ANGLAIS CIVILISATION

ANCV CM 1

INTRO

1. Defining civilisation

- embarrassing term : associated with colonialisim : british : biggest empire ever. 19 century : crtn civi superior to other , civi ≠ barbarism, ,  white british people ≠ the barabarian “sauvages” , people who are living in others continent : inferior.

- useful notion : descriptif term, what britain have in common? Do they have a specific way of living, feeling, working, thinking..? Not bubble where people are, no categories.

2. Why B civilisation

- To improve your general knowledge : Britain have important role in politics, role history, info that we can use more generally, recycle.

- To become a professional : work in trade for ex, we will be in contact with british people, europeen speaking English, American, people for others continents… In order to have a  buisness relationship it is not enough to speak the language, have voc, we need to know about background of the people with who we speak, their values, their world, their culture, their civi…

3. How can you make progress

- Making the most of the lectures : lire les topics de la brochure avant les cours, et acheter le livre Sarah Pickard, British civilisation, Presse Pocket.

- Making the most of the lessons : reading about topics, follow the news ( BBC website)

HISTORY OF THE UK

1. Visions of the UK

Do not confuse the UK with The British Isles, Great Britain and England.

British Isle : Ireland + Great Britain (Irland + Grande Bretagne = Les îles britanniques) + many small islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark)

Great Britain : One of the 2 british isle, the biggest one. Composed of 3 territory : Scotland (Ecosse), biggest one in the middle : England ( Angleterre) , smallest : Wales (Pays de Galles).

UK : political entity, not geographic , include not only Great Brtitain but also Nothern Island, without the small island.

Union Jack : flag representing the UK. 3 crosses. If we decomposed it we will find

- the cross of the St-George (England) red crosses of white background

- St Andrews cross added in 1606 (Scotland) the white crosses)

- St Patrick cross added in 1801 (Ireland) the red crosses qui part des coins

Why is Wales not represented? Wales + England have been associated for so long that the Wales specificity has vanished, no need to represent them because old association with UK

Why is Island still representing? Ireland today : independent nation since 1922 after violent war of indepedance. Because only the south became independant, not the north. The independence was incomplete so still representing in the Union Jack.

1. The making of the UK : diff step that make to the formation of the UK

3 major step

- The birth of England :

        1st inhabitant were the Celts : they were not so developed as the Greeque or the Egyptians.

        The Romains invaded the Celt. Building the Hadrian’s Wall (Hadrian= Romain empire) , separated England for Scotland to protect themselves from the Celt. Romains occupated the british Island for 3century. They named Britain “Albion”. This word is used in some poetic or rhetorical contexts to refer to England. Caledonia = Scotland, Cambria = Wales, Hibernia = Ireland

        Then the island was invaded once again by the Angles and Jutes ( come from Germany, Danemark).

        They were followed by the Saxons. A lot of term come from them ( anglosaxon = les Angles et les Saxons).  ( a lot of kingdom : Wessex = west , Middlesex = in the middle ,Sussex = South , Essex= East ) . Saxons kingdoms form political institution in the south of England

        Then again an invasion by the Vikings : 7 century , come from the North, Scandinavia

        The last one by the Normans (William the Conqueror , come from France= battle of 1066 battle of Hastings.

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