Portfolio requirements (2015)

Portfolio requirements (2015)

Modern British Cultural Studies

Most of the questions will be discussed at the lectures and seminars

Each student is required to present a portfolio for the exam. The progress of your work on the portfolio will be checked gradually at the seminars. The portfolio should include the following obligatory items:

1. A geographical map of the British Isles and a political map of the UK. The students have to mark in their own handwriting 1) geography: the oceans, seas, the Gulf Stream, rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, dales, valleys, islands and other geographical objects studied by them; 2) economic regions: the cities and counties, economic regions and areas of the UK.

Recommended references:

Maps:

http://genealogy.about.com/od/uk_maps/British_Isles_Maps_Geography_and_Place_Names.htm

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Physical_map_british_isles_ref_1926.png

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_map/1_map_britain_1987_enlarged.htm

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml - The Gulf Stream on BBC

2. Tests on geography and a table on the economic regions (cultural and economic characteristics of the regions) + a classroom test on the topics “Geography” and “Economic Regions”.

3. Historical and cultural peculiarities of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Dates of Acts of Union, their peculiarities and conditions. Ways of preserving cultural and ethnic identity (national holidays, customs and traditions, spheres not controlled by Westminster Parliament).

A table concerning the symbols, flags, capitals, Latin names and Patron Saints of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland (+ pictures). The Coat of Arms and other state symbols.

Recommended references:

http://www.scotland.org/ - Scotland

http://www.wales.com/ - Wales

http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/ - Northern Ireland

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108101.html - the History of NI

4. A chart of the political setup of the UK (including the constituent parts of the Establishment and showing the relations and hierarchy between them). Students can use Internet official websites (giving their exact web addresses) or printed materials (eg. McDowell) but they have to summarize the schemes and make up their own one or add the commentaries to the one they consider the best. The obligatory constituent parts they have to include into the scheme are: the Monarchy, Parliament, the Cabinet, the Civil Service, the Judiciary, the Political Parties, the Trade Unions, the System of Education, the Church of England, the Big Business.

Recommended references:

http://www.royal.gov.uk/ - the Official Website of the British Monarchy

http://www.facebook.com/TheBritishMonarchy - the Official Page of the British Monarchy on Facebook

http://www.parliament.uk/ - British Parliament

http://www.number10.gov.uk/ - the British Government

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ - the Cabinet Office

UK Ministries and Departments:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/ - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ - Home Office

http://www.culture.gov.uk/ - Department for Culture

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Home/ - Ministry of Defence

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ - Her Majesty’s Treasury

5. A Chart of the UK Parliament structure after October 2009. The obligatory constituent parts students have to include are: the Crown in Parliament, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, The Majority Party, the Opposition, back-benchers, cross-benchers; types of lords (hereditary lords, life lords, lords spiritual), the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Speaker.

Recommended references:

http://www.parliament.uk/ - British Parliament

http://www.parliament.uk/business/commons/ - the House of Commons

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/82332.stm - BBC about the HC

http://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/ - The House of Lords

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk_politics/2001/open_politics/lords/default.stm - BBC about the House of Lords

6. A Chart of the Political Parties in the UK (history – origins, electorate, financial support, main program points and contemporary situation – leaders, position in Parliament)

Recommended references:

http://www.politicalcompass.org/ukparties2010 - A Chart of the UK Political Parties

http://www.conservatives.com/Policy.aspx - The Conservatives

http://www.libdems.org.uk/home.aspx - The Liberal Democrats

http://www.labour.org.uk/ - The Labour Party

7. The Process of the General Election in the UK (stages, participants, “first past the post” principle of representation, constituencies, “the Law of the Pendulum”)

Recommended references:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8609989.stm - BBC General Election 2010

8. The structure of the Judicial System of England and Wales (Her Majesty’s Court System).

Recommended references:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/ - Her Majesty’s Court System

9. The system of education in England and Wales (primary, secondary, tertiary, higher) – key levels of education, tests and exams. Requirements for becoming a teacher.

Recommended references:

http://www.education.gov.uk/ - Department of Education

http://www.qcda.gov.uk/ - The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/ - The National Curriculum

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/index.aspx - The Primary Curriculum

http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/index.aspx - The Secondary Curriculum

http://www.educationuk.org/ - the British Council

http://www.internationalgraduate.net/ukteachtrain.htm - Graduate Teacher Training in the UK

10. Britain and the World. The History of the British Empire. Relations of the UK with the countries of the World. Membership of the UK in international organisations. Maps of the British Empire (different dates) and maps of the Commonwealth. Britain and Europe.

Recommended references:

The History of the British Empire:

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=119&HistoryID=aa16&gtrack=pthc

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/empire/Empire.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/britain_empire_01.shtml

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/ - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/2638425.stm - International Organisations and the UK

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/ - The Commonwealth

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/142227/members/ - Member States of the Commonwealth

http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/Overview.aspx - The Queen and the Commonwealth

11. Aspects of the British Cultural Heritage (choose at least one)

(a) traditions and customs – bank holidays, tea drinking, food, English humour, the English language, the English country side, stately homes etc.; (b) architecture – Stonehenge, English (Norman) castles, types of houses etc.; (c) arts – musicians, pop-music, artists, sportsmen, show persons and other celebrities; (d) mass media – the BBC, the press, the official websites of State Departments etc.; (e) hidden rules of behaviour and values, class society peculiarities etc.; (f) religion (the Church of England, the Catholics, the Presbyterians, other Christian and non-Christian communities in the UK).

Recommended references:

http://www.culture.gov.uk/ - Department for Culture

http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/ - The Stonehenge

http://www.britainexpress.com/History/tea-in-britain.htm - The History of Tea in England

http://projectbritain.com/ - The British Culture School Guide

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/tea.htm - Tea in England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - The BBC Homepage

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