current issues like regionalism and emerging nationalisms we
will briefly look at the past in order to understand the present.
We will also try to understand the process of culture shock – that is
the kinds of feelings and responses that people have when faced with a new
culture. Even though it seems that
Britain is very like the United States ( after all, we both speak English) there
are differences that need to be understood if Americans are to get the most out
of studying, visiting or working in Great Britain.
What, for example, do the English think of Americans?
Why are there so many people from the West Indies in London?
Are the Scots different from the English? These are some of the questions
we will explore.
______________________________________________________________________
TEXTS TO BE PURCHASED:
Kearney, Hugh, The
British Isles: A History of Four Nations . Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1989. This
focuses on the way in which Great Britain has grown from the process of
amalgamation and accommodation from influxes of peoples, rather than the
traditional assumption that England’s history is only of the Normans and
Anglo-Saxons and then a steady progression onwards.
L356: Bulk Pack:
Available at the College Bookstore under Jones and Roydhouse.
A copy will be put on reserve in the library but you are responsible for
coming to class with the
We
will also be using a substantial portion of Andrew Marr, The
Day Britain Died. London: Profile Books, 2000.
A copy of this book will be on reserve, but is also available directly
from Amazon books in the United Kingdom at
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ or
go to the Amazon.com site in the USA and find the international stores link.
You can order books directly to a credit card.
Other Sources:
Supplementary Reading
for some weeks will be placed on the course Blackboard site or ERES (electronic
reserve) at the Gutman Library website. You will be responsible for checking the
Blackboard site for announcements and other material
The starting point for
logging on to Blackboard is http://bb.philau.edu/
You will need to login and look for L356: Area Studies: Great Britain.
Another way to find the
site is to go to Professor Roydhouse’s web page and look for the links. -
http://faculty.philau.edu/roydhousem/
Periodical and
Current News:
You will be asked to
read British newspapers on line, and you can read The Economist in
the library or on an electronic database. The
BlackBoard website has links to some newspapers. You will also be asked to read other British
journals and periodicals that are available on line.
The Gutman Library also maintains holdings in British shelter and fashion
magazines and you should be prepared to discuss issues in your professional
field in the context of current British issues. BBC and ITN News.
You will be asked to watch the evening news which is easily available
from WYBE, Channel 35
Popular Culture:
You will be required to watch a number of films which will be chosen to
reflect issues examined in the course – some will give historical background,
others will examine current issues like the crises in Northern Ireland, and some
will give a view of contemporary social issues in Britain. We will be using movies to examine British culture. Gutman
Library has some films, others can be rented from TLA Video in Chestnut Hill or
at your local BlockBuster or West Coast Video.
______________________________________________________________________
HOW
YOUR FINAL GRADE WILL BE CALCULATED:
1/ Class attendance
and participation (mandatory)
.....10%
2/ In class, homework
assignments, on-line discussion assignments, and reading assignments. There
will be no make-ups for these assignments.
Included are discussion questions for weekly readings or in class writing
and short homework assignments.
Total…. 25%
3/
Research Assignments
Total ........
35%
1/ Movie Assignment #1 – History
7.5%
2/ Movie Assignment #2– Contemporary Issues
7.5%
3/ Contemporary Britain Journal (weeks 6-12) 20%
4/ Research seminar
paper on topic in the contemporary United Kingdom.
These papers will be read by other students in the class and discussed in
a formal seminar format at the end of the semester. This means that students
will read and discuss each other’s papers.
Papers will be posted to the class Blackboard site prior to class
discussion. This grade will include
a final assignment that will ask you to summarize your experience in the
seminar.
Research Paper Total
............... 30%
Final Class Total (you
can figure out your grade by making your point the appropriate percentage and
calculating your progress)
.......................................................
100%
You will get further
hand-outs on these assignments as well as guides to writing and documentation
styles. You will be given the
chance to re-write the two movie assignments and the final research paper.
Any revised assignment must be handed in with the original version and
all revisions and our grading sheets. We
will not re-grade without these. All assignments that are not done in class must
be typed. You should use a word processor for any paper that you write,
as you will have to write many drafts, and you will want to be able to revise
easily. Keep a back up
copy on disk of everything you hand in. You
must keep a copy of any assignment you hand in.
Keep it for your own file, and in case your paper is mislaid.
How much work is all
this?
We estimate that it will
take you at least 6-9 hours a week outside of time spent in class to keep up
with reading and the assignments. Make sure that you arrange your schedule to
allow for this work.
Attendance:
This is a class conducted mostly as series of discussions of the reading
and of your own work. There are no
mid-terms or final exams and so your grade comes from your research assignments
and your participation in class, which includes in-class writing and other work.
You will be expected to have done the reading and to come to class
prepared to discuss it. The course will succeed if we all participate in exploring
the issues raised by the reading and so it is imperative that you are in class.
A percentage of the grade is dedicated to attendance and participation.
