Language, Literature and Identity: The future of English teaching in the 21st Century Social and demographic trends Emily Keaney and Ben Rogers, ippr, January 2006 Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Why identity? Mapping the changes Positive developments in British identity. Challenges to overcome The implications for English teaching and the curriculum Why Identity? • • • • • • • Growth in extremism – BNP, Political Islam Failure to honour minority identities Decline in British Identity Problems with British Identity (Brown thesis) Rise in anti-social behaviour Rise in civic and political disengagement Poverty of white working class identities Major Trends • Increase in the size and diversity of Britain’s immigrant population • Decline in ‘given identities’ based on nation, religion, class, locality, politics • Growth of ‘elective identities’ – lifestyle/consumer • Decline in British Identity and growth Scottish, Welsh, etc identity Mean score on the national pride scale (1-4; 4 as most proud) by birth-cohort, 1981-2003 Mean score for national pride 4 Pre 1909 3.75 1910-1919 1920-1929 3.5 1930-1939 1940-1949 3.25 3 2.75 1979 1950-1959 1970+ 1960-1969 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 Year James Tilley and Anthony Heath (2004) 'The Decline of British National Pride', paper presented at the Elections, Public Opinion and Parties conference 2004, Oxford UK Mapping the changes England’s ethnic composition is more varied than ever before Census White South Asian Black Chinese & other Asian Other groups Numbers (millions) 1981 95.40 2.20 1.51 0.45 0.44 2.152 1991 93.68 3.10 1.91 0.70 0.60 3.028 2001 91.43 4.28 2.62 0.93 0.74 4.213 Traditional categorisations are losing their relevance Migration patterns are changing 140 100 80 60 40 20 0 EU Old Commonwealth New Commonwealth 2003 2001 1999 1997 1995 1993 1991 1989 1987 1985 1983 1981 1979 1977 -20 1975 Migrants (thousands) 120 Other foreign The changes are effecting the whole country max non British Isles 01 Aus tralia Bangladesh Canada Caribbean China Cyprus Germ any Germ any/India Germ any/Ita ly Germ any/N on-EU countries in w Eur Germ any/Pakistan Greece Hong K ong India Iran Ita ly Japan Nigeria Non-EU countries in w este rn Europe North Africa Other Far Ea st Other Middle Ea st Other south & eas tern Africa Other south Asia Pak istan Poland Som alia South Africa Sri La nka Turk ey Turk ey/C aribbean USA Yugoslavia Trends in Moreno Identity 9 14 12 14 11 45 17 7 1997 English 14 11 9 10 13 37 34 42 31 15 14 13 19 17 19 17 17 1999 2000 2001 2003 More English Both equally More British British Positive developments in British Identity Racism has declined Self reported racial prejudice: per cent who see themselves as “very prejudiced” or “a little prejudiced” 45 40 35 30 % 25 Series2 20 15 10 5 0 1983 1985 1987 1990 1994 1996 year 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 Identity is becoming more civic than ethnic 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Neither civic nor ethnic Civic only Civic and ethnic Born pre1945 Born 1945- Born 1965+ 1964 Challenges to overcome • • • • • • Racism Hostility to immigration Lack of cosmopolitan identities Honouring minority identities Intolerant Englishness? Decline of British Identity? Bonding Identities • Are shared principles enough? • Do we need shared culture? • What sort? How thick? The implications for English teaching and the curriculum • What role does literature and language more broadly play in shaping identity? • What is the role of English teaching in developing and reflecting rich and tolerant national, minority and local identities?
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