Understanding Modern Britain

One of the most effective ways of understanding a nation is by examining the images, values, symbols, and individuals by which a nation represents itself. This multi-disciplinary course explores a variety of forms of national representations - "ideals and icons" - to investigate the ways in which modern Britain and British identities have been imagined, constructed, and experienced at home and internationally. This theme is examined through specific topics including: imperialism and its legacy; immigration and racial politics; music and popular culture; politics and government, and varieties of critique and dissent. The course also gives students the opportunity to engage directly with the heritage industry and contemporary British culture, utilizing London's cityscape and its vast array of distinct neighborhoods, cultural venues, and historical sites as primary tools of analysis. Classes are arranged thematically, combining contextual lectures, film, seminar discussion, and weekly field studies. Emphasis is placed on understanding and interpreting the legacy of Britain's past upon the ways in which the contemporary nation and British identities are structured in the twenty-first century.