If you are seriously ill and miss class you need to take into account
that your absence will have to be counted against the attendance grade
regardless of the cause. This is
not a class where you can “catch up” or get the notes from someone else.
Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is illegal in
the world outside college, and will not be tolerated in the academic world
either. For our purposes, you should realize that any phrases or sentences that
are not your own need to be put in quotations and their rightful author
acknowledged. You also must cite any
ideas and arguments that are not your own. This means that you must
learn to cite sources correctly and to include a list of Works Cited or
Bibliography for all your work. You
may use either MLA or APA style, but be consistent with either one.
Refer to the Learning and Advising Center web pages for further
information on citations or what and how to document information in your
assignments. The web site is at http://www.philau.edu/learning/index%20writing%20doc.htm,
or simply go to the Learning and Advising Center page and follow the links.
If you are still confused about any aspect of citation practices or the
definition of plagiarism please consult with us. Any plagiarized work will be
given an F grade (0 points) for that assignment and may be taken to the
appropriate campus authorities.
Some Added Help:
The Learning and
Advising Center in Haggar Hall should become one of your frequent visiting
places. You can get help with study skills, reading texts, writing -- revision,
organization and such. Please
realize that this is a key support and can provide you with the means to succeed
in a demanding course. At various
times we will require you to consult a writing tutor.
This is not a sign that you cannot write, rather one of the skills we
want you to acquire is the ability to use editorial help.
The writing tutors can do this for you. You should also consult with the
librarians on research questions. Jordana
Shane is the librarian who is the liaison for the School of General Studies.
reading
done and we will often refer to the text itself, so you are encouraged to obtain
your own copy of the Bulk Pack.
WEEKLY TOPIC
AND READING OUTLINE
Note: Reading needs to
be completed before the week it is needed.
You must pay attention in class as reading will be modified to suit our
particular needs if necessary. Reading
and assignment deadlines will be posted on the Blackboard Site.
You are responsible for knowing what is required for each day's work.
Week One: Thursday,
January 18
What is the British Character? What is the American Character?
How are
they Different and What Do We Know to Start With?
Week Two: January 23, 25
Geography and History: What
shaped the United Kingdom?
Reading
: Kearney, Hugh, The British Isles: A History of Four Nations :
Read pp 1-2,13, 24-34, skim35-76, read 77-106, 114-15, 116-196.
Much of this you will skim, and use the reading question handout as a
guide.
Assignment:
Films as History: what can we
learn? Due February 8.
Week Three: January 30, February 1
The
Industrial Revolution and Britain as the World Power
Reading:
Kearney, Hugh, The British Isles: A History of Four Nations
: pp197-261, pp262-286
Week Four: February 6, 8
The
End of Empire, the Rise and Fall of the Welfare State
Reading:
Kearney, Hugh, The British Isles: A History of Four Nations .
pp262-286
Movie Assignment: Contemporary Issues. Due February 27
Week Five: February 13, 15
The
United Kingdom: Just Another European Nation? .
Reading
: Packet – Paxman, pp.28-43, Paxman,
“The Land of the Lost Continent”1, 10-13, skim Mrs Thatcher Discovers It’s
a Funny Old World, and John Major makes a Joke.
Other handouts to follow.
Week Six: February
20, 22
Class and British Society
Reading: Kath Woodward, pp. 82-83, 93-97 in Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, Nation. Routledge in association with The Open University, London and New York, 2000. (packet)
Paul Willis, Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs. Teakfield Ltd., 1977. TBA
Hanif Kureshi “Eight Arms to Hold You” in Granta 43, Spring 1993: 155-168. (packet)
Bill Osgerby, “’The Boys Are Back in Town’: Youth Subcultures and the ‘Return’ of Class Conflict,” pp. 64-9 in Youth in Britain Since 1945. Blackwell, Oxford, 1998. (packet)
Bill Osgerby, “’Blank Generation’: Cultures of Confrontation,” pp. 104-116 in Youth in Britain Since 1945. Blackwell, Oxford, 1998. (packet)
(Roydhouse
off campus)
Week Seven: February 27, March 1
Race
and Ethnicity: A Multicultural Society?
Reading: Peter Fryer, Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain. Pluto Press, 1984. TBA
Nick Hornby, pp. 188-90 in Fever Pitch. Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, 1992. (packet)
Jeremy Paxman, pp. 53-9 and 60-76, in The English: A Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
Andrew Marr, pp. 149-170 in The Day Britain Died. Profile Books, 1999.
Shada Islam, “Generation Next” Far Eastern Economic Review. 161:25 (46-48), 1998 <Proquest November 21, 2000> (ERES)
Zadie Smith, pp. 46-51 and 192-197 in White Teeth: A Novel. Random House, New York, 2000. (packet)
Kath Woodward, pp.146-153 in Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, Nation. Routledge in association with The Open University, London and New York, 2000. (packet)
Research Paper for
Final Seminar begun.
!!Spring
Break: March 3 to March 11!!
