Ovidius University of Constanta

Department of Modern Languages and Communication Sciences

1st year English major, LMA, French minor
st
2014-2015_1 semester
2h [1 c + 1 s] / week

Course instructor: Ileana Chiru-Jitaru, PhD

BRITISH CIVILIZATION
(Code FL.E.DS.1.1.05, exam, 4 credits)
1. Module summary and aims
This module addresses central components of contemporary British civilization (political institutions, health,
education, media, etc.), is meant to familiarise students with various aspects of British political, cultural, social,
economic life in the United Kingdom.
2. Module syllabus
WEEK
1&2
Lecture 1
Seminar 1
3&4
Lecture 2
Seminar 2
5&6
Lecture 3
Seminar 3
7&8
Lecture 4
Seminar 4
9 & 10
Lecture 5
Seminar 5

11 & 12
Lecture 6
Seminar 6
13 & 14
Lecture 7
Seminar 7

LECTURES AND SEMINARS

Country & nation: The UK and the British people

1. Ancient Britain. The earliest inhabitants. The Celts (5000-55 B.C.). // The Romans in Britain
(55 B.C. 450 A.D.). 2. The Anglo-Saxon Conquest (450-1066) (Language in use: Old English).
// The Viking Invasion. Alfred the Great. 3. The Norman Conquest (1066-1154). // The House
of Plantagenet (1154-1215). The late Saxon Kings. The Battle of Hastings. // Political and Social
Effects of the Norman Conquest. (Language in use: Middle English).
4. The Crusades in Britain (1215-1381) The Magna Carta and the Road to the Constitution. //
The beginning of the Middle Ages (1381-1485). 5.England during the late 13th century (society
& culture). The emergence of Parliament. 6. England during the 14th century. The Hundred
Years War. The Black Death. The peasants uprisings. The religious reformers. (Language use:
English a national language).
7. England during the 15th century (society & culture). The wars of the Roses. // The Tudor
kings. (1485-1603) 8. England during the 16th century (society & culture). King Henry VIII and
the Reformation. Early Renaissance. 9. Elizabethan England (society & culture). Elizabeths
domestic and foreign policy. The rise of Puritanic opposition.
10. England during the 17th century: The Stuart Kings James I, Charles I. (1603-1660) //
Royalty vs. Parliament. // The Civil Wars: 1642-1646; 1646-1651. // Oliver Cromwell and the
Commonwealth age. // John Milton and the Revolution. 11. The Restauration era (culture,
society, politics). Charles II. James II. The Glorious Revolution. // The British Empire (16601834). 12. England during the 18th century. The Industrial Revolution. The Enlightenment. 13.
England during the Napoleonic and Post- Napoleonic era. Regency England. The age of Reform
(1830-1900).
14. Victorian England. Victorians and Victorianism. 15. Modern England England during WWI
(1914-1918), England during WWII (1939-1945). 16. Contemporary kings in the 2nd half of the
20th c. and the 21st c. 17. All KINGS of a nation (glimpses of their era, reform, features).
18. Major aspects of contemporary Britain: Political institutions. // The legal system. //
Education in Britain. // Social security and health. // Mass Media in Britain

Course policy & assessment:

Grading will follow the next scheme:
-Involvement in lecture seminar discussions: 25 %
-Seminar assignments: 25%
-Final written exam: 50 %
-Seminar attendance is compulsory: students will be allowed to take the final exam if they have attended at
least 5 [out of 7] seminars.
Important! Students who work have to inform the course tutor in person in order to receive other types of
individual projects, which might make up for the classes they are not able to attend.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Black, Jeremy. A History of the British Isles. London: MacMillan, (2nd ed.)2003.
Briggs, Asa. A Social History of England, London: Penguin Books, 1987.
Bromhead, Peter. Life in Modern Britain, London: Longman, 1991.
Brookes, H.F. and Frenkel, C.E.. Life in Britain, Oxford: Heinemann, 1988.
Oakland, John. British Civilization An Introduction, London : Routledge, (7th ed.)2011.*
[covers topic 18]
Deac, Livia and Nicolescu, Adrian. British Life and Civilization, Bucuresti: EDP, 1983.
Hibbert, Christopher. The Story of England. London: Phaidon, 1994.* [covers topics 1-17]
Irwin, John L. . Modern Britain, London and New York: Routledge, 1994.
Nation, Michael. A Dictionary of Modern Britain, London : Penguin Books, 1991.
The
*These books are available at the photocopying centre, Campus, 1 floor.

Topics for seminar puzzle:

1.Ancient Britain. The earliest inhabitants. The Celts (5000-55 B.C.). // The Romans in Britain (55 B.C. 450
A.D.).
2. The Anglo-Saxon Conquest (450-1066) (Language in use: Old English). // The Viking Invasion. Alfred the Great.
3. The Norman Conquest (1066-1154). // The House of Plantagenet (1154-1215). The late Saxon Kings. The
Battle of Hastings. // Political and Social Effects of the Norman Conquest. (Language in use: Middle English).
4. The Crusades in Britain (1215-1381) The Magna Carta and the Road to the Constitution. // The beginning of
the Middle Ages (1381-1485).
5.England during the late 13th century (society & culture). The emergence of Parliament.
6. England during the 14th century. The Hundred Years War. The Black Death. The peasants uprisings. The
religious reformers. (Language use: English a national language).
7. England during the 15th century (society & culture). The wars of the Roses. // The Tudor kings. (1485-1603)
8. England during the 16th century (society & culture). King Henry VIII and the Reformation. Early Renaissance.
9. Elizabethan England (society & culture). Elizabeths domestic and foreign policy. The rise of Puritanic
opposition.
10. England during the 17th century: The Stuart Kings James I, Charles I. (1603-1660) // Royalty vs. Parliament.
// The Civil Wars: 1642-1646; 1646-1651. // Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth age. // John Milton and
the Revolution.
11. The Restauration era (culture, society, politics). Charles II. James II. The Glorious Revolution. // The British
Empire (1660-1834).
12. England during the 18th century. The Industrial Revolution. The Enlightenment.
13. England during the Napoleonic and Post- Napoleonic era. Regency England. The age of Reform (1830-1900) .
14. Victorian England. Victorians and Victorianism.
15. Modern England England during WWI (1914-1918), England during WWII (1939-1945).
16. Contemporary royalty in the 2nd half of the 20th c. and the 21st c.
17. All KINGS of a nation (glimpses of their era, reform, features).
18. Major aspects of contemporary Britain: Political institutions. // The legal system. // Education in Britain. //
Social security and health. // Mass Media in Britain