Riassunto esame cultura inglese - Storia della cultura inglese

British Culture

Social and Cultural Context

Since the 1950s social and cultural CHANGES in Britain, thanks to:



Disintegration of British Empire

 Commonwealth

 Immigration MULTIETHNIC COUNTRY

 

Women’s movements independence

 

These changes affected also ARTS: from 1948 the government provided FUNDS to encourage

experimentation of different styles until 1979, election of the CONSERVATIVE PARTY THATHERISM:

 

the greatest POLITICAL, ECONOMIC and CULTURAL shift in Britain culture of INDIVIDUALISM, PRIVATE



ENTERPRISE, VALUES OF MARKET PLACE, ART SEEN AS A PRODUCT FOR CONSUMERS. The country was

divided into TORY PARTY (conservative) and POLITICAL LEFT (Labor Party).

But in mid-1990s the conservative party suffered from WEAK LEADERSHIP, internal division and

corruption. The Labor Party won the election in 1997 and there were:

New sense of self-confidence

 Prosperity and stability

 Low unemployment

 Rise of living standard and investment in public services

 New cultural spaces were created by Asians, Blacks and feminists.



Society became more tolerant.

1945-60 new aim to achieve equality in health, education, transport and housing. 1944 Education

 

Act (free education in grammar schools for children aged 11-18, ensured access to university ever to

poor families. The Tory Government led by Winston Churchill was rejected in favor of The LABOR



PARTY, that provided JOBS and HOMES, decent living standards, nationalization of INDUSTRIES (such as

coal, transport, steel and iron) to secure mass employment (demand for manual labour offered jobs



to Commonwealth citizens from India, Pakistan, Africa, Hong Kong immigration with the motive of



save money and return to their countries but in the end their families came to Britain and they created

small families and ethnic communities), the WELFARE STATE 1948 social security and free



healthcare.

Despite these positive social measures in 1951 the Tory Party was elected again to govern for the

interest of society, POST-WAR PATRICIAN government creating POST-WAR CONSENSUS.

By the late 1950s SOCIETY was YOUNGER and RICHER YOUTH CULTURE:



Electronic goods became cheap and available

 Sale of popular novels, women magazines and comics

 Full employment teenager were independent

 

Teenagers started to go to coffee bars and music bars. Record players and radios and clothes were

essential. Around 1953 there were the TEDDY BOYS, a group of urban working-class gangs dressed in

colorful suits, threatening and brutal. Newspapers always reported violent incidents about them TV



and rock n’ roll were blamed.

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Mid-1960s DISAPPOINTMENT with the CONSERVATIVE PARTY, which began to appear, disorganized.

1956 government failed in handling the Suez Canal crisis

 

1963 minister of war John Profumo resigned for having a relationship with a prostitute

 

1964 The Labor Party won:



Consumer boom

 Rising aspiration

 Demand for jobs

 Commercial mass media became part of everyday life

 SOCIAL DEMAND for FREEDOM: retreat from strict social control like capital punishment,

 obscenity and abortion.

1967 homosexuality legalized

 

1969 vote to eighteen years olds

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1967 Abortion Act (termination for social and health reasons)

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1974 PILL was legal

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DIVORCE REFORM ACT more control of women over their lives and to end abusive

 

relationships

The influence of the CHURCH declined.

1970 Conservative Party returned to power beginning of a DARK DECADE

 

Social division, strikes, inflation

 Unemployment and political violence

 Steed immigration

 RACIAL TENSION Irish Army started a bombing campaign in several British cities. Mining,

 

shipbuilding, steel and vehicle production declined.

1974 The Labor Party elected again but economy was depressed for the previous crisis SOCIAL

 

FRAGMENTATION there were Marxist and communists who wanted to take over the Labor Party. The



social fragmentation increased with:

Nationalism, terrorism, strikes, violent crimes

 Popular press reporting stories of racism, robbery, pornography and rape

 PUNKS appeared reflecting a sense of disgust with a society that seemed to have abandoned

 them and their future. PUBLIC DISPERATION.



After the defeat of Conservative Party, MARGARET HILDA THATCHER became their leader. She had ideas

of: Reducing inflation with high taxes

 Make economy free-market



A lot of electors were attracted by her personality and also because feminism was born and she would

have been the first woman prime minister in Britain. In 1980 British economy worsened:

Manufacturing declined

 Shipbuilding, mining and steel disappeared

 Unemployment over 13%



CIVIL and INDUSTRIAL conflict April 1981 anarchic riot in Britain against the police. April 1982



Thatcher led Britain into war with Argentina over the occupation of the Folklands Islands she won and



was able to distract attention from the economic crisis ALLIANCE with USA to develop a Cold War



strategy with nuclear weapons the government was supported by all newspaper Conservative

 

Party won the election in 1983 THATCHERISM spread:



Reduction of public spending

 Privatized industries



1984-85 MINER’S STRIKE confrontation with her “enemies within” attack to shut down coal

 

industries part of her plan to break the power of TRADE UNIONS. Her enemies were the IRA, Miners,



Trade Unions, left-wing local government and unreliable members of her own party.

