DOCSLIB.ORG

{DOWNLOAD} Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
{DOWNLOAD} Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War CHASING THE SCREAM: THE FIRST AND LAST DAYS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Johann Hari | 400 pages | 28 Jan 2016 | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 9781408857823 | English | London, United Kingdom Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs PDF Book Money that was once spent on law enforcement was suddenly available to invest in rehabilitation programs and drug education campaigns. Incredible detail and strong writing - great introduction to the book, and Hari refers back to this "groundwork" many times throughout the book. The same logic applies to humans. Some of this, I dare say, may shine some light on how he landed himself in all that trouble. The other book- within-the-book discusses addiction on a more personal scale: the reasons why it happens, the incorrect assumptions about how it can be cured. And the drug war has very different motives to the ones we have seen on our TV screens for so long. Johann Hari, in brilliant prose, exposes one of the greatest and most harmful scandals of the past hundred years. This is a nation which has imprisoned more people than anyone else in the world and possibly even history. The Monitor Daily email. Monitor Weekly PDF. Showing M any people who have already heard of Johann Hari have done so for what is now the wrong reason: the Swiss-Scottish reporter caught in a plagiarism scandal , obliged to return his Orwell prize and leave the Independent. And if you dare question or oppose any of it, no matter how ridiculous it is, then you are fingered the enemy and part of the problem and action is taken against you. An isolated rat will almost always become a junkie. Even if the topic doesn't appeal to you much, you should still read it. And do we really trust Big Pharma to manufacture methamphetamine and process crack or heroin in order to sell as little as possible in the developing world? How can I trust anything in this book? Confused, unable to know what to do, he set out on a three-year, 30,mile journey to discover what really causes addiction — and what really solves it. Alexander , the researcher behind the " Rat Park " drug addiction experiments done in the s. Unfortunately, the world is, as always, nuanced and complicated and so when "create a narrative" is higher on your list of priorities than "convey the truth", you end up mangling true stories until they fit your narrative. It will blow people away. It truly is time to change our drug policies. A truck of beer might supply people, but packed with gin or whiskey the same truck could supply drinks to many more. Home Home Home. Many argue, however, that legalizing drugs would only lead to chaos and crime and widespread addiction. This is kind of funny, because I do not do drugs, or drink, or smoke, or even drink tea, coffee, or caffeinated soft drinks. Humans are animals and getting high is a thing that animals do. I have also read about Hari's questionable reporting ethics. Sep 01, Tracy rated it it was amazing. This audiobook will challenge and change how you think about one of the most controversial - and consequential - questions of our time. Addiction rates actually fell in Portugal after drugs were no longer illegal. On top of that, the war on drugs, as led by Harry Anslinger, is at its core a racist endeavor, the fact of which is well documented in this book, and continues to this day as reflected in the skewed numbers of the prison populations. But even if racial disparities in enforcement disappeared, the example of Prohibition suggests that a deeper problem might be the laws themselves, not just inconsistent enforcement. View all 57 comments. Oct 17, Lauren rated it it was amazing Shelves: journalism , sociology-issues , library , best-of , politics- policy , drugs-substances , us-twentieth-century. Intertwined here we find personal stories, the most devastating of which occurs in the almost unbelievably violent chapter about the Mexican drug trade, warring cartels, and the effects these two things have on the local populations there. Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs Writer The debate rages on, and Hari describes this in detail. Though much of this remains true, I can see where legalization of some of the drugs would certainly hurt the drug trafficers and we could use the money to much more humanely work with those who are and weil become addicted. The war on drugs has increased the incidence of addition, forced people into usage of harder drugs than they might otherwise have chosen, and increased death by overdose, and secondary medical problems. Seth Mnookin , professor of science writing at MIT, wrote in his New York Times review that Hari is "in over his head" when writing about the current science of addiction: "[H]is misunderstanding of some of the basic principles of scientific research — that anecdotes are not data; that a conclusion is not a fact — transforms what had been an affecting jeremiad into a partisan polemic. Drugs are not what we think they are. Johann Hari, in brilliant prose, exposes one of the greatest and most harmful scandals of the past hundred years. To ask other readers questions about Chasing the Scream , please sign up. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Perhaps this was partially due to the narrator, or perhaps not. When isolated and given an unlimited supply, rats will consume staggering and often deadly doses of morphine and other drugs. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Johann Hari. It is well researched and offers a valid alternative to the failed war on drugs in the USA. This not only leads to overdoses, it also tends to push people toward harder drugs. Alexander , the researcher behind the " Rat Park " drug addiction experiments done in the s. Oh wow, what an eye-opener. But in Switzerland, Portugal, Uruguay, Colorado, and Washington, he finds hopeful evidence that legalizing — or at least decriminalizing — drugs decreases crime, increases the safety of users, and does not lead to the widespread addiction that many fear. This is not a flawless read, but it is a good one, and it is very very important. It brings together a lot of good arguments in one place and makes them easily digestible and relatable to the kind of reader who might not otherwise be motivated to consider them. Even if that means fabricating a conversation They range from a transsexual crack dealer in Brooklyn searching for her mother, to a teenage hit-man in Mexico searching for a way out. Get unlimited Monitor journalism. Also, the unnecessarily sensationalist style of his writing, with the breathless and clunki I only read the first third of this book before I made the mistake of Googling the author. He also delves into different historical periods as case studies on the costs and benefits of the drug war. But this widespread availability coexisted uneasily with a racially-tinged hysteria about the dangers drugs posed to the purity of white America. Jan 21, Thomas Ray rated it it was amazing. Regardless to what we read, we should never take it on blind faith. Read the chapter on the prison which amounts to nothing but a concentration camp in Arizona. Does that make a journalist who wasn't caught anymore believable? I recommend it to everyone. For someone who has already come to suspect that the "cure" is worse than the "disease", it is devastating. This book completely changed my view on drugs, addicts and human connection. Hari addresses this argument in two broad ways. Successful raids against bootleggers did not reduce crime or alcohol consumption; if the leader of one gang was imprisoned, more violence erupted as rival successors fought to fill the position of their former boss. Manage subscription. Sep 01, Tracy rated it it was amazing. Newcombe, R. Show 25 25 50 All. Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs Reviews May 04, Sarah rated it really liked it. It has caused tremendous amounts of harm in the form of ruined lives and broken families, massive unnecessary incarceration, and abuse by police against people who are defined as criminal for nothing more than smoking a bit of pot. To me, each addict is a tragedy. He called the personal stories of those affected the most "horrific", writing "The lack of evidence of the war having worked, alongside massive evidence of failure, are detailed with a frightening clarity. Home Home Home. Views Read Edit View history. One of the most shocking facts to emerge from this book is what goes on in the US prison system. John Marks to the author. It's also clumsily written, his only rhetorical move apparently is the section break with a cold narrative opening. Boston Globe. Skip to main content Skip to main menu Skip to footer. We see the many cruel and vindictive ways in which the US government works. Similar dynamics characterize illegal drug use: Consumers have no assurance of quality and simply buy whatever is available. In the US and Latin America, the stories of powerful and horrific narco gangs are the true stories that have inspired popular films and television series Sin Nombre , Narcos , Sicario , Breaking Bad in recent years. Most popular. I only read the first third of this book before I made the mistake of Googling the author. Quotes from Chasing the Screa Join us on our journey Platform update page Visit emeraldpublishing.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Egypt and the Middle East
