U.K. Civil Society Flashcards
What was the turning point in the 1970s in terms of U.K. Civil Society?
Culminated long period of economic decline with subsequent shift to the right. Union membership and popularity declined. Conservative opinions began to proliferate eroding support for the welfare state.
What prime minister embodied the growing conservative sentiment?
Margaret Thatcher
What is a rough description of Thatcherism?
Rejection of collectivism (redistribution of resources from rich to poor and state responsibility for full employment.) Individual property rights were paramount to social rights claimed by all citizens.
How has organized labor fared under the shift in political thinking?
Weakened their collective force. Considered to have reduced competitiveness and weakened private sector industries through collective bargaining. Even New Labour and the Coallition Government promised to be tough on unions.
Why is a national identity complicated in Britain?
Decolonization created a multi-ethnic Britain. There are questions about fragmented sovereignty within the context of the EU and the histories of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
What percentage of British citizens are African or African-Caribbean?
8%
How has the protest movement shaped Britain?
Protestors are demanding more accountability and transparency: WTO protests in 1999, environmental activism (government banned genetically modified crops), farmers protested impact of mad cow disease and ban on fox hunting, protests against the Iraq war led by the U.S. and Britain.
What has been the historical characteristic of British culture?
Pragmatism, trust and deference to authority.
What was the major technological scandal of 2011/2012.
Newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch (a wealthy publisher) engaged in hacking of emails and phones of politicians, royalty, and celebrities to beat the competition to breaking stories. It was also revealed that the government had collected millions of webcam images in bulk from Yahoo users.
