Britishness Since 1870

Front Cover
Psychology Press, 2004 - History - 238 pages

What does it mean to be British? It is now recognized that being British is not innate, static or permanent, but that national identities within Britain are constantly constructed and reconstructed. Britishness since 1870 examines this definition and redefinition of the British national identity since the 1870s.

Paul Ward argues that British national identity is a resilient force, and looks at how Britishness has adapted to changing circumstances.

Taking a thematic approach, Britishness since 1870 examines the forces that have contributed to a sense of Britishness, and considers how Britishness has been mediated by other identities such as class, gender, region, ethnicity and the sense of belonging to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

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Contents

Gender and national identity
37
Rural urban and regional Britishness
54
Spare time
73
54
83
Politicians parties and national identity
93
Patriotism and politics in the peoples war
105
ethnicity and Britishness
113
Outer Britain
142
Notes
174
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

Paul Ward is senior lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Huddersfield. He is the author of 'Red Flag and Union Jack: Englishness, Patriotism and the British Left, 1881-1924' (1998).