21st Century Britain: A Multiethnic Society by HUB Scuola

21st Century Britain: A Multiethnic Society by HUB Scuola https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf en-us 2021-03-19 08:12:05 UTC 2025-09-24 18:45:30 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f1ec-1f1e7.png Celtic influence: how this early society still shapes Great Britain today mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328921923 British people (or Britons) were not the original inhabitants of what we call England today, but they were certainly one of the earlier inhabitants. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as Common Brittonic and lived in Great Britain (England) during the Iron Age, the Roman Era (5) and the post-Roman Era in clans (2). Their main economy was farming (3) and they left many symbols which are believed may have represented their mythology and religious beliefs, such as Solomon’s Knot.

The Solomon’s Knot is a Celtic symbol that is believed to symbolize the union of man and the divine]]> 2021-03-19 08:15:06 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328921923 Celtic clans: the importance of the Celtic social structure mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328930020 The clan was the basic unit of Celtic life and was a sort of extended family. Children were often raised by foster parents. Clans bound very loosely with other clans into tribes. Each tribe had its own social structure and customs and possibly its own gods. Celtic women were treated very well in their culture. Women were equal to men as they owned property themselves and could choose their own husbands. They could be war leaders as exemplified by Queen Boudicca who in 60-61 AD raised a revolt against the Romans. Another example Celt who is still spoken about today is Cael Hen (Old King Cole).

An image of a Celtic settlement]]> 2021-03-19 08:19:13 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328930020 Celtic farming economy: see another side to Celtic life other than that of conflict and warriors mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328933798 Although Celts have been described as warriors, they lived daily in a farm economy. The Celts were innovative with their farming techniques. They brought the iron plough to Britain and this brought about an agricultural revolution as they were able to cultivate rich valley and lowland soils.

A typical plough from the Iron-Age]]> 2021-03-19 08:21:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328933798 Cael Hen – “Old King Cole”: discover an old nursery rhyme with Celtic roots mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328937369 "Old King Cole" is a British nursery rhyme first shown in 1708, although it is thought that this person could have been from the Celtic era. The poem describes a merry king who called for his pipe, bowl, and musicians, with the details varying among versions.

Watch a rendition of the nursery rhyme here:

]]> 2021-03-19 08:22:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328937369 The Roman Era: how did this period of history shape Britain mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328940147 The Roman invasion of Britain came in 43 AD. They took control violently but brought with them lots of things which changed the culture and fabric of society and the economy at that time. For example, they introduced new food such as apples, pears and walnuts; they built a huge road network; established major settlements such as London, Bath and York; and brought their language too – Latin. As time went on, the Romans pushed further north in Britain and fortified the northern border with Hadrian’s Wall, which spanned what is now Northern England.

The Roman Empire kept control of “Britannia” until their departure in 410 AD. The Germanic speaking Anglo-Saxons began a migration to the eastern coast of Britain where they established their own kingdoms and drove out the Romans as their empire was collapsing.

An image of Celts and Romans fighting

]]> 2021-03-19 08:24:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328940147 The Anglo-Saxon period: what were the most important impacts of this period mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328953820 The Anglo-Saxon period denotes the period of British history between about 450 and 1066, after their initial settlement and up until the Norman Conquest. This newly conquered territory, the old Roman Brittania, became known as England.

The Anglo-Saxon period includes the creation of an English nation, with many of the aspects that survive today, including regional government of shires and hundreds. During this period, Christianity was re-established and there was a flowering of literature and language. Anglo-Saxon society was hierarchical. At its head stood the king and members of the royal family, followed by the nobility, bishops and other churchmen. At the other extreme were unfree members of society, or slaves.

We can learn a substantial amount about the social organisation of Anglo-Saxon from two key sources: the earliest law-code, written for King Æthelberht of Kent (died 604); and the Domesday Book.

]]> 2021-03-19 08:31:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328953820 Æthelberht’s laws: discover more about the earliest known record of law codes mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328955975 Æthelberht’s laws set out a complex system of compensation and punishment, based on the status of the offender and the injured party. It has survived in a single manuscript written at Rochester in the early twelfth century. It is thought to have been issued around the year 600.

