UK & Ireland Cultural Studies – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, institutions, historical events, literary arguments, and social theories discussed in the lecture notes.

Cultural Studies

An academic field that looks at how culture works. It studies how power is shared, how identities are formed through what we see and hear, and how ideas (ideologies) spread and are challenged. Its main goal is to understand and help change society and culture.

Political Nature of Cultural Studies

A core belief in Cultural Studies: studying culture isn't just academic; it's about finding and challenging unequal power structures and social problems. It aims to use critical thinking and action to help create a fairer society.

Representation (Cultural Studies)

In Cultural Studies, this refers to the ways we use symbols – like language, pictures, media, and daily habits – to create and understand meaning. It's not just about showing reality; it's about actively shaping how we see things. This often strengthens or challenges common beliefs and power balances.

Polysemic Text

A cultural item (like a movie, song, or ad) that can be understood in many different, sometimes opposite, ways. Its meaning isn't fixed by the person who made it; instead, it's actively shaped by what different audiences bring to it based on their own lives, society, and culture.

Anti-essentialism

A theory that rejects the idea that categories like race, gender, or nationality have a fixed, unchanging 'essence' or nature. Instead, it argues that these identities are made up by society and history, are flexible, and are shaped by power, rather than being born with us or purely biological.

Ideology (Cultural Studies)

A set of dominant ideas, beliefs, values, and assumptions that often seem natural or just plain common sense. However, these ideas subtly support and justify certain power structures and social inequalities, often without people being fully aware of it.

Hegemony

A concept by Antonio Gramsci, explaining how powerful social groups keep control. They do this not mainly by force, but by getting less powerful groups to agree to their rule. They achieve this through cultural leadership, spreading their way of thinking, and making their power seem normal and right.

Popular Culture

The cultural products, activities, and everyday life that most people in a society enjoy. In Cultural Studies, it's seen as a key area where dominant ideas are reinforced but also challenged, and where people form their identities and make sense of their world.

Capitalism (Cultural Analysis)

In cultural analysis, this is the main economic system where private individuals or companies own the means of production (factories, land) and aim to make a profit. It's studied to see how it shapes the creation, sharing, and use of cultural forms, and how it often links with and worsens inequalities based on race, class, and gender.

Monarch (UK)

The King or Queen who is the head of state in the United Kingdom, though their role is mostly symbolic. Their main duties include opening Parliament, formally appointing the Prime Minister, giving Royal Assent to turn bills into laws (which is a formality), and holding private weekly meetings with the Prime Minister.

Royal Assent

The formal, symbolic approval given by the Monarch to a proposed law (bill) after it has passed through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Once Royal Assent is given, the bill officially becomes a law (an Act of Parliament). In modern UK practice, this approval is always granted.

House of Lords

The second, unelected chamber of the UK Parliament. It includes hereditary peers (who inherited their titles), life peers (appointed by the Monarch on the Prime Minister's advice), and senior bishops of the Church of England. Its main job is to check and suggest changes to laws passed by the House of Commons.

House of Commons

The main, elected chamber of the UK Parliament, made up of Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in by people across the country. It is the primary body that makes laws and forms the government. Despite being elected, it is often criticized for not fully representing the diverse gender, ethnic, and social class groups in the UK.

Question Time

A regular time in Parliament, most famously on Wednesdays as Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), when Members of Parliament (MPs) ask questions directly to government ministers, including the Prime Minister. This session is a key way to hold the government accountable and allows the public to see how policies and performance are scrutinized.

Bill (UK Parliament)

A proposed law introduced in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. For it to become a law (an Act), it must go through several steps: First Reading, Second Reading (main debate), Committee Stage (detailed review and changes), Report Stage, Third Reading, approval by the other House, and finally, Royal Assent.

Prime Minister (UK)

The head of the UK Government. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the political party with the most seats in the House of Commons. They are responsible for choosing and managing their cabinet (top ministers), setting government policy, and have significant power both within the UK and internationally.

English Reformation

A major religious and political change in England during the 1530s, started by King Henry VIII because he wanted to end his marriage. This led to England officially breaking away from the Pope in Rome, closing down monasteries, and making the Monarch the Supreme Head of the Church of England, pushing England towards Protestantism.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

A law passed by Parliament in 1534 that formally declared King Henry VIII and future monarchs as the 'Supreme Head of the Church of England.' This law legally cut England's ties to the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, giving the King control over church matters and setting the stage for a unique English Protestant identity.

