British Society and Culture

Assoc. Prof. Maria Pipeva, PhD
Asst. Prof. Ivelina Kazakova
Lectures: 30
Seminars: 30
Credits: 6

The aim of the course is to introduce students into today’s Britain using concepts as they have been developing in Cultural Studies with reference to British issues. Students learn about British/English culture as a way of life and its values modeled in the cultures of different classes. We study major developments in the 19th century (industrialization, the empire) and their role for the specificity of modern British awareness. The course also traces the functioning of British institutions such as Parliament and the educational system. Moreover, Cultural Studies are discussed in the mirror of British media, nationness, youth and gender cultures.

In the seminars we study visual and other texts and discuss feature films paying special attention to aspects of British culture.

Assessment: The final grade is based on participation in seminar discussions, the mid-term test and the final written exam.