Short description:

A collection of essays devoted to British Cultural Studies, covering most of the key areas in literature, language, media and culture. Bassnett provides a substantial and accessible introduction to map out the territory.

Long description:

'British Studies' and 'British Cultural Studies' cover a wide range of facets of contemporary Britain. Studying British Cultures: An Introduction is a unique collection of essays which examine the most significant aspects of this quickly developing area of study, analyzing the ways of teaching and reading British culture.
The work covers the contemporary and key issues, including:

• the terminological distinction between 'British Studies' and 'British Cultural Studies'


• the problem of national cultures and identities in contemporary Britain


• studying language and literature from a British Studies perspective


• models for studying the historical context of the development of ideas of `Britishness'


• studying contemporary Britain overseas

The contributors are some of the key names in current debates surrounding British Studies, and Susan Bassnett holds together their work with a substantial and accessible introduction. Studying British Cultures: An Introduction will be essential reading for students and teachers concerned with the study of contemporary Britain.

Table of Contents:

Introduction. Studying British Cultures Susan Bassnett Part I. 1. But what is Cultural Studies Anthony Easthope 2. Facts and Meaning in British Cultural Studies Alan Durant 3. British Studies: An Educational Perspective Christopher Brumfit 4. Cultural Studies and Foreign Language Teaching Michael Byram 5. Fictional Maps of Britain David Punter Part II. 6. Redefining Scotland Robert Crawford 7. Cymru or Wales: Explorations in a Divided Sensibility Katie Gramich 8. A View of the Present State of Irish Studies Sabina Sharkey 9. Teaching West Indian Literature in Britain David Dabydeen 10. Shakespeare in Quotations John Drakakis Bibliography.