Great Britain

Gradualism

• Political change in Britain has been gradual• Gradual acceptance of the House of Lords and

later the House of Commons through evolution not revolution– Signing of Magna Carta, English Civil War, Glorious

Revolution• Faced challenges of creating the nation-state,

overcoming religious and class conflict, and undergoing democratization spread out over centuries

British Decline

• British economic standing has dropped dramatically in the second half of the 20th Century– While by no means a poor country, citizens have a

lower standard of living then some other European democracies i.e. France and Germany

• Economic crisis of 1970’s:– Declining industrial production and international

influence exaggerated by the loss of colonies– Devastating impact of OPEC

Thatcherism

• Conservative government 1980’s-90’s• Spurred renewal of support for free-market

economy• Rejected collectivist politics• Privatized dozens of companies, reduced

spending on social services, curbed power of unions, opposed further involvement in Europe, and reasserted Britain's influence in global affairs

• Privatization and downsizing of government have remained important trends in policymaking

New Labour

• Blair shed party’s commitment to nationalized industry and state-based solutions to most of society’s problems

• Endorsed some of Thatcher’s commitment to a market economy– Great concern for equality and a desire to forge

more cooperative partnerships linking business, labor, and the government

Conservative vs. Labour

Conservatives•Largest party on the right•Roots lay in the nobility•Embody values of the noblesse oblige•Historically willing to support a substantial welfare state, changed with Thatcher’s generation•View European Union and a single currency as a threat to British sovereignty•1/3 members over 65•Traditionally middle class

Labour•Largest party on the left•Began as alliance b/t trade unions, independent socialist movements, and cooperative associations•Criticism for being too extreme to moved towards center•Eliminated nationalization of labor from platform and commitment to unilateral nuclear disarmament•Accepted privatization and much of the rest of Thatcherism’s core•Traditionally working class

Class Divide• Class distinctions between the rich and poor have

always been prominent factors in British culture– In modern day, the more important distinctions are

between the middle and working classes– Divided psychologically and subjectively as opposed

to financially• Solidarity: esp with working class, “keeping the

old job and living in the old neighborhood” more important than climbing the social ladder– Shown in loyalty of the working class to historically

stick to the Labour party and the middle class to stick to the Conservative party

Education & Class

• Education= major element in class distinction– For those trying to enter into the realm of the

elite, attending Oxford or Cambridge Universities may provide them with their golden ticket

– Prime Ministers have almost always attended "Oxbridge," and at least 1/4 of the MPs have done so as well

– “public” schools are expensive and typically enrolled by children of the ruling elite while members of the middle class attend private grammar schools

Literary History (1): Jane Austen

• Jane Austen often writes about the upper class– She grew up in with a father in the

professional middle class and her mother in a higher, gentry class

• Austen wrote about her situation through many female protagonists such as the rich Emma in Emma and the fallen Elinor and Marianne Dashwood who must go from upper to lower class in Sense and Sensibility

(Austen grew up in the early Victorian Era—the hereditary rule showed in the social life/class as one’s surname won most of the fortune for a family)

Literary History (2): Charles Dickens

• Charles Dickens lived in poverty all his life– Due to his family's financial difficulties, he had to

drop out of school to work in a factoryDickens wrote about his situation through many

novels that showed the oppressions of the lower class, including an orphan in Oliver Twist and the fallen aristocrat Charles Darnay in A Tale of Two Cities.

(Dickens grew up during England's Industrial Revolution and showed various inclinations toward socialism)

Literary History (3): J.K. Rowling

• J.K. Rowling has had her feet in both upper and lower class

After divorcing her husband, Rowling struggled to sustain her family with a job as a teacher which did not pay during the summers. She, therefore, turned to state welfare

The Harry Potter saga put J.K. Rowling on top of the British upper class (even above the queen!)

