Tatiana C. String and Marcus Bull (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264942
- eISBN:
- 9780191754111
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264942.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
An in-depth and wide-ranging academic investigation of the reception of the Tudor period in the modern world, this book includes studies by many of the leading scholars in their fields, and considers ...
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An in-depth and wide-ranging academic investigation of the reception of the Tudor period in the modern world, this book includes studies by many of the leading scholars in their fields, and considers the modern appropriation of the Tudors in art, music, architecture, design, religion, public history, social history, film and television, and internet networking sites. A noteworthy scholarly trend in recent decades has been a growing interest in the ways in which societies utilise the past as a cultural resource, as a repertoire of quotable designs and styles, as a vantage point from which to frame political and social critiques, as a source of identities, and as a refuge from present-day anxieties. There has been a great deal of academic interest, for example, in the reception of the ancient world in modern Western culture. Likewise, a growing body of scholarship is devoted to the study of medievalism, the images, and ideas that attach to the Middle Ages in the post-medieval imaginary. It is striking that, in stark contrast, very little attention has been paid to the cultural appropriation of the Tudor age, despite the pronounced and enduring popularity of the Tudors within the popular historical consciousness, not only in Britain but also in many other countries. Indeed, the Tudors supply many of the signature icons of Britishness and the British monarchy around the world.Less
An in-depth and wide-ranging academic investigation of the reception of the Tudor period in the modern world, this book includes studies by many of the leading scholars in their fields, and considers the modern appropriation of the Tudors in art, music, architecture, design, religion, public history, social history, film and television, and internet networking sites. A noteworthy scholarly trend in recent decades has been a growing interest in the ways in which societies utilise the past as a cultural resource, as a repertoire of quotable designs and styles, as a vantage point from which to frame political and social critiques, as a source of identities, and as a refuge from present-day anxieties. There has been a great deal of academic interest, for example, in the reception of the ancient world in modern Western culture. Likewise, a growing body of scholarship is devoted to the study of medievalism, the images, and ideas that attach to the Middle Ages in the post-medieval imaginary. It is striking that, in stark contrast, very little attention has been paid to the cultural appropriation of the Tudor age, despite the pronounced and enduring popularity of the Tudors within the popular historical consciousness, not only in Britain but also in many other countries. Indeed, the Tudors supply many of the signature icons of Britishness and the British monarchy around the world.
Wendy Webster
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199226641
- eISBN:
- 9780191718069
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226641.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Social History, British and Irish Modern History
Did loss of imperial power and the end of empire have any significant impact on British culture and identity after 1945? Within a burgeoning literature on national identity and what it means to be ...
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Did loss of imperial power and the end of empire have any significant impact on British culture and identity after 1945? Within a burgeoning literature on national identity and what it means to be British this is a question that has received surprisingly little attention. This book is about the recent debates about the domestic consequences of the end of empire. This book explores popular narratives of nation in the mainstream media archive — newspapers, newsreels, radio, film, and television. The contours of the study generally follow stories told through prolific filmic and television imagery: the Second World War, the Coronation and Everest, colonial wars of the 1950s, and Winston Churchill's funeral. The book analyses three main narratives that conflicted and collided in the period — a Commonwealth that promised to maintain Britishness as a global identity; siege narratives of colonial wars and immigration that showed a ‘little England’ threatened by empire and its legacies; and a story of national greatness, celebrating the martial masculinity of British officers and leaders, through which imperial identity leaked into narratives of the Second World War developed after 1945. The book also explores the significance of America to post-imperial Britain. This book considers how far, and in what contexts and unexpected places, imperial identity and loss of imperial power resonated in popular narratives of nation.Less
Did loss of imperial power and the end of empire have any significant impact on British culture and identity after 1945? Within a burgeoning literature on national identity and what it means to be British this is a question that has received surprisingly little attention. This book is about the recent debates about the domestic consequences of the end of empire. This book explores popular narratives of nation in the mainstream media archive — newspapers, newsreels, radio, film, and television. The contours of the study generally follow stories told through prolific filmic and television imagery: the Second World War, the Coronation and Everest, colonial wars of the 1950s, and Winston Churchill's funeral. The book analyses three main narratives that conflicted and collided in the period — a Commonwealth that promised to maintain Britishness as a global identity; siege narratives of colonial wars and immigration that showed a ‘little England’ threatened by empire and its legacies; and a story of national greatness, celebrating the martial masculinity of British officers and leaders, through which imperial identity leaked into narratives of the Second World War developed after 1945. The book also explores the significance of America to post-imperial Britain. This book considers how far, and in what contexts and unexpected places, imperial identity and loss of imperial power resonated in popular narratives of nation.
