Lerninhalte |
This lecture provides a survey of British social and cultural history in the 20th century. Complex political developments such as the decline of the Empire and changes in the industrial, economic and power structures, especially after the two World Wars, will be discussed as far as they provide the background to social and cultural changes. Special emphasis will be placed on issues such as class structure, immigration and ethnicity, gender, and popular and media culture. Devolution in Scotland and Wales as well as the situation in Ireland will be considered as factors that have transformed the shape of the Union. The end of the British Empire, the 'Special Relationship' between the USA and the UK and British role in the European Union will be inspected critically as they form the background of Brexit. The lectures will cover both major historical events and examples of contemporary discourses. For selected topics, perspectives from various historians will be compared and evaluated to encourage a critical reading of history books. |