Week Eight: March 13, 15
Nationalism
and Sport
Reading :Jeremy Paxman, pp. 1, 11-12 in The English: A Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
Katharine Jones, “Avoiding Extremes: Negotiating Nationalism and Nostalgia” in “Gee, I Love Your Accent: English Identities, Privilege and Anglophilia,” forthcoming Temple University Press. TBA. (ERES)
Charles Jennings, pp. 229-31 in Up North: Travels Beyond the Watford Gap Abacus, London, 1995. (packet)
Nick Hornby, pp. 29-32, 46-51, 53-6, 73-6, 78-81, 95-97 in Fever Pitch. Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, 1992. (packet)
Philip Dodd, A Mongrel Nation New Statesman and Society. 8:341:26-8. February 24, 1995. <Infotrac July 16, 2000>(ERES)
Week Nine: March 20, 22
Sport,
Alcohol and Violence
Reading:Nick Hornby, pp. 141-143, 154-7, 159-61, 217-225 in Fever Pitch. Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, 1992 (packet)
Jeremy Paxman, pp. 244-54 in The English: A Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
John Lloyd “The Making of Cruel Britannia” New Statesman 11:5110:8-10 26 June 1998. <Proquest November 21, 2000>(ERES)
Week Ten: March 27, 28: International
Week On Campus
Language
and the North/South Divide: Two Nations?
Reading: Charles Jennings, pp. 4-8, 100-119, 184-191, 164-9, 174-5 in Up North: Travels Beyond the Watford Gap Abacus, London, 1995. (packet)
Bill Bryson, pp.153-5 in Notes from a Small Island, Avon Books, 1997. (ERES)
Andrew Marr, pp. 122-9 in The Day Britain Died. Profile Books, 1999.
Stephen Haseler, “Does England Exist?” pp. 115-119 in The English Tribe: Identity, Nation and Europe. Macmillan Press, Basingstoke, Hants, 1996. (packet)
Andrew Marr, pp. 94-99 (21-2) in The Day Britain Died. Profile Books, 1999.
Jeremy Paxman 234-8 in The English: A Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
Katie Wales, “Royalese: The Rise and Fall of the Queen’s English” English Today 10:3/39:3-10, 1994. (ERES)
Cockney rhyming slang TBA
Week Eleven: April 3, 5 (and April 10)
The Current Scene: Brits as Comedians and Musicians
Reading :Katharine Jones, “Responding to Privilege: Class, Race, Nation and Anglophilia” in “Gee, I Love Your Accent: English Identities, Privilege and Anglophilia,” forthcoming Temple University Press. TBA. (ERES)
Bill Bryson, pp. 178-80 in Notes from a Small Island, Avon Books, 1997. (ERES)
Peter Collett, Foreign Bodies, TBA
Bill Osgerby, “’Walkin’ Back to Happiness’? The Cultures of Young Women Since 1945,” pp. 50-63 in Youth in Britain Since 1945. Blackwell, Oxford, 1998. (packet)
Jim Farber, “Bands Across the Water: In All Sorts of Genres, Britannia Rules These Days.” Daily News, p.20. 6 December 1998. <Lexis-Nexis July 16 2000> (ERES)
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, “A Magic Carpet of Cultures in
London,” New York
April
3: In class workshops – final
seminar papers. You must have a finished, typed and edited version for
sharing in class. No late papers
will be possible and you must be in class that day, or have notified us well in
advance if you cannot be there.
Week Twelve/ Thirteen: April 12, April
17, 19
The Current Scene: British Popular Culture
Other Aspects of British Culture
Reading: Jeremy Paxman, pp. 124-8 in The English: Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
The Guardian Education Page TBA
Andrew Marr, pp. 54-55 in The Day Britain Died. Profile Books, 1999.
Jeremy Paxman, chapter 6 (93-114) in The English: A Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
Kath Woodward 116-121 in Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, Nation. Routledge in association with The Open University, London and New York, 2000. (packet)
Seminar Papers posted to Blackboard site by April 12
Week Thirteen: April 17, 19, 24
The Current Scene: British Popular Culture
Coping with Culture Shock and British Attitudes to “Foreigners”
Reading : Jeremy Paxman, pp. 28-31, 38-42 in The English: A Portrait of a People. Michael Joseph, London, 1998. (packet)
Polly Toynbee, “The United States Has Become Insufferable As It Has Grown All-Powerful. The Lesson From America is That Europe is Our Only Hope” The Guardian, p.22 August 23, 2000.
Week Fourteen: April 26, May 1
Student
Seminar Discussions
Final Assignment due
during exam week: Summary and Analysis of the Seminar Discussion
_______________________________________________________________________
- British
Isles refers to Great Britain and Ireland and adjacent islands.
- The
Encyclopedia Britannica Online gives as the dictionary definition of Great
Britain the following: “Great
Britain, also called Britain, island lying off the western coast of Europe
and consisting of England, Scotland and Wales.
The term is often used as a synonym for the United Kingdom, which
also includes Northern Ireland and a number of offshore islands.”
________________________________________________________________________
Vacation!!!!!!
Enjoy!!!!