ANDREW BALLANTYNE and ANDREW LAW
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264942
- eISBN:
- 9780191754111
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264942.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter focuses on the use of Tudoresque architecture overseas, where it began as an expression of Britishness, but since then has come to have other connotations along the way. It describes ...
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This chapter focuses on the use of Tudoresque architecture overseas, where it began as an expression of Britishness, but since then has come to have other connotations along the way. It describes examples from 1920s America which show that Tudoresque architecture can flourish without the support of a British expatriate community; and Tudoresque buildings at Shimla in the northwest Himalayas, India, which from 1864 became a seasonal capital that served as the seat of government from March to November. Tudoresque architecture has become emblematic of Britishness and can be found around the world wherever quality is valued. It is also found in a less explicitly ‘Tudor’ mode, where the black-and-white colouring of the style is used for the sake of its connection with earlier, more colonial buildings that have come to be seen as smart and authoritative, but where specific evocation of Britishness does not seem to be the point.Less
This chapter focuses on the use of Tudoresque architecture overseas, where it began as an expression of Britishness, but since then has come to have other connotations along the way. It describes examples from 1920s America which show that Tudoresque architecture can flourish without the support of a British expatriate community; and Tudoresque buildings at Shimla in the northwest Himalayas, India, which from 1864 became a seasonal capital that served as the seat of government from March to November. Tudoresque architecture has become emblematic of Britishness and can be found around the world wherever quality is valued. It is also found in a less explicitly ‘Tudor’ mode, where the black-and-white colouring of the style is used for the sake of its connection with earlier, more colonial buildings that have come to be seen as smart and authoritative, but where specific evocation of Britishness does not seem to be the point.
Kay Dickinson
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195326635
- eISBN:
- 9780199851676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326635.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, Popular
This chapter analyzes British director Ken Russell's biographical film about composer Edward Elgar titled Elgar which was released in 1962. During this period Elgar already seemed a dusty anachronism ...
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This chapter analyzes British director Ken Russell's biographical film about composer Edward Elgar titled Elgar which was released in 1962. During this period Elgar already seemed a dusty anachronism to many in the midcentury, but Russell's film breathed new life into his oeuvre by presenting a composer deeply invested in a reinvigorated sense of Britishness. This chapter describes Russell's directorial style and identifies his influences.Less
This chapter analyzes British director Ken Russell's biographical film about composer Edward Elgar titled Elgar which was released in 1962. During this period Elgar already seemed a dusty anachronism to many in the midcentury, but Russell's film breathed new life into his oeuvre by presenting a composer deeply invested in a reinvigorated sense of Britishness. This chapter describes Russell's directorial style and identifies his influences.
Simon J. Potter
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199265121
- eISBN:
- 9780191718427
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199265121.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter investigates the imperial integration and traces its emergence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It focuses on Britain and the settler colonies — known to contemporaries as ...
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This chapter investigates the imperial integration and traces its emergence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It focuses on Britain and the settler colonies — known to contemporaries as Dominions — of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It shows that the distinct privileged position occupied by the Dominions in the imperial hierarchy, as component parts of what some contemporaries saw as a ‘Great Britain’. ‘Old Commonwealth’, or ‘British world’, united by a common sense of Britishness. It highlights connections between the English-language press in Britain and the colonies of settlement, but does not deny that French Canadian or Afrikaner newspapers, or papers in India and the so-called Crown colonies had an important role to play in the life of the British Empire. It aims to give a fuller and more revealing perspective on the history of the press in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Britain.Less
This chapter investigates the imperial integration and traces its emergence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It focuses on Britain and the settler colonies — known to contemporaries as Dominions — of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It shows that the distinct privileged position occupied by the Dominions in the imperial hierarchy, as component parts of what some contemporaries saw as a ‘Great Britain’. ‘Old Commonwealth’, or ‘British world’, united by a common sense of Britishness. It highlights connections between the English-language press in Britain and the colonies of settlement, but does not deny that French Canadian or Afrikaner newspapers, or papers in India and the so-called Crown colonies had an important role to play in the life of the British Empire. It aims to give a fuller and more revealing perspective on the history of the press in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Britain.