    Monitoring Study: British Media Portrayals of Egypt Author: Guy Gabriel - AMW adviser Contact details: Tel: 07815 747 729 E-mail: [email protected] Newspapers monitored: All British national daily broadsheets and tabloids, as well as the Evening Standard Monitoring period: May 2008 - May 2009 1 Table of contents: Egypt & the Middle East Regional Importance Israel Camp David Accords The Gulf Sudan Horn of Africa Diplomacy towards Palestine Before Gaza Conflict 2009 Gaza 2009 Diplomacy The Palestine Border Tunnel Economy Crossing Closures Domestic Egypt Food Religion in Society State Ideology Economy Miscellaneous Domestic Threats Emergency Rule & Internal Security Terrorism Egypt & the West Egypt as an Ally 'War on Terror' Suez Ancient Egypt Influence of Egyptian Art Other Legacies Tourism 2 Egypt & the Middle East Regional Importance Various other Middle Eastern countries are sometimes mentioned in connection with Egypt's regional influence, though very rarely those from North Africa. In terms of Egypt's standing in the Middle East as viewed by the US, a meeting in Cairo, as well as Saudi Arabia and Israel, are "necessary step[s] in the careful path Mr Obama is laying out," notes Times chief foreign affairs commentator Bronwen Maddox (29 May 2009). A "solid" Arab-Israeli peace deal "must include President Mubarak of Egypt," says Michael Levy in the same newspaper (14 May 2009). Regarding a divided Lebanon, the Arab League is "tainted by the commitment of the Saudis and Egyptians to one side rather than the other," according to an Independent editorial (13 May 2008). Egypt appointing an ambassador to Iraq generates interest "not only because it is the most populous Arab country but also because its chargé d'affaires in Baghdad was kidnapped and killed in 2005," writes Guardian Middle East editor Ian Black (2 July 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • This Is How It Ends Eva Dolan
    FEBRUARY 2018 This Is How It Ends Eva Dolan Elegantly crafted, humane and thought-provoking. She 's top drawer ' Ian Rankin Description Elegantly crafted, humane and thought-provoking. She 's top drawer ' Ian Rankin This is how it begins. With a near-empty building, the inhabitants forced out of their homes by property developers. With two women: idealistic, impassioned blogger Ella and seasoned campaigner, Molly. With a body hidden in a lift shaft. But how will it end' About the Author Eva Dolan is an Essex-based copywriter and intermittently successful poker player. Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Dagger for unpublished authors when she was just a teenager, the first four novels in the Zigic and Ferreira series, set in the Peterborough Hate Crimes Unit, have been published to widespread critical acclaim. Tell No Tales was shortlisted for the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year Award and the third in the series, After You Die, was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. @eva_dolan Price: $27.99 (NZ$29.99) ISBN: 9781408886656 Format: Paperback Dimensions: mm Extent: 336 pages Main Category: FF Sub Category: FH Thriller / Suspense Illustrations: Previous Titles: Author now living: Bloomsbury FEBRUARY 2018 This Is How It Ends 8 Copy Pack Includes 8 copies of This Is How It Ends, plus free reading copy Description About the Author Price: $223.92 (NZ$239.92) ISBN: 9781408875919 Format: Dimensions: mm Extent: 0 pages Main Category: WZ Sub Category: Illustrations: Previous Titles: Author now living: Bloomsbury FEBRUARY 2018 Peach Emma Glass 'An immensely talented young writer' George Saunders Description 'An immensely talented young writer' George Saunders Slip the pin through the skin.
    [Show full text]
  • Sarah Punshon Director
    Sarah Punshon Director Sarah is founder and Artistic Director of One Tenth Human, collaborating with artists, scientists and children to create innovative arts-science adventures (“really great children’s theatre” Maddy Costa, Exeunt). One Tenth Human are currently developing projects for young audiences with Polka Theatre and Big Imaginations. Their most recent show, Arthur, was a solo-and-a-half show performed by Daniel Bye and his 4 month old baby, and won a Scotsman Fringe First 2019. Agents Giles Smart Assistant Ellie Byrne [email protected] +44 (020 3214 0812 Credits In Development Production Company Notes CURIOUS INVESTIGATORS One Tenth Human Commissioned by Big Imaginations CINDERELLA: THE AWESOME Polka Theatre / One By Sarah Punshon and Felix Hagan, TRUTH Tenth Human created with Toni-Dee Paul THE JUNGLE BOOK Oldham Coliseum Written by Jessica Swale based on the book by Rudyard Kipling Directed by Sarah Punshon Theatre Production Company Notes ARTHUR Edinburgh Festival Co-created with Daniel Bye 2019 *Winner: Scotsman Fringe First United Agents | 12-26 Lexington Street London W1F OLE | T +44 (0) 20 3214 0800 | F +44 (0) 20 3214 0801 | E [email protected] Production Company Notes CINDERELLA: A The Dukes Lancaster Devised by Sally Cookson, Adam Peck and FAIRYTALE Company 2019 PETER PAN The Dukes Lancaster By JM Barrie 2018 Adapted by Sarah Punshon THE THREE MUSKETEERS The Dukes Lancaster & By Hattie Naylor 2018 Williamson Park *Nominated for the UK Theatre Award for Best Production for Children and Young People EDUCATING
    [Show full text]
  • Humanitarian Imperialism: Using Human Rights to Sell War