The opening of King Æthelberht’s law’s code]]> 2021-03-19 08:32:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328955975 The Domesday Book: see how this book documented the changing landscape of Britain at the time mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328960958 The Domesday Book was commissioned by William the Conqueror (1066–1087) at Christmas, 1085, and was completed less than a year later. The survey describes landholding and other forms of property ownership in 11th-century England. Although compiled by the Normans, it was clearly based on the administrative system established by the Anglo-Saxons. The division of English counties into shires, which lasted almost intact until 1974, was also based on Anglo-Saxon custom and is evidenced in Domesday Book.

A page from Great Doomsday Book showing the lands of Count Hugh and Robert, Count of Mortain]]> 2021-03-19 08:35:06 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328960958 The Norman Invasion and beyond: what impact did the Norman Invasion have on society? mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328964680 The Norman Invasion of England was led by William II of Normandy, who defeated Harold II of England in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Normans descended from Norse Vikings and protected the French coast from foreign attacks. One notable social impacts of this period was the introduction of surnames.

A section of the Bayeux Tapestry which depicts the Norman Invasion of England ]]> 2021-03-19 08:37:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328964680 Surnames: a legacy of the Norman era which is still in place today mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328967625 One of the most obvious changes to English culture after 1066 occurs in the names people called themselves. Most Saxon and early Celtic personal names disappeared quite quickly after the Norman Conquest. French names like William, Robert and Henry become popular among the general population – and for the first time, surnames start to appear.

Find out more here:]]> 2021-03-19 08:38:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328967625 Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731): a famous author who documented inter-racial dynamics in a novel for the first time mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328970011 Daniel Defoe was an English novelist. At the age of 59 Defoe embarked on what was virtually a new career, producing in Robinson Crusoe the first of a remarkable series of novels and other fictional writings that resulted in his being called the father of the English novel. He also wrote the poem The True-Born Englishman.

A painting of Daniel Defoe ]]> 2021-03-19 08:39:42 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328970011 Robinson Crusoe and Friday: an important depiction of a non-white individual in literature mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328972449 When Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe, a German critic called it a “world-book,” a label justified not only by the enormous number of translations, imitations, and adaptations that have appeared but by the almost mythic power with which Defoe creates a hero and a situation with which every reader can in some sense identify. The character, Friday, is probably the first non-white character to be given a realistic, individualized, and humane portrayal in the English novel and has a huge literary and cultural importance. If Crusoe represents the first colonial mind in fiction, then Friday represents not just a Caribbean tribesman, but all the natives of America, Asia, and Africa who would later be oppressed in the age of European imperialism.

In 1997 Robinson Crusoe was adapted into a film starring James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan. It is inspired by his novel rather than being a true reflection of all the themes within the book.

Watch the trailer here:

]]> 2021-03-19 08:41:07 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328972449 The True Born Englishman: discover a poem which has stood the test of time about racism mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328974739 Daniel Defoe wrote a ‘vigorous and witty poem The True-Born Englishman’, published in 1701. It was very popular at the time and remains so today. It is relevant in how it exposes many of the ‘fallacies of racial prejudice’. The poem's declared target is not ‘Englishness’ as such, but English cultural xenophobia against the cultural disturbance caused by immigration. Defoe's argument was that the English nation was a product of various incoming European ethnic groups, from Ancient Britons to Anglo-Saxons, Normans and beyond. It was therefore absurd to abuse newer arrivals. This sentiment still has relevance in Britain today, as we can see in examples of legislation such as the British Nationality Act of 1948.

Read the full poem here ]]> 2021-03-19 08:42:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328974739 The British Nationality Act: an act of parliament with wide-reaching effects mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328976128 Jumping forward through history to the British Nationality Act 1948, people from Jamaica and Barbados, and others living in Commonwealth countries, were allowed full rights of entry and settlement, to help rebuild the British economy after the Second World War. The shortage of labour encouraged industries like British Rail and the National Health Service to heavily recruit from the Caribbean. These were the first of 500,000 Commonwealth citizens, such as Jamaicans, Pakistanis and Indians, who settled in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Despite having equal rights to British citizenship, new arrivals from the Commonwealth faced prejudice and abuse. On 22 June 1948, HMT Empire Windrush was the first ship to bring immigrants from Jamaica to the United Kingdom. 11 members of Parliament wrote to the government after the Windrush's arrival, complaining about "coloured" immigration. Afro-Caribbean Londoners were sometimes denied employment, housing, and even turned away from churches, pubs and dancehalls.