Simon J. Potter
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199265121
- eISBN:
- 9780191718427
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199265121.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter focuses on the effect of the conflict brought by the First World War on the imperial press system. It also explains that the imperial system survived the First World War and was ...
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This chapter focuses on the effect of the conflict brought by the First World War on the imperial press system. It also explains that the imperial system survived the First World War and was successfully mobilized as part of the empire's broader war effort. It then discusses the new relationship formed between Reuters and the British government and that the relationship proved to be the precursor to a wider attempt to move official propaganda arrangements onto a more effective basis. It investigated the private enterprise and news services throughout the war. It then examines the Britishness and the imperial press system in the wake of the war.Less
This chapter focuses on the effect of the conflict brought by the First World War on the imperial press system. It also explains that the imperial system survived the First World War and was successfully mobilized as part of the empire's broader war effort. It then discusses the new relationship formed between Reuters and the British government and that the relationship proved to be the precursor to a wider attempt to move official propaganda arrangements onto a more effective basis. It investigated the private enterprise and news services throughout the war. It then examines the Britishness and the imperial press system in the wake of the war.
Berthold Schoene
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638154
- eISBN:
- 9780748651795
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638154.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century and Contemporary Literature
While the novel has traditionally been seen as tracking the development of the nation state, the author of this book queries whether globalisation might currently be prompting the emergence of a new ...
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While the novel has traditionally been seen as tracking the development of the nation state, the author of this book queries whether globalisation might currently be prompting the emergence of a new sub-genre of the novel that is adept at imagining global community. The book introduces a new generation of contemporary British writers (Rachel Cusk, Kiran Desai, Hari Kunzru, Jon McGregor and David Mitchell) whose work is read against that of established novelists Arundhati Roy, James Kelman and Ian McEwan. Each chapter explores a different theoretical key concept, including ‘glocality’, ‘glomicity’, ‘tour du monde’, ‘connectivity’ and ‘compearance’. The book defines the new genre of the ‘cosmopolitan novel’ by reading contemporary British fiction as responsive to new global socio-economic formations. It expands knowledge of world culture, national identity, literary creativity and political agency by introducing concepts from globalisation and cosmopolitan theory. The book also explores debates on Britishness and ‘the contemporary’, with close reference to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the World Trade Centre attacks.Less
While the novel has traditionally been seen as tracking the development of the nation state, the author of this book queries whether globalisation might currently be prompting the emergence of a new sub-genre of the novel that is adept at imagining global community. The book introduces a new generation of contemporary British writers (Rachel Cusk, Kiran Desai, Hari Kunzru, Jon McGregor and David Mitchell) whose work is read against that of established novelists Arundhati Roy, James Kelman and Ian McEwan. Each chapter explores a different theoretical key concept, including ‘glocality’, ‘glomicity’, ‘tour du monde’, ‘connectivity’ and ‘compearance’. The book defines the new genre of the ‘cosmopolitan novel’ by reading contemporary British fiction as responsive to new global socio-economic formations. It expands knowledge of world culture, national identity, literary creativity and political agency by introducing concepts from globalisation and cosmopolitan theory. The book also explores debates on Britishness and ‘the contemporary’, with close reference to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the World Trade Centre attacks.
Simon J. Potter
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199568963
- eISBN:
- 9780191741821
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568963.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
This book analyses the attempts of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to use broadcasting as a tool of empire. From an early stage the corporation sought to unite home listeners with their ...
