File - Elthorne Park Sixth Form
What does it mean to be British?
In groups, can you answer the next ten questions taken from the British citizenship test?
Use A,B,C and D to answer.
We are learning to understand the elements of shared British identity so that we can identify ten elements of Britishness.
Answers
1. A
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. A
6. D
7. D
8. B
9. B
10.B
How did you do?
Consider these questions in your groups
1. Are these answers important to know if you are going to take part in British culture?
2. Is there anything from the test missing ?
3. Do we even need to give a test to prospective British citizens?
Read these articles to help your discussion http://www.theguardian.com/uknews/guardianwitnessblog/2014/jun/09/scottish-independence-10things-that-sum-up-britishness http://www.bsa-31.natcen.ac.uk/read-thereport/key-findings/britain-2014.aspx
In small groups...
distill 10 aspects of what it means to be British.
This needs to be values and or beliefs. not food!
Collect together on the board before the end to come up with your classes definition of
Britishness.
To really challenge you…
[undergraduate text]
Benedict Anderson -Professor Emeritus of
International Studies, Government & Asian
Studies at Cornell University ,
He defined a nation as "an imagined political community - and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign". Members hold in their minds a mental image of their affinity: for example, the nationhood felt with other members of your nation when your "imagined community" participates in a larger event such as the Olympic Games .
A nation "is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion".
Members of the community probably will never know each of the other members face to face; However, they may have similar interests or identify as part of the same nation.
So is being British imaginary?!
Want to find out more?
http://www.theguardian.com
/books/2004/jun/12/history.
highereducation http://www.amazon.co.uk/I magined-Communities-
Reflections-Nationalism-
Edition/dp/1844670864/?ta
g=digitalca0daa104-21
