Western Society and Culture

《西方社会与文化》

March 1, 2018

This is a textbook to introduce the society and culture of western countries represented by Britain and the United States. The choice of these two countries is mainly based on the following considerations: firstly, they're two English-speaking countries; secondly, Britain is an European country with a long history, and the United States is a North American country with a short history, but both of them play an important role on the world stage.

Table of Contents

Language and Culture 10

□ What Is Culture 11

□ Western Culture 12

□ Language, Culture and Communication 13

□ Conclusion 15

Quick Look at Britain 18

Unit 1 Country Profile 19

□ Names 22

□ Countries within a Country 23

England and the English 23

Scotland and the Scots 24

Wales and the Welsh 24

Northern Ireland and the Northern Irish 25

□ Capital Cities 25

London 26

Edinburgh 28

Cardiff 28

Belfast 29

□ Climate 29

□ Union Jack 30

Unit 2 British History 34

□ Prehistoric Britain 36

□ Roman Britain 37

□ Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms 37

□ The Middle Ages 38

□ Tudor Renaissance 38

□ Stuart Britain 39

□ Georgian Britain 39

□ Victorian Britain 40

□ Britain from 1900 to 1950 41

□ Britain Today 41

Unit 3 British Governmental System 44

□ The Constitution 45

□ The Monarchy 46

□ The Executive 48

The Prime Minister 48

The Cabinet 48

The Privy Council 49

□ The Parliament 50

The House of Lords 51

The House of Commons 52

□ The Judiciary 53

Unit 4 Political Parties and General Election 58

□ History of Major Political Parties 59

□ Minor Parties 60

□ General Elections in the UK 61

What Is a General Election? 61

When Is the Next General Election? 62

Do General Elections Have to Be Held on Thursdays? 63

Voting for Political Parties 64

Counting the Votes 64

Formation of a Government following a General Election 65

No Overall Majority = Hung Parliament 65

Unit 5 British Literature 70

□ Old English Period (450-1066) 71

□ Middle English Period (1066-1500) 71

□ The Renaissance (1500-1660) 72

□ The Neoclassical Period (1600-1785) 73

□ The Romantic Period (1785-1832) 74

□ The Victorian Period (1832-1901) 74

□ The Edwardian Period (1901-1914) 76

□ The Georgian Period (1910-1936) 76

□ The Modern Period (1914-?) 76

□ The Postmodern Period (1945-?) 77

Quick Look at USA 81

A List of U.S. Presidents 82

Unit 6 Country Profile 84

□ Geographic Diversity 86

□ Washington D.C. 87

□ American National Flag 89

□ A Nation of Immigrants 89

□ America: A Melting Pot of Cultures 91

□ Uncle Sam 92

Unit 7 American History 94

□ Native Americans 95

□ European colonization 95

□ American Revolutionary War 96

□ Westward Expansion 97

□ Civil War 97

□ Reconstruction 98

□ Industrialization 98

□ World War I and II 99

□ Cold War and Civil Rights 100

□ September 11, 2001 and the War on Terrorism 100

Unit 8 American Governmental System 103

□ US Constitution 104

□ Three Branches 105

Legislative 105

Executive 107

Judiciary 107

□ The System of Checks and Balances 108

□ Gun Violence in the USA 109

Unit 9 Political Parties and Presidential Election 113

□ Political Parties 114

□ Donkey vs. Elephant 115

□ An Overview of Presidential Election 116

□ Election Procedure 117

Nominating Process 117

The Popular Vote on Election Day 119

Electoral College 120

Election Calendar 121

Unit 10 American Literature 124

□ The Colonial Period (1607-1775) 125

□ The Revolutionary Age (1765-1790) 125

□ The Early National Period (1775-1828) 126

□ The American Renaissance (1828-1865) 126

□ The Realistic Period (1865-1900) 127

□ The Naturalist Period (1900-1914) 128

□ The Modern Period (1914-1939) 128

□ The Beat Generation (1944-1962) 129

□ The Contemporary Period (1939-Present) 130

Unit 11 Holidays and Festivals 133

□ British Holidays and Festivals 134

National Day 134

Bank Holidays 136

Other Holidays and Festivals 137

□ American Holidays and Festivals 138

Unit 12 Food, Houses and Sports 143

□ British Food 144

□ American Food 147

□ Houses 149

□ Sports 151

Unit 13 Educational System 155

□ Education in England 156

□ Types of schools and Exams 158

□ Higher Education 159

Undergraduate Education 160

Postgraduate Education 160

□ Lifelong Learning 161

□ American Education System 161

Elementary, Middle and High Schools 162

Admission to a University 163

Ivy League 163

Unit 14 Foreign Relations 168

□ Foreign and Commonwealth Office 169

□ The EU and the United Kingdom 169

History of the EU 170

The UK and the EU 172

Brexit 173

□ Sino-British Relations 173

□ US Foreign Policy 174

Unit 15 Mass Media 178

□ Office of Communications 179

□ BBC 180

□ UK Newspapers 181

□ Media of the United States 183

Unit 16 Arts, Museums, Architecture and Films 188

□ British Arts 189

□ British Museums and Libraries 190

□ British Architecture 190

□ American Performing Arts 192

□ American Libraries and Museums 193

□ American Film Industry 195

Unit 17 Economy 198

□ The UK Economy 199

□ British Creative Industries 200

□ The American Economy 201

Government and the Economy 202

Innovation 203

Unit 18 Summary: A Comparison of Western Culture with Chinese Culture 206

□ Identity 207

□ Values 207

□ Language 209

□ Literature 210

□ Music and Dance 211

□ Arts 212

□ Kung Fu 213

□ Fashion 213

□ Architecture 214

□ Cuisine 214

□ Tea Culture 215

Key to Exercises 216

References 216