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This book analyses the attempts of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to use broadcasting as a tool of empire. From an early stage the corporation sought to unite home listeners with their counterparts in the wider British world, particularly in the British settler diaspora in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The BBC saw this as part of its public-service mandate, and also as a means to strengthen its position at home: by broadcasting to and about the empire, it built up its own broadcasting empire. The BBC encouraged overseas the spread of the British approach to broadcasting, in preference to the American commercial model. During the 1930s it tried to work with the public broadcasting authorities that were established in the ‘dominions’: initially, these efforts met with limited success, but more progress was made in the later 1930s. High culture, royal ceremonies, sport, and even comedy were used to project Britishness, particularly on the BBC Empire Service, the predecessor of today's World Service. Commonwealth broadcasting collaboration intensified during the Second World War, and reached its climax during the late 1940s and 1950s. Belatedly, at this stage the BBC also began to consider the role of broadcasting in Africa and Asia, as a means to encourage ‘development’ and to combat resistance to continued colonial rule. However, during the 1960s, as decolonization entered its final, accelerated phase, the BBC staged its own imperial retreat.Less
This book analyses the attempts of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to use broadcasting as a tool of empire. From an early stage the corporation sought to unite home listeners with their counterparts in the wider British world, particularly in the British settler diaspora in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The BBC saw this as part of its public-service mandate, and also as a means to strengthen its position at home: by broadcasting to and about the empire, it built up its own broadcasting empire. The BBC encouraged overseas the spread of the British approach to broadcasting, in preference to the American commercial model. During the 1930s it tried to work with the public broadcasting authorities that were established in the ‘dominions’: initially, these efforts met with limited success, but more progress was made in the later 1930s. High culture, royal ceremonies, sport, and even comedy were used to project Britishness, particularly on the BBC Empire Service, the predecessor of today's World Service. Commonwealth broadcasting collaboration intensified during the Second World War, and reached its climax during the late 1940s and 1950s. Belatedly, at this stage the BBC also began to consider the role of broadcasting in Africa and Asia, as a means to encourage ‘development’ and to combat resistance to continued colonial rule. However, during the 1960s, as decolonization entered its final, accelerated phase, the BBC staged its own imperial retreat.
Matthew Flinders
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199271597
- eISBN:
- 9780191709234
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199271597.003.0016
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, UK Politics
At the end of the first decade of the twenty‐first century democracy in the United Kingdom is drifting. No political party seems able to articulate what constitutional reform is for anymore and in ...
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At the end of the first decade of the twenty‐first century democracy in the United Kingdom is drifting. No political party seems able to articulate what constitutional reform is for anymore and in this context stimulating debates about ‘Britishness’, citizenship or a ‘common statement of values’ might, therefore, be regarded as weak and oblique responses to the challenges of constitutional anomie set out in this book.Less
At the end of the first decade of the twenty‐first century democracy in the United Kingdom is drifting. No political party seems able to articulate what constitutional reform is for anymore and in this context stimulating debates about ‘Britishness’, citizenship or a ‘common statement of values’ might, therefore, be regarded as weak and oblique responses to the challenges of constitutional anomie set out in this book.
Katrina Navickas
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199559671
- eISBN:
- 9780191721120
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199559671.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter discusses aspects of patriotism, particularly the role of the volunteer corps and patriotic propaganda. Civic patriotism provided an arena within which social and political tensions ...
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This chapter discusses aspects of patriotism, particularly the role of the volunteer corps and patriotic propaganda. Civic patriotism provided an arena within which social and political tensions manifested themselves rather than were resolved. It surveys the motivations for volunteering and the impact the invasion scares had upon inhabitants' geographical identities. It shows how local authorities used the invasion scares to boost their own civic identity as well as demonstrate their patriotism. This attempt to gain hegemony over the meaning of patriotism riled radicals and others who felt equally under threat by the French. The chapter also analyzes local patriotic literature, including a rethinking of the popular dialect ballad, ‘Jone o'Grinfilt’. It argues that the Napoleonic Wars fostered a distinctive ‘Lancashire Britishness’.Less
This chapter discusses aspects of patriotism, particularly the role of the volunteer corps and patriotic propaganda. Civic patriotism provided an arena within which social and political tensions manifested themselves rather than were resolved. It surveys the motivations for volunteering and the impact the invasion scares had upon inhabitants' geographical identities. It shows how local authorities used the invasion scares to boost their own civic identity as well as demonstrate their patriotism. This attempt to gain hegemony over the meaning of patriotism riled radicals and others who felt equally under threat by the French. The chapter also analyzes local patriotic literature, including a rethinking of the popular dialect ballad, ‘Jone o'Grinfilt’. It argues that the Napoleonic Wars fostered a distinctive ‘Lancashire Britishness’.
Stephen Conway
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199253753
- eISBN:
- 9780191719738
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199253753.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
Eighteenth-century armed conflicts have been identified by some historians as one of the ingredients which promoted a popular sense of Britishness. Linda Colley, in particular, has pointed to the ...
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Eighteenth-century armed conflicts have been identified by some historians as one of the ingredients which promoted a popular sense of Britishness. Linda Colley, in particular, has pointed to the ways in which war helped to bring together the various peoples of Britain, subordinating narrower patriotisms, and even papering over the cracks caused by social and political tensions. Britishness seems to have been embraced more readily in the Seven Years War than in the War of the Austrian Succession, suggesting a movement towards the adoption of a new and broader national identity. It would be a mistake, however, to assume from this a simple process of linear progression, reaching its culmination in the great struggles of 1793-1815. There was no relentless upward trajectory, but rather a jagged faltering movement forward.Less
Eighteenth-century armed conflicts have been identified by some historians as one of the ingredients which promoted a popular sense of Britishness. Linda Colley, in particular, has pointed to the ways in which war helped to bring together the various peoples of Britain, subordinating narrower patriotisms, and even papering over the cracks caused by social and political tensions. Britishness seems to have been embraced more readily in the Seven Years War than in the War of the Austrian Succession, suggesting a movement towards the adoption of a new and broader national identity. It would be a mistake, however, to assume from this a simple process of linear progression, reaching its culmination in the great struggles of 1793-1815. There was no relentless upward trajectory, but rather a jagged faltering movement forward.
Donal Lowry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199297672
- eISBN:
- 9780191594335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297672.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
The Natalians established a tightly knit society in Natal, similar to British settlements elsewhere in the empire. Predominantly English and middle‐class and imbued with concepts of white racial and ...
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The Natalians established a tightly knit society in Natal, similar to British settlements elsewhere in the empire. Predominantly English and middle‐class and imbued with concepts of white racial and cultural supremacy, their sense of identity was informed by Britishness. Although outnumbered by Zulus, the Natalians dominated the colony, receiving responsible government in 1893. From 1910, Natal was a province of the Union of South Africa and until 1961 the Natalians fought unsuccessfully to protect themselves and their British heritage from Afrikaner domination. Increasingly defined by what they were against rather than what they were, they developed into an idiosyncratic, separatist and impotent community with their identity defined by their province. With the advent of democracy in 1994, the Natalians lost political control of the province, undermining their sense of identity. Yet, unlike other British communities in this volume, few Natalians have gone into exile, reflecting deep roots sunk in Natal's soil.Less
The Natalians established a tightly knit society in Natal, similar to British settlements elsewhere in the empire. Predominantly English and middle‐class and imbued with concepts of white racial and cultural supremacy, their sense of identity was informed by Britishness. Although outnumbered by Zulus, the Natalians dominated the colony, receiving responsible government in 1893. From 1910, Natal was a province of the Union of South Africa and until 1961 the Natalians fought unsuccessfully to protect themselves and their British heritage from Afrikaner domination. Increasingly defined by what they were against rather than what they were, they developed into an idiosyncratic, separatist and impotent community with their identity defined by their province. With the advent of democracy in 1994, the Natalians lost political control of the province, undermining their sense of identity. Yet, unlike other British communities in this volume, few Natalians have gone into exile, reflecting deep roots sunk in Natal's soil.
John Lambert
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199297672
- eISBN:
- 9780191594335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297672.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter examines the largest and last of Britain's colonies of settlement, highlighting its advanced degree of responsible government, making it almost a dominion, which caused Britain its ...
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This chapter examines the largest and last of Britain's colonies of settlement, highlighting its advanced degree of responsible government, making it almost a dominion, which caused Britain its greatest crisis of decolonization. Despite its unusually high rate of population turnover, great efforts were made to foster a local sense of identity which was linked to a wider loyalty to the British empire/Commonwealth and a sense of kinship with the white dominions in particular. The chapter analyses the white Rhodesians' egalitarian self‐image, as well as the complexities of their attitudes to the metropole, to Afrikaners and to Africans who constituted the great majority of the population. It also examines the settlers' ambition to become a permanent autonomous community against increasing odds, as well as their attempts to come to terms with the failure of this project.Less
This chapter examines the largest and last of Britain's colonies of settlement, highlighting its advanced degree of responsible government, making it almost a dominion, which caused Britain its greatest crisis of decolonization. Despite its unusually high rate of population turnover, great efforts were made to foster a local sense of identity which was linked to a wider loyalty to the British empire/Commonwealth and a sense of kinship with the white dominions in particular. The chapter analyses the white Rhodesians' egalitarian self‐image, as well as the complexities of their attitudes to the metropole, to Afrikaners and to Africans who constituted the great majority of the population. It also examines the settlers' ambition to become a permanent autonomous community against increasing odds, as well as their attempts to come to terms with the failure of this project.
Elizabeth Buettner
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199297672
- eISBN:
- 9780191594335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297672.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter addresses Britons' experiences of returning ‘home’ after time spent in the empire as settlers or expatriates between the late nineteenth century and decolonization. It asks how timing ...
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This chapter addresses Britons' experiences of returning ‘home’ after time spent in the empire as settlers or expatriates between the late nineteenth century and decolonization. It asks how timing affected their reintegration and considers their responses to British domestic life—and, in turn, how British society responded to them. Themes covered include colonial children's education, home leaves, and retirement in Britain; how men's, women's, and children's experiences differed or overlapped; resentments about British life; and the racial and class identities of overseas Britons upon their return to the metropole. It concludes by assessing the wider impact of repatriates' self‐affirming narratives on how the history of empire has been reimagined within postcolonial Britain.Less
This chapter addresses Britons' experiences of returning ‘home’ after time spent in the empire as settlers or expatriates between the late nineteenth century and decolonization. It asks how timing affected their reintegration and considers their responses to British domestic life—and, in turn, how British society responded to them. Themes covered include colonial children's education, home leaves, and retirement in Britain; how men's, women's, and children's experiences differed or overlapped; resentments about British life; and the racial and class identities of overseas Britons upon their return to the metropole. It concludes by assessing the wider impact of repatriates' self‐affirming narratives on how the history of empire has been reimagined within postcolonial Britain.
John Darwin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199297672
- eISBN:
- 9780191594335
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199297672.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter reflects on the papers in the volume, exploring the historical significance of these British communities. Clearly, wherever they enjoyed any political or commercial influence, their ...
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This chapter reflects on the papers in the volume, exploring the historical significance of these British communities. Clearly, wherever they enjoyed any political or commercial influence, their ideas and attitudes, and the internal dynamics of their social systems shaped the imperial presence. They often determined the basis of the ‘collaborative bargain’ on which all kinds of empire—formal or informal—almost invariably depended. Secondly, the rise and demise of small settler and expatriate societies has a comparative interest. They suggest by default some of the reasons why British migrants elsewhere proved much more successful in colonizing their new worlds. Thirdly, although we might be tempted to see the cases examined in this book as forming the outermost margins of a ‘British world’, they also serve to remind us of the curious shape of the British ‘world‐system’.Less
This chapter reflects on the papers in the volume, exploring the historical significance of these British communities. Clearly, wherever they enjoyed any political or commercial influence, their ideas and attitudes, and the internal dynamics of their social systems shaped the imperial presence. They often determined the basis of the ‘collaborative bargain’ on which all kinds of empire—formal or informal—almost invariably depended. Secondly, the rise and demise of small settler and expatriate societies has a comparative interest. They suggest by default some of the reasons why British migrants elsewhere proved much more successful in colonizing their new worlds. Thirdly, although we might be tempted to see the cases examined in this book as forming the outermost margins of a ‘British world’, they also serve to remind us of the curious shape of the British ‘world‐system’.
