Britain Today Research Articles

Consuming Fictions: The Booker Prize and Fiction in Britain Today

Reviewed by: Consuming Fictions: The Booker Prize and Fiction in Britain Today James F. English Richard Todd. Consuming Fictions: The Booker Prize and Fiction in Britain Today. London: Bloomsbury, 1996. xii + 340 pp. Considering how enormous the book-prize industry has become, how ubiquitous its rhetoric of competition, achievement, and reward, scholarly literature on the topic is surprisingly slim. There is no basic history of the modern literary prize that traces its emergence at the turn of this century from such earlier phenomena as classical drama prizes, university poetry and essay prizes, laureateships, royal society medals, [End Page 529] and state prizes. There is no sociology of the book prize that attempts to situate the prize as a particular form of symbolic capital, or a particular instrument of exchange, within the contemporary economy of literary reward and esteem. And there are virtually no studies of individual prizes that do more than recount anecdotally the most amusing or scandalous moments in a prize’s history or blandly summarize the careers and relative merits of the prizewinners. In general, scholars have turned their attention to literary prizes only when their interest in a particular writer has led them to do so: Poundians have produced much commentary on Pound’s Bollingen Prize, Sartre scholars have detailed Sartre’s refusal of the Nobel, and so on. The proposition that book prizes are more than a nuisance and a folly, that they are in and of themselves a worthy object of academic study, has scarcely been creditable among serious literary critics and historians. In this respect, Richard Todd’s Consuming Fictions makes a definite contribution. Focused specifically on Britain’s Booker Prize for Fiction and on some of the novels and novelists that have effectively defined the field of contenders for that prize over the past two decades, Consuming Fictions is the first study I have seen that sets out to understand the powerful and complex role such prizes have come to play in our culture. And rather than taking for granted, as most of the Booker’s many detractors are inclined to do, that this role must be a destructive one, that prizes have served primarily to further the encroachment of commercial logic onto the literary field and the consequent dilution or degradation of literary value, Todd argues for their essential beneficence. The combination of forces that has “spawned the growth of those prizes, enhanc[ing] their power,” he remarks in his introduction, has also “enhanced our culture.” This thesis, as I will discuss in a moment, is not very firmly anchored in the particulars of the book, which include new and valuable insights into the changing relationships between what Todd calls “the mechanics of commerce” and “the formation of a particular kind of literary canon.” Though the Booker is his central concern, Todd makes clear that the tremendous success of this prize—the dominant place it now holds on Britain’s literary calendar, the great hoopla of publicity that surrounds it, the phenomenal sales boost it can represent, and the many imitators, or “baby bookers,” it has spawned—can only be understood in the context of larger shifts in both the economic [End Page 530] and the symbolic markets for culture, shifts of which it is both a cause and an effect. His first three chapters, which not only provide the most in-depth account yet published of the history and internal workings of the Booker Prize but also detail the growing role of the major chain booksellers in marketing “quality” fiction, the increased importance for British publishers of the American book market, and, more generally, the convergence in Britain of “bestsellerdom” and canonicity, can stand beside the work of John Sutherland as exemplary contributions to the sociology of British literature. Somewhat less valuable are the six chapters that follow, in which Todd offers a series of literary-critical readings of novels by the authors who have contended for Booker Prizes since the early 1980s. Todd’s intention here is to sketch out the contours of the “particular kind of literary canon” that the Booker has helped to produce, and he does succeed to an extent, though it must be said that some...

Measurement of Changes in Trabecular Bone Structure with Age in an Archaeological Population

Osteoporosis is a major health problem in Britain today. The study of fractures resulting from osteoporosis in the present population indicates that the key factor in their occurrence is trabecular bone structure, rather than whole bone mass or density. No simple method, applicable equally to archaeological material, is available to provide a quantitative description of bone structure. Close range photogrammetry is a technique by which the three-dimensional microskeletal structures may be observed and measured. Stereopair photographs of mid-coronal sections through 79 human fourth lumbar vertebral bodies obtained from two London archaeological cemetery sites (datedc.ad1700–1850) were studied using a digital stereocomparator which allowed the real lengths of individual trabeculae to be measured in three-dimensions. One hundred such lengths for each bone sample were recorded, and these data grouped according to sex, and age at death. A marked increase in trabecular length with age was found. There were differences between the males and females, with females having a longer trabecular length starting at an earlier age and continuing throughout all age groups. There was a significant difference in mean trabecular length for males and females in all age groups under 45 years of age. Although differences could be seen in the older age groups they were less marked. Greater knowledge of the distribution of trabecular lengths from further studies will allow the identification of abnormal or osteoporotic individuals. In this study the technique has been applied to archaeological material but it may well be suitable for present day autopsy samples.

INTRODUCTION

If we stop to consider our lifestyles, many people in modern western societies undertake very little walking. Apart from walking short distances to the shops or around the park, our populations are taking to wheels (Napolitano, 1996). That said, many people in the UK have been reluctant to consider powered wheelchairs or scooters in this context. This situation appears to be charging as more powered wheelchairs and pavement scooters are seen in towns and country areas across Britain today. Powered wheelchair designs are improving all the time and many more companies are joining in the quest for customers, by including powered wheelchairs in their catalogues.

