GROUP PRESENTATION. The Sunflowers. (Sarah-Jasmin Lübke, Kathrin Vogt, Meike Wiegand) The Other Britain

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1 GROUP PRESENTATION The Sunflowers (Sarah-Jasmin Lübke, Kathrin Vogt, Meike Wiegand) The Other Britain

2 ABSTRACT England was the place where industrialization began but of course other countries were also struck by it. Our presentation The Other Britain shows what effect it had on England s closest neighbours, meaning Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Emphasis is put on the traditional life, the main industries, and consequences following industrialization, especially cultural changes and problems. SUMMARY Originally a poor and backward, non-urban society, Wales was eventually struck by industrialization like any other country. With mixed farming and heavy industry being its major industries, Wales experienced an increase in population. Industrialization made the people more self-confident, resulting in a non-conformity movement and emphasis on education. After a decline in the demand for coal, the country suffered a depression between the two World Wars. Eventually Wales and England converged, and today economic differences between the two countries have diminished. Scottish society consisted of a non-aristocratic clan structure in the Highlands and the Lowlands with a feudal system. The Lowlands assimilated quickly to England after the Union in Due to their democratic educational system the Scots were skilful workers and businessmen, who specialized in the production of low-cost export goods. Their main branches of industry changed from the tobacco trade, via cotton and the heavy industries to shipbuilding and steel-making. Scotland always kept her lead in progressive agriculture, which mainly consisted in livestock. Economic success led to a national consciousness and to more influence in British politics, but the change from a rural to an urban society led to a breakdown of their educational system and their poor-relief system and the common people were not able to improve their standard of living. The Scots always kept their traditions and in 1999 they were granted an own parliament with limited power. During the time of the Great Famine in Ireland in 1845 many of the Irish people decided to move to Britain, hoping for a better life. Problems as discrimination and injustice followed. The Irish backwardness produced emigration of professionals as well, so that for instance in the 1960 s 12% of all British doctors were Irish. The Irish situation developed with an economic growth after the Irish Republic joined the European Economic Community.

3 QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT 1.) How can Welsh society be described? 2.) Characterize the Welsh industry! 3.) In how far did Wales change after industrialization? 4.) What are eisteddfodau? 5.) Give an historical explanation of Scottish parsimony! 6.) What was the difference between the society of the Lowland and that of the Highlands? 7.) What distinguished the Scottish industry? (What kind of goods did they produce and where did they sell them? Were the Scots progressive?) 8.) For what reason did the biggest immigration from Ireland to Britain take place? 9.) What was caused by the Irish backwardness? 10.) Sum up some problems which arose when the Irish came to Britain!

4 EXERCISES a) Match the words on the left with the definitions on the right: the Principality Festivals of competitive singing, poetry etc. solicitor (BrE) Wales eisteddfodau (BrE) a lawyer who prepares legal documents, for example for the sale of land or builidings, advises people on legal matters, and can speak for them in some courts of law b) Match the words on the left with suitable nouns on the right: disagreeable subsistence sophisticated area Great farming heavy Disruption of the Kirk

5 poor Lowlands Calvinist society congested revolution in 1559 feudal situation livestock industries c) Match The Great Famine with the correct words (in the boxes). One third of the words have something to do with The Great Famine! Ireland tomatoes education potatoes September 1845 The Great Famine France confirmation March 1456 starvation strawberries Wales September 2004

6 VOCABULARY tenuous [adj] tenuousness [n] so weak or uncertain that it hardly exists negligible [adj to neglect [v] insignificant eloquent [adj] eloquence [n] able to use language and express your opinions well, esp. when you are speaking in public cadre Carmarthen, Glamorgan, Monmouth = Kader traditional counties of Wales; divided up or renamed in the 1970s obscure [adj] obscurity [n] not well known forge A place where objects are made by heating and shaping pieces of metal, esp. one where a blacksmith works foundries = Gießereinen largesse generosity livestock = Vieh(bestand) dairy = Molkerei dairying = Milchwirtschaft peasant = Kleinbauer subsistence farming substistence = Existenz farming only for personal use congested [adj] congestion [n] crowded, blocked blackmail = Erpressung bribery to bribe [v] = Bestechung the Great Disruption of the Kirk the Kirk sophisticated [adj] sophisticate [n] = Schickeria dearth famine splitting of the Kirk into Evangelicals and Moderates Scottish Calvinist Church civilized, intellectual a lack of sth. a lack of food during a long period of time in a region