1983 re-election of Thatcher with NEGATIVE EFFECTS:



Theft, vandalism and violent crimes

 High unemployment, homelessness

 The poorly educated were unable to obtain job

 Women transferred from manufacturing work to low paid jobs in industries



Mid-1980s FINANCIAL BOOM:



Taxes cut, credit easy to obtain



2 Shore prices grew quickly

 Financial services became important

 People started to spend money on cars, clothes, homes and holidays

 Advertising became fine ART



1987 re-election of Thatcher (sure she cured England of its strikes) but

 

Shore prices crashed and economy became to stagnate again

 House prices rise

 Inflation rise

 Homeless re-appeared

 The use of drugs increased

 AIDS and HIV spread homosexuality was prohibited

 

1990 it was difficult for Thatcher to keep her party united over the issue over political and economic



integration with Europe (she was against) the Tory Government introduced the POLL TAX violent

 

rioting Thatcher dismiss PUBLIC DISILLUSIONMENT, people lost confidence in institutions.

 

VELVET REVOLUTION:

May 1997 the Labor Party won the election with Tony Blair there were some political changes.



Devolution at home:

1997: Hong Kong handed back to China

 Devolution of power to Scotland

 regional autonomy for Wales

 peace treaty with Northern Ireland

 return of power to the London area

 reestablishing of the Greater London Authority



economy improved:

problem post-war disappeared

 almost full employment



Education: 

2005 30% of population went to uni

 university fees were introduced



Health:

improving of the National Health Service

 Obesity increase

 alcohol consumption increased

 sexually transmitted diseases increase

 cancer increase



But the more cynical press was, the more public knowledge (with technology) increased also



confidence in politic declined also monarchy suffered exposure and scandals. the royal wedding of



Charles and Diana contributed and accentuate British family values but in interviews with the media

Diana damaged the public image of the family. but Queen Elizabeth remained highly respected and



the monarchy highly wanted. Also Anglican church became less influential because of their incapacity

to give guidance on many issues like abortion and to accept women and gay clergy. So the government

had to learn quickly the art of advertising and manipulating the media to protect their image.

intervention abroad:

saving of Albanian lives in Kosovo

 support president Bush in the ‘’war of terror’’ in 2003 there was the invasion of Iraq after the

 

9/11

3

Immigration increases when the economy is strong. Before immigrants came from rural England,

Ireland and Scotland. Today from Somalia, Afghanistan Albania Iraq etc After the invasion of Iraq there

was a fear of terrorism immigration in 2001 46 billion immigrants. 8 percent of UK population, 9%

 

of England, half of them lives in London. There are around 2 million Muslims in the UK (Pakistani and

Kashmiri) who live in London, Bradford, Leicester, Oldham and Birmingham. There are mosque in most

cities and it's easy to find halal shops and restaurants. Muslims came to Britain since 1960s to earn

money and return in their countries but due to unstable politics of their home country they were unable

to do so they stayed and formed young families. but levels of integration and achievement are

 

low. Moreover integration is a source of anxiety among some communities elder Racism increased



where immigrant population is large. Government responded with some acts like

immigration act 1971

 race relation act 1975

 equal opportunity act in order to extend the employment opportunities to the minorities.

 

Britain remains largely male-dominated (institutions). In 2005 election there were only 125 female

representatives out of 641. Also in the Church of England women were first ordained in 1994, but still

excluded from being bishops. Comparing with 20 years ago mostly women able to make advances in

their choosing career, are white middle class and university graduates. Also women earn 20% less than

men. In the domestic sphere divorce rates continue to rise 45% of marriages end with divorce this

 

implies more equality but does not mean more happiness because now women are more depressed

than in 1950.

Acceptance of gay and lesbians increased so more individuals declared sexuality (also from Parliament,

church and police) in 2005 there was the recognition of gay marriages.

Mid-1990s there was more self-confidence and a revival of fashion, design, architecture and pop music.

There was also more national pride after the discontent with conservatory party, increased in 1996

when England won the Euro football championship.

There was an interest in the music scenein 1997 musicians were invited to a reception in Downing

Street with the aim of presenting a new image of Britain as a youthful, dynamic place for arts.

The journalist Peter Koenig first used the term ‘’cool Britannia’’ to label any cultural activity with no

American influences.

But new trends were sometimes criticized as discriminatory, since press didn't take into consideration

ethnically diverse art such as the sounds of British Club culture.

Art administration ‘’the department for national heritage’’ was replaced by the ‘’department for



culture media and sport’’ responsible for policy and costs In Museums. The ‘’Arts Council of England

Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland’’. The art Council regulated the film industry, broadcasting and

press. There were less public funding and more individualistic entrepreneurial ethic and more

commercialization of the art, less quality and variety in order to attract audience.

Around 1916 culture was used as a discriminatory sense referred to the best that have been thought,

said, written, painted and played. Now culture is referred to a diverse range of taste and

entertainments and to signifying practices of different countries.

More education opportunity and less social distinction created a better audience since art is seen as

entertainment and information.

Today's society is more secular and ethnically diverse: