Great Britain and the world

• UK: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
• Great Britain: England, Wales and Scotland

State and society

• Constitutional monarchy as a remaining tradition; role of monarch (Queen E. II.) mainly representative (popularity is main means)
  -> actual power lies with the Parliament (House of Lords & Commons) + Government (Prime Minister and Cabinet)
• even Established Church (Church of England) with monarch at its head (compare: impossible in USA)
• as an isolated nation it has developed separately from the rest of Europe -> has been a member of the EU for over 30 years without the introduction of Euro
• public opinion is divided -> but “Euroscepticism” widespread (GB once had a status as global superpower -> Empire made up to 25% of the world -> now: fears to lose more importance in favor of the EU) -> therefore “Brexit” came into being
• still far away from a classless society (career/chances depend on family’s wealth/connections
• As well as America, long history of immigration and cultural diversity:

  mixture: Romans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings, Normans,…
  Empire: India, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, NZ, large parts of Africa
  Commonwealth: Caribbean, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh

Background:

• naval power -> Britain enfolded a great Empire in the 17th & 18th century -> started to set up colonies in North America and the Caribbean -> end of First British Empire with American War of Independence (they separated from GB -> Declaration of Independence 1776)
• new colonies, particularly in India and SA (basis for Second British Empire in 18th-20th century)
• end after WW II when colonies steadily decolonized (rebuilding their own economies was primarily of more importance than far-away countries)
• drew workers from former British colonies in South Asia (Indian subcontinent), Africa, Hong Kong (China), which made ethnic diversity grow (before WW II., immigrants mainly from Europe, but founding of Commonwealth (voluntary association of former colonies) after decolonization gave migrants from former colonies right to enter GB without a working permit)
• massive influx
• wave of immigrants led to tensions between ethnic minorities and white majority culminating in riots so that Commonwealth citizens were banned from taking up residence in Britain without a working permit (1962); anti-black racism remained during 1960/1970s, increasingly against migrants from South Asia
• largest minority group: Indians, Pakistani
• largest group of immigrants: from new EU member states in Eastern Europe (Poles,…) -> for economic reasons, seeking jobs, better lives, … (compare: flood of immigrants to US aimed at enhancing life quality (AD))
• ethnic & cultural diversity: urban phenome (f.ex. population in London consists of more than 50% non-whites)
• public debate about multiculturalism, segregation, integration -> up-to-date (especially since London bomb attacks of 7/7 2005 by Islamist radicals)

Debate about multiculturalism

• ideal: different ethnic groups living together in harmony + mutual tolerance  integration but no assimilation; cultural variety without conflicts

failure:

• prejudice, xenophobia, racial tension as a general issue
• especially in poor areas: poverty, unemployment, poor schooling, poor policing -> basis for racism and racial unrest and segregation (f.ex. Bradford (northern England) until beginning of 21st century big problem with multiculturalism -> people are looking for a scapegoat for their situation and therefore offend people of other descend + prevalent assumption that immigrations steal jobs that are rare anyway and sponge out all the public money -> circumstances led to “Bradford riots” in 2001, but improved public services reduced tensions and bound communities together)
• better means than forcing cultural change and assimilation
• furthermore intensified since terror attacks
• according to British prime minister David Cameron: (f.ex. “Women must integrate” or “State multiculturalism has failed”)
• Britain being too cautious concerning critics toward migrant cultures does not require any adaption (f.ex. giving up forced marriages in favor of personal freedom) and is therefore too tolerant
• too much tolerance provides failure of multiculturalism because it doesn’t offer universal values and a sense of national identity -> hands-off-policy
• explanation for radicalization in multicultural states -> as people still need “roots” to hold on to (too much passive tolerance instead of active liberalism)
• phenomenon of “parallel lives” (ethnic groups remain clustered in their communities; compare: “salad bowl” vs. “melting pot” in US) illustrates that GB has failed to provide a society also for foreigners
• review of the religious councils (f.ex. Sharia courts)
• lack of integration fosters extremism -> allowed appalling practices (f.ex. forced marriages)
• to continue Cameron’s line of argument:
  -> high rate of fundamental Muslims opposing integration/ refusing to share British values/traditions
  -> fictional but quite accurate example: short story: “My Son the Fanatic” by Hanif Kureishi: Muslim Parvez and his son Ali living in England -> father has well integrated; son resegregate despite his good education and comparatively wealthy situation -> feels intolerated by the “western world”, considers the western lifestyle too lax and liberate (democracy, freedom,…)

success:

• British: gathering of countless different races / communities
  • immigrants contribute to British culture & everyday life -> support cultural vitality (f.ex. by opening restaurantsmany Indian)
  • Mehdi Hasan: little empirical evidence for “parallel lives” and strict separation of ethnic groups
    -> indeed there are a few separate areas, but this does not compare to the mixed neighborhoods in the whole country)
  • integration has to be two-sided (“two-way-street”) -> integrator as well as the one to be integrated have to be willing to get closer to other
    -> according to census data majority of Muslims want to integrate into British society and even are patriotic, strongly identifying with Britain; cannot be generalized to be islamists/terrorists figures show that British Muslims are often more likely to want to live in mixed areas than non-Muslim Britons -> prejudice from British side can be seen as the main problem
  • Robin Cook: “Chicken Tikka Masala” -> perfect illustration; Britain adapts external influences -> Indian dish with masala sauce from Britain; most popular dish is still foreign (Chinese stir-fry)
    -> speech still relevant: London=hub of the globe, more than 30 (now: 50) ethnic communities & 300 languages
  • lifestyle & cultural horizons have been broadened
  • even more home for multinational companies