    Bricmont, J. (2006). Humanitarian imperialism: Using human rights to sell war. New York: Monthly Review Press. Preface to the English Edition Two sorts of sentiments inspire political action: hope and indignation. This book is largely the product of the latter sentiment, but the aim of its publication is to encourage the former. A brief and subjective overview of the political evolution of the past twenty years can explain the source of my indignation. The collapse of the Soviet Union can be compared to the fall of Napoleon. Both were the product of major revolutions whose ideals they symbolized, rightly or wrongly, and which they defended more or less effectively while betraying them in various ways. If their natures were complex, the consequences of their fall were relatively simple and led to a general triumph of reaction, with the United Stales today playing a role analogous to that of the Holy Alliance nearly two centuries ago.1 There is no need to be an admirer of the Soviet Union (or of Napoleon) to make this observation. My generation, that of 1968, wanted to overcome the shortcomings of the Soviet system, but certainly did not mean to take the great leap backwards which actually took place and to which, in its overwhelming majority, it has easily adapted.2 A discussion of the causes of these failures would require several books. Suffice it to say that for all sorts of reasons, some of which will be touched on in what follows, I did not follow the evolution of the majority of my generation and have preserved what it would call my youthful illusions, at least some of them.
    [Show full text]
  • M N Times Oder
    MODERN TIMES MODERN MODERN “In Modern Times, Cathy Sweeney gives TIMES us fables of the present that are funny, A woman orders a sex doll vertiginous and melancholy.” for her husband’s birthday. —David Hayden MODERN A man makes films without “ Cathy Sweeney’s stories have already a camera. A married couple lives in attracted a band of fanatical devotees, and Cathy Sweeney take turns to sit in an electric Dublin. She studied at this first collection is as marvellous as we could CATHY SWEENEY chair. Cathy Sweeney’s Trinity College and taught have hoped for. A unique imagination, a brilliant debut.” TIMES wonderfully inventive English at second level for —Kevin Barry debut collection offers many years before turning snapshots of an unsettling, to writing. Her work has “I loved this collection. It vibrates with a glorious strangeness! Magnificently weird, hugely dislocated world. Surprising been published in various entertaining, deeply profound.” “ and uncanny, funny and magazines and journals. Magnificently weird, —Danielle McLaughlin hugely entertaining.” transgressive, these stories Danielle McLaughlin only look like distortions of reality. The Stinging Fly Press, Dublin www.stingingfly.org CATHY SWEENEY “A unique imagination, “Funny, vertiginous a brilliant debut.” and melancholy.” Kevin Barry David Hayden The Stinging Fly Cover Design: Catherine Gaffney Author Photo: Meabh Fitzpatrick RIGHTS GUIDE LONDON 2020 ROGERS, COLERIDGE AND WHITE LTD. 20 Powis Mews London W11 1JN Tel: 020 7221 3717 Fax: 020 7229 9084 www.rcwlitagency.com Twitter:
    [Show full text]
  • War on Drugs - Wikipedia 17.08.17, 1140 War on Drugs from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
    War on Drugs - Wikipedia 17.08.17, 1140 War on Drugs From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "The War on Drugs" is an American term[6][7] usually applied to the United States government's campaign of prohibition of drugs, military aid, and military intervention, with the stated aim being to reduce the illegal drug trade.[8][9] This initiative includes a set of drug policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs that the participating governments and the UN have made illegal. The term was popularized by the media shortly after a press conference given on June 18, 1971, by United States President Richard Nixon—the day after publication of a special message from President Nixon to As part of the War on Drugs, the US the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control—during which spends approximately $500 million per year on aid for Colombia, largely used to he declared drug abuse "public enemy number one". That message to combat guerrilla groups such as FARC the Congress included text about devoting more federal resources to that are involved in the illegal drug the "prevention of new addicts, and the rehabilitation of those who trade.[1][2][3][4][5] are addicted", but that part did not receive the same public attention as the term "war on drugs".[10][11][12] However, two years prior to this, Nixon had formally declared a "war on drugs" that would be directed toward eradication, interdiction, and incarceration.[13] Today, the Drug Policy Alliance, which advocates for an end to the
    [Show full text]
  • Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression
    More Praise for Lost Connections ‘Wise, probing and deeply generous, Hari has produced a book packed with explosive revelations about our epidemic of despair. Yes, it is about depression but it is also about the way we live now – and the havoc perennial isolation is wrecking on our collective mental health and general wellbeing’ NAOMI KLEIN ‘An important, convention-challenging, provocative and supremely timely read. It is about time we looked at mental health through the prism of society rather than, simply, medicine. This brilliant book helps us do that’ MATT HAIG ‘A beautiful book from the person that brilliantly once said “the opposite of addiction is connection” and who now explores and offers some solutions to our disconnection’ JEMIMA KHAN ‘This is one of those extraordinary books that you want all your friends to read immediately – because the shift in world-view is so compelling and dramatic that you wonder how you’ll be able to have conversations with them otherwise. A highly personal book, written with humility, humour and candour . I honestly couldn’t put it down’ BRIAN ENO ‘An exquisitely lucid treatise on why no person is, has been or ever should be an island … From slightly seedy to suicidal – however you are feeling – read this book and it will honestly help you to understand which roads we must walk if we want to see true, lasting change’ EMMA THOMPSON ‘Johann Hari asks the big questions and provides the big answers – answers that have been neglected for far too long. You cannot fully understand this great curse of our age until you have read it’ GEORGE MONBIOT ‘A vital, compelling and eye-opening examination of the myths we have been taught to believe about depression and anxiety … Brilliantly interweaves science, philosophy and searing personal experience, and methodically dissects the truth around mental health’ GLENN GREENWALD ‘This is an extraordinary, elegant exploration of a timely problem.
    [Show full text]
  • Center for Humane Technology | Your Undivided Attention Podcast
    Center for Humane Technology | Your Undivided Attention Podcast Episode 8: The Opposite of Addiction Johann Hari: If you'd asked me, when I started doing this research, what causes heroin addiction? I would've said, "Well dummy, the clue's in the name, right? Obviously heroin causes heroin addiction." Tristan Harris: That's Johann Hari, a British journalist who traveled some 30,000 miles to answer this deceptively simple question. Johann Hari: I would have thought, if we had randomly snatched 20 non-addicted people off the streets of San Francisco, and like a villain in a Saw movie, we injected them all with heroin every day for a month. At the end of that month, they all be heroin addicts and indeed I thought that's what addiction is, it's the desperate physical craving for the drug. Tristan Harris: If you give 20 injections, you'll get 20 addicts, case closed. Aza Raskin: That is until Johan encountered a group of people who had in fact been pulled off the street, and injected with a drug as potent as heroin and their story blew everything he thought he knew about addiction wide open. Johann Hari: In Britain, where I'm from as you can tell from my weird Downton Abbey accent, if you step out into the street and you get hit by a truck, you'll be taken to hospital and you'll be given a lot of drug called Diamorphine. Diamorphine is heroin, right? It's much better than the contaminated shit you buy here on the street because it's medically pure heroin.
    [Show full text]
  • SW 612 Syllabus
    School of Social Work University of Wisconsin-Madison 1350 University Avenue Madison, WI 53706 SW 612: Psychopathology in Generalist Social Work Practice Spring 2019 Instructor: Joe Dooley, MSW, Ph.D., LCSW, Senior Lecturer Class Time: Thursdays 7:45 – 9:40 Location: Van Hise 394 Office Location: Social Work Room 208 Office Hours: By Appointment Phone: 608-444-2233 Email: [email protected] Credits: 2 Instructional Mode: Face-to-Face Canvas Course URL: https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/142984 I. Course Description This foundation course prepares social work students to recognize major mental health concerns across the lifespan. The course includes an introduction to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM) as the organizing framework for reviewing major mental disorders and critique of the current "medical model" approach to mental health in the United States. The course considers mental health issues from a generalist perspective including the role of the social environment, culture and stigma in mental health services, access and policy. Attributes and Designations: For undergraduates this course counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S (S-A). For graduate students this course counts toward the 50% graduate coursework requirement. Requisites: Senior standing and declared in Bachelor of Social Work program or declared in Master of Social Work program How Credit Hour is Met: This class meets for one 115 minute class session each week for the spring semester and carries the expectation that students will work on course learning activities (reading, writing, studying) for about 4 hours out of classroom for every class period. The syllabus includes additional information about meeting times and expectations for student work.