Peter J. Marshall
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199640355
- eISBN:
- 9780191739279
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199640355.003.0017
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
After a brief restatement of arguments about transatlantic political discord but continuing links in many other respects, the Conclusion goes on to consider the state of the British empire and the ...
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After a brief restatement of arguments about transatlantic political discord but continuing links in many other respects, the Conclusion goes on to consider the state of the British empire and the American union in the ten years or so after independence. It stresses the strength of ethnic, religious or regional loyalties and the difficulties facing both the British empire and the United States in commanding allegiance. The new America had an ambitious leadership but a population whose commitment to ideals of unity was uncertain. The subjects of the British empire were given to vigorous assertions of what they saw as their rights against imperial authority and were not likely to be enthusiastic adherents to doctrines of Britishness propagated from above. The book concludes that an Atlantic world that linked peoples survived the political developments that had divided them.Less
After a brief restatement of arguments about transatlantic political discord but continuing links in many other respects, the Conclusion goes on to consider the state of the British empire and the American union in the ten years or so after independence. It stresses the strength of ethnic, religious or regional loyalties and the difficulties facing both the British empire and the United States in commanding allegiance. The new America had an ambitious leadership but a population whose commitment to ideals of unity was uncertain. The subjects of the British empire were given to vigorous assertions of what they saw as their rights against imperial authority and were not likely to be enthusiastic adherents to doctrines of Britishness propagated from above. The book concludes that an Atlantic world that linked peoples survived the political developments that had divided them.
John Flint and David Robinson (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847420244
- eISBN:
- 9781447301912
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847420244.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Urban and Rural Studies
There is an alleged crisis of cohesion in the UK, manifested in debates about identity and ‘Britishness’; the breakdown of social connections along the fault lines of geography, ethnicity, faith, ...
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There is an alleged crisis of cohesion in the UK, manifested in debates about identity and ‘Britishness’; the breakdown of social connections along the fault lines of geography, ethnicity, faith, income, and age; and the fragile relationship between citizen and state. This book examines how these new dimensions of diversity and difference, so often debated in the national context, are emerging at the neighbourhood level. Contributors from a range of disciplinary backgrounds critically assess, and go beyond the limits of, contemporary policy discourses on ‘community cohesion’ to explore the dynamics of diversity and cohesion within neighbourhoods and to identify new dimensions of disconnection between and within neighbourhoods. The chapters provide theoretically informed critiques of the policy responses of public, private, voluntary, and community organisations and present new empirical research evidence about the dynamics of cohesion in UK neighbourhoods. Topics covered include new immigration, religion and social capital, faith schools, labour- and housing-market disconnections, neighbourhood territoriality, information technology and neighbourhood construction, and gated communities.Less
There is an alleged crisis of cohesion in the UK, manifested in debates about identity and ‘Britishness’; the breakdown of social connections along the fault lines of geography, ethnicity, faith, income, and age; and the fragile relationship between citizen and state. This book examines how these new dimensions of diversity and difference, so often debated in the national context, are emerging at the neighbourhood level. Contributors from a range of disciplinary backgrounds critically assess, and go beyond the limits of, contemporary policy discourses on ‘community cohesion’ to explore the dynamics of diversity and cohesion within neighbourhoods and to identify new dimensions of disconnection between and within neighbourhoods. The chapters provide theoretically informed critiques of the policy responses of public, private, voluntary, and community organisations and present new empirical research evidence about the dynamics of cohesion in UK neighbourhoods. Topics covered include new immigration, religion and social capital, faith schools, labour- and housing-market disconnections, neighbourhood territoriality, information technology and neighbourhood construction, and gated communities.
Katrina Navickas
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199559671
- eISBN:
- 9780191721120
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199559671.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This book offers insights into the complicated dynamics between radicalism, loyalism, and patriotism during the later part of the French Revolution and during the Napoleonic wars. It provides an ...