Puritans

A group of English Protestants from the late 16th and 17th centuries who wanted stricter religious and moral rules. They aimed to 'purify' the Church of England of what they saw as Catholic leftovers. They preferred a church structure where congregations had more say and emphasized personal religious devotion and the Bible's authority.

Social Class (Britain)

A system in Britain that divides people into different groups based on factors like inherited wealth, income, education, job, and spending habits. Social class deeply influences a person's standing, opportunities, lifestyle, cultural tastes, and how they see themselves, creating clear social levels in British society.

Middle Class (1797)

A social group that grew in importance during the Industrial Revolution, first openly mentioned in a magazine in 1797. This term described a new group of professionals, merchants, business owners, and factory owners. They were positioned between the rich aristocracy and the poor working class, known for their focus on hard work, careful spending, and often, non-traditional values.

Working Class (1813)

A social label that became popular from 1813 onwards, used by reformers like Robert Owen. It specifically referred to the large number of manual laborers, factory workers, and those in industrial jobs. The term became widely used from the 1830s as this group became a distinct and organized force in British society, especially in trade union writings.

Aristocracy’s Decline

The slow loss of political and social power that the British aristocracy experienced from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. This happened because more people gained the right to vote, modern political parties grew, new land laws were made, and wealth from industry and business started to challenge traditional aristocratic power.

Embourgeoisement Thesis

A sociological idea after World War II that suggested working-class people were increasingly adopting the behaviors, values, and lifestyles of the middle class as living standards and consumerism improved. This theory proposed that clear class lines were blurring, leading to a more uniform, 'middle-class' society. However, this idea has been widely debated and criticized since then.

Accent & Class (UK)

Unique ways of speaking and pronunciation in the UK that strongly hint at a person's social background, where they're from, and often their social class. 'Standard' accents, like Received Pronunciation (RP), have historically been linked to higher social status and better education, while regional accents are often connected to working-class identity and local communities.

Mr Thornton’s Employer View

In Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, Mr. Thornton, a factory owner, shows a capitalist mindset. He believes he has total control over his factory and workers, much like a ruler. He feels little social responsibility beyond offering jobs, expecting workers to depend fully on his firm but supposedly fair leadership, and always prioritizing efficiency and profit.

Margaret Hale’s Labour Ideal

As shown in Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, Margaret Hale favors a kinder and fairer relationship between factory owners and workers. Her ideal promotes mutual respect, where owners feel a moral duty to their workers, and open talks to bridge class differences. This aims to create social harmony and understanding instead of conflict and exploitation.

Mary Wollstonecraft

An influential English writer, philosopher, and early feminist from the 18th century. Her important book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), powerfully argued that women should have equal access to education based on reason. She believed this was vital for women to become virtuous, develop their minds, gain true independence, and contribute meaningfully to society, challenging the common idea that women should only be focused on domestic life.

Coverture

A historical legal rule, common in England and its colonies, where a married woman's legal identity was largely absorbed by her husband's. This meant married women usually couldn't own property, sign contracts, sue or be sued, or control their own earnings, as they were legally seen as part of their husbands.

Intersectionality

A theory, developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, that explains how different social and political identities (like race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability) combine and interact within individuals and systems. It shows how these overlapping identities can lead to unique and magnified experiences of discrimination, oppression, and privilege.

Orientalism

A term by Edward Said in his 1978 book. It describes a common Western academic and cultural way of thinking that portrays the 'Orient' (Middle East and Asia) as exotic, illogical, dictatorial, and inferior to the 'logical' West. Said argued this view helped justify European control and power over these regions.

Divine Right of Kings

A political and religious idea, especially popular with Stuart kings in 17th-century England (like James I and Charles I). It claimed that a king's right to rule came directly from God, not from any human power or public agreement. Therefore, going against the king was seen as both a political rebellion and an act against God's will.

Traditional Femininity (Austen)

The widely accepted ideal for women during the Regency era, often seen in Jane Austen's novels. This ideal prioritized grace, proper behavior, friendliness, and various 'accomplishments' like playing music, singing, or speaking foreign languages. The focus was on outward appearance and social skills rather than intelligence, critical thinking, or personal freedom, mainly preparing women for marriage.

Elizabeth Bennet’s Femininity

In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet shows a new and challenging type of femininity. She is clever, has strong moral beliefs, thinks independently, and refuses to follow superficial social norms. Her character actively challenges the common ideas that value looks, social connections, and shallow 'accomplishments' over intelligence, honesty, and genuine self-expression.

Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885

An important UK law from 1885 that, among other things, made 'gross indecency' between men a crime, whether in public or private. This vague phrase made it easier to prosecute men for any same-sex acts. It became known as the 'Blackmailer's Charter' because it was often used to extort money from gay men.

Section 28 (1988)

A controversial part of the Local Government Act 1988, which banned local authorities and schools in the UK from 'promoting homosexuality' or teaching that 'homosexuality is an acceptable family relationship.' This rule discouraged LGBTQ+ education and support, leading to a long fight for its repeal, which happened in 2000 (Scotland) and 2003 (England and Wales).

Sexual Offences Act 1967

A significant UK law passed in 1967. While often seen as 'decriminalizing' homosexuality, it only partly did so by legalizing private, consensual sexual acts between men aged 21 or over in England and Wales. It still made homosexual acts illegal for servicemen, merchant navy members, or in public, or involving more than two people. Full decriminalization would take many more decades.

Same-Sex Marriage Acts

A series of laws that gradually allowed same-sex couples to marry across the UK. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act was passed in England & Wales in 2013, followed by similar laws in Scotland in 2014, and Northern Ireland in 2020. These laws gave same-sex couples the same legal rights and recognition as heterosexual married couples.

Devolution (UK)

The ongoing process of transferring certain administrative, lawmaking, and financial powers from the central UK Parliament in Westminster to new or stronger regional governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While these regional bodies can make laws on specific issues (like education or health), Westminster still holds the ultimate authority.

Impact of Devolution on Britishness

A major effect of devolution, which has strengthened distinct national identities—Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish—among people in those regions. This has often weakened shared British symbols, institutions, and the overall feeling of being 'British,' as regional differences become more noticeable in laws, politics, and culture.

Olaudah Equiano’s Moral Case

In his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative, Olaudah Equiano passionately argues that slavery is wrong based on humanity and religion. He states that slavery is inherently inhumane, morally shameful, un-Christian, and a deep violation of basic compassion and natural rights for enslaved African people, urging readers to see their shared humanity.

Equiano’s Economic Case

Besides his moral arguments, Equiano also presented a practical economic reason against the slave trade. He argued it was inefficient compared to free trade. He suggested that if Africa could develop its own resources and engage in fair commerce, it would create 'a much more certain, and durable, as well as a more profitable trade' for British goods through mutual benefit instead of harsh exploitation.

Empire Day (1900s)

An annual patriotic event, started in 1902 (on Queen Victoria's birthday, May 24th). It was designed to celebrate the British Empire, promote loyalty to it, and encourage unity through public displays, flag-waving, parades, and educational programs that highlighted the Empire's achievements and supposed 'good deeds' of British colonial rule.

Empire Awareness Day (Sanghera)

A proposed educational project, supported by author Sathnam Sanghera, that is very different from the celebratory historical Empire Day. The idea of an 'Empire Awareness Day' is to encourage an honest and critical look at the complex history of the British Empire, including its harms, exploitation, and lasting effects, rather than just celebrating its past colonial rule.

Hobson-Jobson Dictionary

A historical dictionary of Anglo-Indian words and phrases, first published in 1886 by Henry Yule and Arthur Coke Burnell. This dictionary carefully recorded how much the British Empire, especially India, influenced the English language, showing how words like 'bungalow,' 'pundit,' and 'pyjamas' became common English words.

Spion Kop (Football Term)

The common name for a steep, single-tiered spectator stand found in many British football stadiums. The name comes from the Battle of Spion Kop (1900) during the Second Boer War, where many British soldiers died. This lasting term shows how historical events from the Empire, specifically a battle, became part of British popular culture and everyday language, especially within the working-class sport of football.

‘Very Cold Country’ (Small Island)

A heartfelt phrase used by the character Hortense in Andrea Levy's novel Small Island to describe her experience as a Jamaican immigrant in post-war Britain. It captures the strong racial hostility, social exclusion, lack of warmth, and emotional distance she and other Caribbean migrants felt upon arrival, which was very different from what they expected and made them feel even more alienated.

Blackmailer’s Charter

The popular informal name for a problematic part of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885. This Act's vague wording about 'gross indecency' between men created loopholes that made it easy for people to demand money from or 'blackmail' gay men, threatening to expose their sexual activities if not paid. This caused great fear and instability for homosexual men until legal reforms much later.

Question Time (PMQs)

A high-profile session held on Wednesdays in the House of Commons where the Prime Minister answers questions from opposition Members of Parliament and other backbenchers.