    [Show full text]
  • Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation Homework Booklet
    Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation Homework Booklet 1 Understanding Questions Using your own words Question 1 An extract from an article in the Independent newspaper, in which Johann Hari writing about the impact of the Internet describes it as being the same as the invention of the printing press over 500 years earlier: It is increasingly clear that the Internet is going to be a transformative moment in human history as significant as the printing press. A decade after Johannes Gutenberg invented it, even the most astute watchers could have only begun to squint at the changes the printing press would spur. In time, it made popular nationalism possible, because linguistic communities could communicate with each other independently, in one language, and form a sense of community. It dissolved the medieval stranglehold of information held by churches and Kings, making it possible for individuals to read the Bible for themselves – and to reject violently the readings used by authority to strengthen its rule. Communications technologies rewire our brains; the make us into a different species. Question: In what two ways, according to the writer, was the invention of printing ‘a transformative moment in human history’? Answer using your own words. [2 marks] Question 2 An extract from an article in The Times newspaper in which Janice Turner looks at different ways of improving ‘public good manners’: The consensus on what constitutes public good manners has broken down to the extent that Transport for London is now running a multimillion-pound campaign just to remind us not to eat stinking burgers on the tube and to give up our bus seats for old folk.
    [Show full text]
  • Atheist Spirituality
    TEEMU TAIRA Atheist spirituality A follow on from New Atheism? ooks about well-being, self-improvement, life management and spiritual- Bity have been popular for many years. It is not news to anybody that such topics sell. However, books on atheism have never become bestsellers until the early years of the twenty-first century. Now the so-called New Atheist books have altogether sold millions. It may sound surprising, but atheism sells. It may have been the idea of a publishers’ marketing department to put the two selling points together, but in recent years a number of books about atheist spirituality, spiritual atheism and atheist self-help have been published. That has been one aspect of the increased visibility of atheism and spirituality in public discourse. Atheist discourse which is combined with ‘spirituality’ might be called ‘post-secular’ as it does not fit easily into the neat binary classification be- tween religious and non-religious secular. Whether we choose to use the term or not, this is something that will be reflected on later in this chapter. At this point it is enough to say that there is a large area of the current atheist dis- course which is not easy to map neatly onto the binary opposition between religion and the non-religious secular. Therefore, I shall examine this hybrid area in atheist discourse in relation to three aspects: monotheism, spiritual- ity and meditation. I shall argue that atheist discourse situates itself against monotheism, but that some spokespersons combine atheism with spiritual- ity and meditation. This works as an example of a wider and recent trend in society where a blurring of the earlier normative boundaries between religion and non-religion has become fairly common, not necessarily in terms of be- liefs, but of practices.
    [Show full text]
  • Resume Wizard
    Cultures and Contexts: Contesting British National Identity Semester FALL 2014 Class code CORE-UA.9549.001 Instructor Details Dr Philip Woods [email protected]; [email protected] Tel: 0208 579 2174 mobile: 07922046578 Office hours immediately before and after class, and by arrangement via e-mail Class Details Cultures and Contexts: Contesting British National Identity 2:00 to 5:00 Location to be confirmed. Prerequisites This is an Upper Division class Class Description This class meets the requirements of NYU Cultures and Context (Core) courses in that it introduces students to an in-depth academic study of changing views of British national identity and culture, using a variety of primary and secondary sources. Britain is a multi-national state, a union of 4 nations, each with their own distinctive cultures and heritages. Three of the nations, Wales, Scotland and Ireland have been brought under the English monarchy and political system, and, in the case of the first two, they have been long-term partners in the benefits accruing to the largest empire the world has seen and the first, and for a long time, the most successful industrial nation. The height of that unity was probably in the period of the Second World War and its aftermath. Since then, with the collapse of the British Empire, Britain’s membership of the European Union, and devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, the union has come under increasing pressure from centrifugal forces. The course examines the image that Britain presents to the world, the myths on which the national identity of the component nations were formed and the institutions that might be considered to hold the union together today.
    [Show full text]