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This book offers insights into the complicated dynamics between radicalism, loyalism, and patriotism during the later part of the French Revolution and during the Napoleonic wars. It provides an account of popular politics in Lancashire from 1798 to 1815. Using a variety of sources from letters and diaries to broadside ballads, this book emphasizes Lancashire's distinctive political culture and its status at the heart of the industrial revolution. This region witnessed some of the most intense, disruptive, and violent popular politics in this period and beyond. Particularly active groups emerged, from extreme republicans, more moderate radicals, Luddites, and early trade unions, to strong networks of ‘Church-and-King’ loyalists and Orange lodges. This book explains how this heady mix combined to produce such a politically charged region during the French and Napoleonic wars. It argues for a distinct sense of regional identity that shaped not only local politics but also patriotism. Lancastrians felt British in the face of the French, but it was a particularly Lancastrian type of Britishness.Less
This book offers insights into the complicated dynamics between radicalism, loyalism, and patriotism during the later part of the French Revolution and during the Napoleonic wars. It provides an account of popular politics in Lancashire from 1798 to 1815. Using a variety of sources from letters and diaries to broadside ballads, this book emphasizes Lancashire's distinctive political culture and its status at the heart of the industrial revolution. This region witnessed some of the most intense, disruptive, and violent popular politics in this period and beyond. Particularly active groups emerged, from extreme republicans, more moderate radicals, Luddites, and early trade unions, to strong networks of ‘Church-and-King’ loyalists and Orange lodges. This book explains how this heady mix combined to produce such a politically charged region during the French and Napoleonic wars. It argues for a distinct sense of regional identity that shaped not only local politics but also patriotism. Lancastrians felt British in the face of the French, but it was a particularly Lancastrian type of Britishness.
Michael Kenny, Iain McLean, and Akash Paun
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780197266465
- eISBN:
- 9780191879609
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266465.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
This chapter examines whether, why and with what consequences there has been a disentangling of England from Britain in terms of its governance and national identity. The assumption has been that to ...
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This chapter examines whether, why and with what consequences there has been a disentangling of England from Britain in terms of its governance and national identity. The assumption has been that to distinguish between England and Britain risks destabilising the Union. However, the English seem dissatisfied with how they are governed, as demonstrated by support for Brexit, and less content for their nationhood to be poured into the larger vessel of Britishness. In response, the major UK political parties appear more willing to appeal to English national sentiment. But England has yet to engage in a reflective national conversation about its changing identity and its relationship with the rest of the UK and wider world. The fragmentary character of national consciousness in England, and deep divisions in its political culture, make it impossible to draw simple conclusions. This chapter sketches the outlines of a prospective research agenda on these issues.Less
This chapter examines whether, why and with what consequences there has been a disentangling of England from Britain in terms of its governance and national identity. The assumption has been that to distinguish between England and Britain risks destabilising the Union. However, the English seem dissatisfied with how they are governed, as demonstrated by support for Brexit, and less content for their nationhood to be poured into the larger vessel of Britishness. In response, the major UK political parties appear more willing to appeal to English national sentiment. But England has yet to engage in a reflective national conversation about its changing identity and its relationship with the rest of the UK and wider world. The fragmentary character of national consciousness in England, and deep divisions in its political culture, make it impossible to draw simple conclusions. This chapter sketches the outlines of a prospective research agenda on these issues.
Stephen Conway
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199254552
- eISBN:
- 9780191698231
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199254552.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide-ranging account of the impact of this 18th-century conflict upon the politics, economy, ...
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This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide-ranging account of the impact of this 18th-century conflict upon the politics, economy, society, and culture of the British Isles. The book examines the level of military participation — which was much greater than is usually appreciated — and explores the war's effects on subjects as varied as parliamentary reform, religious toleration, and attitudes to empire. The book casts new light upon recent debate about the war-waging efficiency of the British state and the role of war in the creation of a sense of ‘Britishness’. The thematic chapters are supplemented by local case-studies of six very different communities the length and breadth of the British Isles.Less
This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide-ranging account of the impact of this 18th-century conflict upon the politics, economy, society, and culture of the British Isles. The book examines the level of military participation — which was much greater than is usually appreciated — and explores the war's effects on subjects as varied as parliamentary reform, religious toleration, and attitudes to empire. The book casts new light upon recent debate about the war-waging efficiency of the British state and the role of war in the creation of a sense of ‘Britishness’. The thematic chapters are supplemented by local case-studies of six very different communities the length and breadth of the British Isles.
