About the Book

Table of Contents

List of plates
List of figures
List of tables
Preface and acknowledgements
Chronology of significant dates in British history

1. The British context

• Historical growth
• Structural change
• Contemporary conditions
• British attitudes to Britain
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

2. The country

• Geographical identities
• Physical features and climate
• Agriculture, fisheries and forestry
• Energy resources
• Transport and communications
• Attitudes to the environment
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

3. The people

• Early settlement to AD 1066
• Growth and immigration to the twentieth century
• Immigration from 1900
• Population movements from 1900
• Attitudes to national, regional and local identities
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

4. Politics and government

• Political history
• The governmental and political framework
• Constitution and monarchy
• UK Parliament: role, legislation and elections
• The party-political system
• UK government
• UK parliamentary control of government
• Attitudes to politics
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

5. International relations

• Foreign and defence policy
• Empire and Commonwealth
• The European Union (EU)
• Ireland (Eire) and Northern Ireland
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

6. The legal system

• Legal history
• Sources of British law
• The court system in England and Wales
• Civil and criminal proceedings in England and Wales
• Law and order
• The legal profession
• Attitudes to law and order
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

7. The economy

• Economic history
• The modern economy: policies, structure and performance
• Social class, the workforce and employment
• Financial institutions
• Industrial and commercial institutions
• Consumer protection
• Attitudes to the economy
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

8. Social services

• Social services history
• Changing family and demographic structures
• Social Security
• The National Health Service (NHS)
• The personal social services
• Housing
• Attitudes to the social services
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

9. Education

• School history
• The state school sector
• The independent (fee-paying) school sector
• School organization and examinations
• Higher education
• Further, adult and lifelong education
• Attitudes to education
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

10. The media

• The print media
• The broadcasting media
• Media ownership and freedom of expression
• Attitudes to the media
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

11. Religion

• Religious history
• The Christian tradition
• The non-Christian tradition
• Cooperation among the churches
• Religion in schools
• Religious identification
• Attitudes to religion and morality
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

12. Leisure, sports and the arts

• Leisure activities
• Sports
• The arts
• Exercises
• Further reading
• Websites

Index