J.K. Rowling wrote about her situation via Harry Potter, the boy who went from living under a stairway to living in a castle

(She continues to support the Labour Party)

Sports• The rugby union is a middle and upper-class sport (who

tend to support the Conservative Party)• Soccer and rugby league appeal to the working class (who

tend to support the Labour Party)• NOTE: The major difference in league vs union rugby is that

the league has less players on field. Also, there is a difference in what happens after a player is tackled

• Cricket originated in the lower class• In December, Cameron decided to cut school sports funding

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/schoolsports/8174132/Prime-Minister-Cameron-orders-review-of-school-sport-funding-cuts.html)

Britain In the Iraq War

• Tony Blair has caught a lot of crap from his country because he decided to lead the UK into the Iraq War without UN approval• Many believe that he and Bush over-

exaggerated the famous “weapons of mass destruction”• Though he refuses to admit it, many believe

that he insinuated unconditional support to Bush

British Slang!• As much use as a chocolate teapot. the person or thing

referred to is useless. • A lick and a promise a job done in a hurry and not

thoroughly. • Thick as two short planks, could refer to someone who

is not that bright.• Stop going round the houses, will tell someone that

you want them to get to the point. • barmpot: n clumsy idiot.• barmy: adj idiotic.• berk: n idiot.• Billy no-mates: n person with no friends• blighter: adj guy (or, rather, a more refined, more

upper-class version thereof)• bloody: adj 1 damned• bloody-minded obstinate; determined• blooming: adj darned.• bugger: 1 n jerk. Or substitute any other inoffensive

insult• cheeky: adj risqué; just short of rude.• cobblers: n rubbish; nonsense.

• codger: n grouch.• git: n technically an insult but has a twinge of

jealousy to it. You’d call someone a git if they’d won the Readers’ Digest Prize Draw, outsmarted you in a battle of wits, or been named in Bill Gates’ last will and testament because of a spelling mistake.

• gormless: adj slightly lacking in the common sense department; a bit daft.

• muppet: n dimwit• naff: adj tacky, ineffectual and generally crap.• nosey parker: n a person who takes a little bit too

much interest in other people’s goings on. • nutter: n someone with a screw loose.• off one’s rocker/trolley: adj crazy• pikey: n adj white trash.• poxy: adj crappy; third-rate.• prat: n idiot• wally: n dimwit; dunce.• wazzack: n idiot.

Question Time • Held once a week for an hour• Opportunity for the opposition (and sometimes the

majority party) to essentially attack the Prime Minister and his cabinet

• Debates often get quite spirited• Speaker of the house presides over the debates to make

sure things don’t get out of hand– Supposed to be neutral, often not from majority party

• Allows MP’s to gain attention, cast themselves as future leaders

• Opposition seen as a “check” on the majority partyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=QpZhugomNJE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=xmHt5UEL9sI&feature=related

Activity• Caitlin/Augusta = Speaker of the house• We will split the class into Labour and the minority parties

(Conservatives)• The labour party will nominate someone in their group to be

Tony Blair, and the minority group will nominate someone to be David Cameron (should be someone spirited)

• Each group will have five minutes to come up with questions/opposition dealing with Blair’s intention to join with the US in the Iraq war

• Aka attack the opposing side! British insults/slang encouraged• MP’s encouraged to applaud/cheer when hear things they

like or to stand and show outrage when hear things they don’t like

• Reminder: things are supposed to get rowdy!

Discussion Questions

• What are the pro/cons of question time?– Should this be an aspect of all modern democracies?

• Why do you think gradualism led to a democratic parliament instead of a socialist state?– Do you think socialism is a possibility for future Britain?

• In what ways do you think the Conservative and Labour parties reflect the US Democratic and Republican parties?

• Do you think Britain should do away with the monarchy?

• If you were Tony Blair would you have joined with the US in entering the Iraq War?

Discussion Questions

• Do you think it was wise for Cameron to cut sports funding given London 2012 (Olympics)

• What do you think the impact of increasing University tuition rates will have on number of students taking advantage of higher education

• Who do you think had a greater impact on Britain: Thatcher or Blair?