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Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2007/08


EU10683 Modern British society: government, citizenship and culture

Credits: 6
Level: Certificate
Semester: 1
Assessment: CW 100%
Requisites:
This unit is solely for Socrates-Erasmus, Exchange and Visiting students. Aims: The aim of the unit is to give students a broad overview of contemporary British society with particular emphasis on the formal structures of government and formal and informal ideas of nationality, nationalism and changing definitions of what it means to be a citizen.
Learning Outcomes:
Having completed this unit students will be able to:
* understand the background to the formation of the United Kingdom and the different traditions of the component parts;
* understand the workings of government in Britain ;
* understand and explain different concepts of British citizenship;
* set out and evaluate the arguments for and against change in the structures and institutions studied;
* elucidate and understand the role of informal rules and expectations in modern British society.
Skills:
Having completed the unit, students will be able to:
* differentiate between interpretations of events and the values and assumptions which may underlie these;
* give seminar presentations, suiting their material to their audience and leading discussion and encouraging participation.
Content:
The course will cover the following topics:
* The United Kingdom and its component parts: ideas of Britishness and other national identities.
* Demography, population patterns and trends.
* Ethnic minorities: the change from short-term workers to permanent settlers; citizenship and the legacy of empire; recent immigration and new concepts of citizenship.
* The status and role of the Church of England and the role of religion in society.
* Constitutional monarchy in theory and practice.
* The political system, Westminster and devolution. Voting, declining participation and representation of women and ethnic minorities.
* Britain and the EU; the economy and patterns of employment; regional variation and women in the labour market.
* The media, broadcast, print and electronic; ownership and reach.