With the rise of multiculturalism and growth of the global community, we are increasingly questioning what might be said to be British values and identity, and whether these have a place in our society. What makes a good British citizen? Is democracy still important to us, or, in a country where only 61% of people voted in the last election, are we becoming ever more politically apathetic? This book covers national identity, voting and government, and young citizens.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper reports, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: National Identity
Citizenship and belonging, The citizenship survey 2005, The union jack – a symbol of unity or division?, Flying the flag, Study shows Scottish sense of ‘Britishness’ in decline, Pride in Britain is on the wane, History lessons we should learn, Ethnicity and identity, The decline of Britishness, Abandon multiculturalism to foster ‘Britishness’ , Islamophobia and national identity , Citizenship test stumps one in three migrants, Identity cards.
Chapter Two: Voting and Government
Parliament, Voting for dummies, Election jargon buster, General elections, A citizen’s duty, The Cabinet, The myth of voter apathy, Democracy and extremism, How laws are made, Give citizens power to make laws, urges inquiry.
Chapter Three: Young Citizens
Young people ‘feel excluded from decisions’, Young people and mock elections, Youth participation, Votes at 16, Voting age: reduction to 16, My voice, my vote, my community, Youth parliaments and councils, Young politician, Schools poor at teaching citizenship, says Ofsted, Citizenship education, What is Global Citizenship?, European Union citizenship, What do young people want from Europe?
Key Facts
Glossary
Additional Resources
Index
Acknowledgements
• Although a symbol of national unity, for many people in the UK the union jack highlights the social, political and cultural splits that exist between and within the countries that make up the British Isles. (page 3)
• 50% of respondents in a YouGov survey described themselves as ‘very proud’ to be British, with a further 36% describing themselves as fairly proud. 11% described themselves as not very or not at all proud. (page 4)
• In most non-White ethnic groups in Britain in 2004, the majority of people described their national identity as British, English, Scottish or Welsh. (page 8)
• 91% of people surveyed by Ipsos MORI disagreed with the statement ‘To be truly British you have to be White’. (page 9)
• 45% of respondents surveyed by YouGov strongly agreed that Britain is losing its own culture. A further 24 % agreed, while 15% disagreed or strongly disagreed. (page 14)
• Turnout in both national and local elections has fallen dramatically in the last decade – the 2001 and 2005 elections recorded the lowest turnout (59 and 61 per cent respectively) since the advent of universal suffrage in 1918. (page 19)
• When respondents were asked to choose something that might encourage them to vote, most nonvoters (54%) chose politicians keeping their promises and listening to people’s views between elections (the figure rose to 72% for 18 to 24yearolds – a group that are particularly unlikely to vote). (page 22)
• Young people feel ignored by politicians yet still want to have more say over the running of their country, according to a major nationwide survey of young people carried out on behalf of the British Youth Council. (page 28)
Citizenship and National Identity Study Guide
Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.
Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.50
ISBN: 978 1 86168 395 3
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