Tradition and Change - Q2.1

Examples
1. State Opening of Parliament (16th cent.)
  1. procedure : ... → Black Rod sent to summon Commons → doors shut in his face (SYMBOLISES C.´ INDEPENDANCE FROM MONARCHY) → strikes 3 times → then go to Lord`s chamber → listen to speech
  2. "Each year when the parliament begins its season, the Queen gives a government written speech outlining the years agenda"
Basic info
1. Aspects of a culture
  1. Pragmatism → be considerate + do not hold back to speak your mind
  2. social cohesion
  3. (from) → colonialisation (through) → innovations (to todays) → multilingual nation
  4. colonies → multilingual nation
2. Character of a country
  1. royal family → no power → fresh, modern image portrayed by the monarchy
  2. due to history → immigration to UK
    1. shape culture + add to nation`s diversity
3. many time-honoured traditions
4. standardized education in E, W, Ni. → eliminate inequalities (career chances often depend on wealth of fam. + visited school)
multiculturalism
1. colonial superpower → many territories → still strong bond (betw. members of Commonwealth)
2. UK → made up of diff. cultures/ identities → need for a continuous process of mutual engagement
3. Integration (into)
  1. Becoming a part of diff. culture. Being accepted + involved in society.
  2. engender a sense of belonging
4. "destructive M." → no over-arching thread
5. Requirements
  1. all cultures should be open
  2. self critical → can benefit from critical dialogue w/ other culters bc. no culture is perfect + therefore no c. represents the best life
  3. interactive in relations
6. two-way-street → involves two parties
7. successful?
  1. [Y E S] multiculturalsim is often norm, seen as enrichment, equal treatment under law, mututal respect
    1. multi-racial society → racial purity only myth
  2. [N O] PEGIDA + nationalist, limited to urban centres, still prejudices and inequality, existence of parallel society
    1. despite progress not fully accomplished and hard to achieve
assimilation
1. "A. is a process by which the characteristics of the immigrant groups and host societies come to resemble one another. When immigrants are assimilated into a community, they become an accepted part of it. However many immigrants have not yet fully assimilated into the new culture. Blockfactors may be ... "
  1. the lvl. of human capital they bring w/ them, lack of convergence betw. nmewcomers and native majority (racial ethnic discrimination), exacerbate crowding in labour market
    1. depends on the host and immigration group and the differences betw. them → bc. theres no fixed time-table governing the completion of the process
    2. delay a. not permanently forestalling it
Robin Cook "Chicken Tikka Masala"
1. "became fashion for some to argue that British identity is under siege + state of decline"
  1. 3 threats
    1. arrival of immigrants → diff. cultural values
      1. majority not indegenous to B.
      2. uniqueness bc.of sheer pluralism
      3. asset to variety/ pos. force for economy + lifestyle + cultural horizon, no burden, contribute to ...
        B. multinational companies w/ its diversity promote economy,
    2. continued membership of the EU → allegedly absorbs member states into a country called "Europe"
      1. common standards (soc. justice ...)
      2. "Euromyth" = EU is a threat to nat. identity
        E. identity does not diminish Britishness!
        identity is not a finite substance, made up of various nations
    3. devolution of power → step of breaking up of the UK
      1. essential → been succesful for B. → mutual strengthens B.identity → working together strengthens the bond betw. nations
    4. alleged threats will promote the delopment of a new/ modern B. identity
      1. must be based on common values
2. homogenity of B. identity was confined to a relatively brief period
  1. History of immigration to UK
    1. 400-600 - Anglo-Savon (tribes from northern Europe arrived)
    2. 1700 onwards - Chinese + Indians arrived bc. of growing empire + and its trade
    3. 1555-1833 - Africans + Indians arrived bc of B.`s involvement in SLAVE TRADE
      1. when slavery abolished, former enslaved Africans came to start new life as free ppl
      2. Absatz über Multicultural Britain Idea → "fantasy that Britain was a pure Anglo-Saxon society before the arrival of communities from the Carribean/ Asia and Africa (1945 onwards)"
    4. 2000 onwards - today, immigrants continuous to come to B. fr. Asia + Europe
      1. some arrive as refugees, looking for better jobs
        some invited to come + share skills
    5. 1948 - massive change in B. society → large scale immigr. to UK
      1. 1980's - strict controls
    6. b4 43 AD - original inhabitants of B were prop. Celts
    7. 1560-1720 - french Protestant Christians came to escape persecution → INVISIBLE MINORITY
David Cameron "State multiculturalism has failed"
1. suggested actions (see requirements, multic.)
  1. therefore build stronger societies + identies → believe in values and promote them as one (defines people as a society)
2. reasons for failing
  1. hands off tolerance (encouraging Different cultures to live separate Lives) serves to reinforce the sense that not enough is being shared
3. In Feb. 2011 British Prime Minister C. gave a speech on radicalization and what he saw as the causes of terrorism. The speech angered some Muslim groups. (Mehdi Hasan: back then, hatred was common, now: nation is at relative ease w/ its racial / religions/ cultural diversity )
Bradford Riots - 2001 (failed integration)
1. Bradford
  1. 19th century → international center of textile → popular bc. they were important producers→ people who were looking for work / better life went there (now: home to most concentrated muslim population) → financial crisis → competition over scarce ressources
    1. led to riots
      1. tension betw. ethnic minoritiy communities + white majorite (provoked by far right ppl)
        native majority feels exploited by the asians!
        reason: poorish place → unemployment rate is high
        collapse of industry 1978/85 → asian fathers = unemployed → no work → problem bc. no financial source + for their identity → experience highest rate of unemployment
        White and poor asians COMPETE OVER SAME SCARCE RESSOURCES → RIVALRY
        only similarity: problem → all want to succeed (see school system)
        "Colour Coding of Areas" (bc of defending areas) → problem: natural establishment of ethnic enclaves + whites leave → soc. segregation increases
        search for respect → standing one`s ground and fighting
  2. Change, 2 keys ...
    1. education → schoolsystem handed over to private companies → improved exam results (academic success) → also: chunk of identity
    2. improving public services; not forcing cultural change
    3. policy → officers are to identify concerns + defuse the EDL demo → reducing racial tensions

Next up

Tradition and Change - Q2.1

Description

Resource summary

Similar

	Created by Shaffie M. about 8 years ago