- •Л.С. Банникова, доцент, кандидат педагогических наук
- •Contents
- •I. Social behaviour and attitudes
- •Ethnic identity: the native British
- •What does it mean to be Scottish?
- •Geographical identity
- •Men and women
- •Attitudes
- •Stereotypes and change
- •English versus British
- •Multiculturalism
- •Conservatism
- •Being different
- •The love of nature
- •The love of animals
- •Formality and informality
- •Public spiritedness and amateurism
- •The Culture of Sport
- •A national passion
- •Gentlemen and players
- •The social importance of sport
- •Cricket
- •Football
- •Animal in sport
- •Foxhunting
- •Other sports
- •II. Religion in britain
- •Religion in Britain
- •Religion and politics
- •Anglicanism
- •Women priests
- •Catholicism
- •Episcopalianism
- •Keeping the sabbath
- •Other conventional Christian churches
- •Other religions, churches and religious movements
- •III. The media
- •The media
- •The importance of the national press
- •The national papers and Scotland
- •The two types of national newspaper
- •The characteristics
- •Papers and politics
- •The characteristics of the national press: sex and scandal
- •Sex and scandal
- •The rest of the press
- •Bbc radio
- •Television: organization
- •Television: style
- •Glued to the goggle box
- •The ratings: a typical week
- •IV. Welfare state
- •Welfare
- •The origins of the welfare state in Britain
- •The National Health Service
- •What does the nhs do?
- •Primary care
- •How primary care is developing
- •Secondary care
- •Tertiary care
- •Hospital building under the Private Finance Initiative
- •Community Care
- •How is the nhs funded?
- •How is the money spent?
- •Increased spending
- •How is the nhs organised?
- •Recent reforms
- •Nhs staff
- •Family doctors
- •The contribution made by the Voluntary Sector
- •Private medicine
- •Personal Social Services
- •Social Services spending
- •Modernising Social Services
- •Family and voluntary carers
- •Meeting increasing demand
- •Older people
- •Disabled people
- •People with learning disabilities
- •Help for families and children
- •Social Security
- •What is social security for?
- •How is social security funded?
- •How is the money spent?
- •Who receives benefits?
- •Benefits and who receives them
- •How is Social Security organised?
- •Types of benefit
- •The Government's aims
- •Welfare Reform
- •246019, Г. Гомель, ул. Советская, 104
- •246019, Г. Гомель, ул. Советская, 104
Glued to the goggle box
As long ago as 1953, it was estimated that twenty million viewers watched the BBC's coverage of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. By 1970, 94% of British households had a television set (known colloquially as a 'goggle box'), mostly rented rather than bought. Now, 99% of households own or rent a television and the most popular programmes are watched by as many people as claim to read the Sun and the Daily Mirror combined.
Television broadcasting in Britain has expanded to fill every part of every day of the week. One of the four channels (ITV) never takes a break (it broadcasts for twenty-four hours) and the others broadcasts from around six in the morning until after midnight. A survey reported in early 1994 that 40% of British people watched more that three hours of television every day; and 16% watched seven hours or more! Television news is watched every day by more than half of the population. As a result, its presenters are among the best-known names and faces in the whole country - one of them once boasted that he was more famous than royalty!
The ratings: a typical week
The ratings are dominated by the soaps (Coronation Street, EastEnders, Neighbours and Emmerdale) and soap-style dramas (Casualty, which is set in a hospital, and The Bill, which is about the police). Light-entertainment talk shows also feature prominently (e.g. This Your Life, Barrymore and Noel's House Party) and quiz shows are sometimes very popular (e.g. Countdown). It is unusual that only one comedy programme appears below (Red Draft). Certain cinema films can also get high ratings (marked ** below). Science fiction remains a popular genre; Quantum Leap and Red Draft are both long-running series. Sports programmes appear in the top ten when they feature a particular sporting occasion. This happens frequently. There is one example in the list below (The Big Fight Live).
The list includes just one representative of 'high culture': the dramatization of the novel Middlemarch, by the nineteenth century author George Eliton. There are two documentaries, a travel series (Great Railway Journeys) and a science series (Horizon).
The Antiques Roadshow comes from a different location in the country every week. In it, local people bring along objects from their houses and ask experts how much they are worth.
Apart from the films, there is only one American programme in the list below (Quantum Leap).
QUESTIONS:
What are the essential characteristics of British newspapers? What are the two main types called, and who reads them?
To what extent are newspapers, radio and television funded by advertising?
Are there any limits to press freedom?
What is the essential dilemma faced by the press concerning the respect of privacy?
The dominant force in British Broadcasting is the BBS. What enabled it to achieve its position, and how does it maintain this? Which characteristics give the BBS its special position in Britain and in the rest of the world? Will British television maintain its world reputation for excellence?
What are British viewing habits?