Our ideas of what it is to be British have fundamentally altered in Essay

Our ideas of what it is to be British have fundamentally altered in the last fifty years. Discuss - Essay Example British citizenship and nationality is governed by the British nationality law, which can be acquired by a descent from British nationals. In an historical context, British people refer to the ancient Britons, the indigenous inhabitants of the Great Britain (Hall, 2004:108). In essence, this paper will delve the present assertion that the ideas of what it is to be British have fundamentally altered in the last fifty years. The English are ethnic group of people from England, a country of the United Kingdom and commonly known to speak English. They originate from the early mediaeval where old English was spoken. They are the source of English language, the parliamentary systems, the common law system, and the numerous major sports. The Irish people are the ethnic group who originate in Ireland, which is an island in the Northwestern Europe. Descendants of the Irish live in many western countries especially the English speaking countries. Their immigration was caused by politics, famine, and economic issues. The Welsh people are the ethnic group and native of Wales and speak the Welsh language. They are common in the northern and western region. They share a common cultural heritage and shared ancestral origin. The Scottish people are an ethnic group native to Scotland, amalgamation of the Picts and the Gaels. They are tied to their linguistic, culture, family ancestors, and generic nature of origin. Th eir decency in many countries with emigration is attributed to highland and lowland clearances. The notion of the Britishness was shamed during the Napoleonic Wars between the Britian and the first French Empire that later developed further during the Victorian era. Britishness became mixed in much older identities of English, Scots and the Welsh culture with a distinct that resist the notion of a homogenized British identity. Controversies of British identity arise in the Northern Ireland in Leu of the longstanding

A childs education is increasingly dependent on the wealth and wishes Essay

A childs education is increasingly dependent on the wealth and wishes of their parents, rather than the ability of pupils themselves. Discuss - Essay Example It is true that a child’s education is increasingly dependent on the wealth and wishes of their parents, rather than the ability of pupils themselves? How accessible is education in the United Kingdom? What sorts of conflicts does the inaccessibility of education produce? These questions and many more will be addressed and applied to this holistic analysis of education in the United Kingdom. Education is supposed to be meritocratic in nature and the means through which people break through the cumbersome social barriers of class and privilege. Is it true that education is meritocratic and based upon the notion that education allows people to advance, progress and move forward in life? A basic premise of the sociology of education is that it promotes greater equality and is based upon merit and equal opportunity for all. The expansion of education in the past two hundred years in the United Kingdom remains an incredible advance which has purportedly increased social equality to the betterment of society. Less than one hundred years ago, the educational institutions of this country were effectively closed to women, ethnic minorities and a whole host of other groups. Incredibly, educational opportunities were denied to more than 50% of the population for centuries. The sociology of education emphatically argues that public schooling and universal education promotes social equality, social cohesion and is characterised by opportunities for progress and social growth. A fundamental underpinning of the sociology of education is that it is meritoocratically based and that it promotes great equlaity. Now that educational access has expanded across this country, is it true that education promotes social equality and is based upon the merits of individual students? According to scholars Persell & Cookson in their study of