1105-1: Vorlesung Kulturstudien: Analysing British Culture(s): Politics,
Society, Identity
montags 11.15-12.45 Uhr, S 302, Dietmar Böhnke
During the past few years, British politics and
culture (and especially the question of Britishness) have once more become a
topical and hotly debated issue, especially in relation (and opposition) to the
European context and the internal diversity of the British Isles – 2014 saw the
failed Independence Referendum in Scotland and 2016 the decision to leave the
EU (“Brexit”, which finally happened in 2020/21). With the Scottish question
still not finally solved and Northern Ireland again a hotspot of conflicts,
this issue shows no signs of becoming uncontroversial any time soon. In order
to understand better what is happening on the British Isles today, one needs to
analyse political and social structures and ‘narratives’, which often have a
strong historical component. As a follow-up to the historical overview and the
introduction to theories of British Cultural Studies, this lecture series is
therefore offering an in-depth analysis of aspects such as the British
parliamentary, electoral and party systems, the role of the monarchy, national
and regional identities (Scotland, Wales, (Northern) Ireland, Northern England
etc.), ethnic minorities and multiculturalism, class and education, the British
media etc. In each case, it will be using contemporary or historical examples
and case studies drawn from British literature, film/TV and popular culture.