Listen to audio clips from a passenger aboard the ‘Windrush’:

]]> 2021-03-19 08:43:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328976128 Migration from the Asian continent to the United Kingdom: a period of great change in Britain mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328977448 One significant community of migrants which came to Britain after the Second World War were people from Pakistan. 8They mostly found employment in the textile industries of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Manchester and Bradford, cars and engineering factories in the West Midlands, and Birmingham, and growing light industrial estates in places like Luton and Slough. After the Mangla dam was building 1966 which submerged large parts of the Mirpur district, emigration from that area accelerated.

Other groups who migrated from Pakistan in the 1960s include Punjabis who mainly settled in Glasgow, Birmingham and Southall in London, and migrants from urban areas who were more likely to be professionals and who worked for the NHS.

Numerous references to this integration have been represented in films. Examples include Bend it Like Beckham and The Hundred Foot Journey.

Find out more about the British Pakistani community here:

]]> 2021-03-19 08:44:03 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328977448 Bend it Like Beckham: watch a film which depicts life as an Indian girl in London mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328979302 The film Bend it Like Beckham tells the story of Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe. This film showcases some cultural difficulties between different generations of Indian descendants, whilst touching on women’s issues of inclusion in football.

Watch the trailer here

]]> 2021-03-19 08:45:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328979302 The Hundred Foot Journey: originally a book dedicated to showing race relations between two seemingly very different people mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328980513 The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. It was originally written by Richard C. Morais, but was later adapted into a film.

Watch the trailer here

]]> 2021-03-19 08:45:45 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328980513 Housing inequality: learn more about the difficulties of housing inequality in Britain mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328982404 Housing in London was in short supply following the bombing during the Blitz, and some Caribbean arrivals faced hostility for "taking" homes, or racism from Londoners who didn't want to live near black people. Predatory landlords charged Commonwealth citizens as much as double the rent of white residents in Notting Hill, and crammed them into slum-like conditions. Racism rooted in fear and mistrust erupted into violence in Notting Hill in 1958, when gangs of Teddy Boys roamed the streets attacking Black men (and murdering one, Kelso Cochrane from Antigua.) Although many have spent most of their lives here, some of these individuals have been threatened with deportation if they cannot prove their right to remain in Britain. In 2009 the Home Office destroyed the passenger records of the Windrush, meaning it is impossible for some individuals to now prove they are in the UK “legally”.]]> 2021-03-19 08:46:49 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328982404 Notting Hill Carnival: an event which came from tragedy but which now celebrates diversity and heritage mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328983388 A Caribbean Carnival was held to try and improve race relations in 1959, later becoming the Notting Hill Carnival. The first carnival attracted around 50 people. As of 2019, around 2 million people took part in the celebrations.

Watch this video to learn more about the carnival:

]]> 2021-03-19 08:47:26 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328983388 The fall of the Berlin Wall: a turning point for Europe mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328984908 The collapse of the ‘Iron Curtain’ and the opening of the borders of Eastern Europe induced new migration flows across Europe. Countries which received the highest number of asylum applications from the 1990’s were France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom respectively. In more recent years, the European Union has created the ‘Blue Card Scheme’ to actively attract highly skilled workers to the EU. This is now something which does not apply to the UK since they left the European Union in what has become known as ‘Brexit’.

An image showing when the Berlin Wall came down

]]> 2021-03-19 08:48:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328984908 Brexit: a new chapter in the history of the United Kingdom and the European Union mappe_bacheche https://padlet.com/mappe_bacheche/r025h69uohfckbkf/wish/1328987851 The United Kingdom left the European Union — now an economic and political partnership of 27 countries — on January 31, 2020 under the terms of a negotiated divorce deal, bringing to an end 47 years of British membership of the EU and the institutions that preceded it.

"Brexit" — the term used to describe Britain's EU departure — represents the most important constitutional shake-up the UK has known since it joined the six-nation European Economic Community in 1973. It is also the first time the European institution has lost a member.

An image representing the divide caused by Brexit

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