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Titel
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Broken Britain (EXAM)
This course focuses on understanding characteristics, concepts and values with relevance to British culture and identity.
The objectives of the theme are to:
1. Get a short introduction to:
- the differences between England, Great Britain and the UK,
- the British Empire and Commonwealth
2. Portray Great Britain in terms of important cultural tendencies, values etc.
3. Discuss and put into perspective concepts such as: history, class, immigration, multiculturalism, (in)equality etc.
4. Analyse and interpret fiction, analyse and discuss statistics and articles as well as read and understand background texts on Britain.
5. Expand and work thoroughly with vocabulary
6. Use various reading strategies to scan a text (or the Net!) for possible answers.
In the course, British identity will be explored through its literature, history, and societal issues. The course will thus give the students a deeper understanding of British culture by examining its past, present, and future.
In terms of literature, a variety of texts that reflect British identity across time will be used. From Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” which highlight class distinctions in different eras, to poems like E.V. Lucas’ “The Old Country” and Roger McGough’s “Conservation Piece,” we will explore themes of nostalgia, tradition, and societal change.
We will also examine the British class system, both historically and in the modern day, through articles, videos, and memoirs such as Darren McGarvey’s “Poverty Safari.” Documentary films like Ken Loach’s “Sorry We Missed You” will help us understand the challenges faced by working-class families today.
Another key focus will be Britain’s colonial past and its impact on modern multiculturalism. Through texts, poetry, and videos, we will discuss the British Empire, its decline, and its legacy, including the stories of the Windrush generation and postcolonial literature like Linton Kwesi Johnson’s “Inglan is a Bitch.”
Finally, we will examine contemporary issues such as immigration, homelessness, and Brexit, encouraging students to think critically about how these topics shape modern Britain.
Kernestof:
“Nostalgia Isn’t What It Used to Be” (factual text)
“What is the British class system?” (2019)
Jane Austen, “Pride and Prejudice” (1813) (novel excerpt)
Charles Dickens, “Oliver Twist” (1838) (novel excerpt)
“Britain’s Civil Unrest: Criminal Elements or Victims…” (article, 2012)
Darren McGarvey, “Poverty Safari” (2017) (memoir excerpt)
The British Empire: Factual texts, boxes, graphs, video, and painting
Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899) (poem)
“Reflecting Multicultural Britain: Postcolonialism and the Literature of the Diaspora” (factual text)
Linton Kwesi Johnson, “Inglan is a Bitch” (1980) (poem)
“Children must learn about the British Empire…” (article, 2020)
This is London but probably not as you know it” (non fiction)
Supplerende stof:
Factual text: The difference between Britain, Great Britain, the UK, and the British Isles
A Tour of the British Isles in Accents (audio)
“The Old Country” (poem by E.V. Lucas) + “Conservation Piece” (poem by Roger McGough)
The British National Anthem: “God Save the Queen”
Introductory videos on Jane Austen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIYiThAyY8s&pp=ygUGYXVzdGVu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSL55lOwznU&pp=ygUGYXVzdGVu0gcJCYQJAYcqIYzv
Introductory videos: “Victorians: the filthy rich & poor”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDZe512gPeE&pp=ygURdmljdG9yaWFucyBmaWx0aHk%3D
“Why should you read Charles Dickens”: https://youtu.be/5czA_L_eOp4?si=8PMZVBluqYoTZVDQ
INTRO PRESENTATIONS: The British class system today
“Homelessness in the UK: The Hidden Face of Homeless Crisis” (video, 2023)
Ken Loach (Dir.), ”Sorry We Missed You” (2019) (film)
Poverty tree diagram
The Two Dispersals of English
INTRO PRESENTATIONS:
Decline of the British Empire + Nostalgia for Empire today
Introductory video: “Windrush 75: What is it and why do we celebrate it?”
Poetry Inspired by the Windrush Story (Denniston Stewart & John Agard)
INTRO PRESENTATIONS: Immigration in England
Factual text and lesson plan: Multicultural Britain
“Children must learn about the British Empire…” (article, 2020)
INTRO PRESENTATIONS: Brexit
Consequences and changes for the UK? (26 min. film) + Brexit as imperial nostalgia? (2 pages)
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