Social Justice and the Politics of School Effectiveness and Improvement

The dominant discourse in education in Britain today is that version of ‘school effectiveness and school improvement’ which is endorsed by the Labour Government. In this article I examine the place of issues of equality and social justice in the discourse of ‘Official School Improvement’, making particular reference to issues of ‘race’. On the basis of a comparative analysis of the key elements of OSI and those of the tradition of egalitarian reform which has developed in Britain and elsewhere in recent decades, I argue that OSI is neither oriented to address issues of social justice in education nor equipped to respond effectively to them, and that this has fundamental implications for the wider school effectiveness and improvement movement.

Workplace Union Resilience in the Merseyside Fire Brigade

Here the author provides evidence from empirical case study research into the changing nature of workplace industrial relations and trade union organisation within the Merseyside Fire Brigade over the last 10–15 years. He documents the main processes of development within an historical context assessing workplace unionism during the 1980s, the recent challenge posed by managerial restructuring in the early 1990s, and the wider implications for debates about the ‘state’ of workplace unionism in Britain today.

Society is not built by education alone: alternative routes to a learning society

This article examines the notion of a learning society in Britain by outlining some of the chief arguments currently being used to advocate the establishment of such a society. These arguments have two main strands – that the standard of education and training has a direct impact on the economy and that therefore expenditure on lifelong learning is an investment that will be recouped, and the claim that there is a lack of justice in the distribution of education and its rewards in Britain today. The article also involves a brief consideration of the extent to which a learning society already exists. Using preliminary findings from a large-scale study of participation in adult education and training over 50 years in industrial South Wales, it concludes that to some extent ‘Learning Society’ is used by policy-makers and academics as a term of convenience. It is an ideal notion (but one with very prosaic targets couched in terms of certification) which helps mask the lack of real progress in some respects towards an ‘educated public’

Representative democracy in Britain today

Introduction - historical background: what is democracy? the growth of the democratic ideal in Britain. Part 1 Economic democracy: checking the accounts regulation of industry and finances. Part 2 Representation: electoral systems mandates, delegates and representation sleaze, patronage and financial advantage. Part 3 Accountability: ministerial responsibility scrutiny, probity and secrecy unselected and unaccountable. Part 4 Democratic deficit: power without responsibility power to the people!

Shamanism in Britain Today

Shamanism in Britain Today

Book and video reviews

It is ironic that if you copy from one author it is plagiarism but if you copy from more than one author it counts as research. John Black, a consultant paediatrician, has written this useful book after much research. The first edition of the book in 1985 had the title The new paediatrics: child health in ethnic minorities. Hopefully, some professors in general practice will one day realize the change that has occurred in British society as a whole, and what they see today as 'inner city problems' will emerge tomorrow as a wealth of ethnic minority cultures. Indeed, the title page with pictures of black and white children reflects the fact that Britain now has a fair sample of the Commonwealth populations. The difficulties which ethnic minority children face in Britain today and how they make contact with health services are described in two early chapters. An account of the cultural and medical problems of four major ethnic groups Asians, AfroCaribbeans and Africans, Cypriots (Greeks or Turks) and Chinese as well as Vietnamese is given in the remaining five easy-to-read chapters. The general practitioner, for example, is informed that lactase deficiency varies with race. It is present in about 20% of Europeans, 33% of North Indians (and Pakistanis), 60% of South Indians (and Sri Lankans), 40% of Cypriots and Italians and the highest incidence, 75 to 1000/o, is among the Chinese (and Vietnamese) and Japanese living in Britain. This book contains much useful clinical information and I would strongly recommend it to all general practitioners and practice staff. BASHIR QURESHI General practitioner, Hounslow, London

Update on sheep scab

SHEEP scab, probably the most infectious condition of sheep in Britain today, has become widespread in the UK since it was deregulated in July 1992. While traditionally a disease of...

Working Schoolchildren in Britain Today

In the scary media world of abused childhoods, child labour has become a major journalistic event. The news headlines record children working in conditions thought to have been abolished by social democratic reform. In spite of this mounting documentary evidence—supported by research undertaken by trade unions and pressure groups such as the Low Pay Unit—Tory ministers argued that child labour was not a problem. The Government's interest in youth was not the demoralisation of young workers at work, but the insubordination of youth, expressed as, among other things, crime, drug-taking and classroom disorder. The problem for conservative policy is the remoralisation of young people through the imposition of a new authority and the production of guides to the virtuous life.

Cultural issues in palliative care.

The understanding of different cultural needs is important in the field of palliative care. An individual's cultural background influences their way of behaviour and view of the world they live in. In Britain today, 5.5 per cent of the population comes from minority cultural groups. This paper argues that cultures in a plural society like Britain's are not static but continually changing. The nature of this change is discussed by looking at the processes of enculturation and acculturation. It is also argued that although some cultural change may take place, some basic rituals at death and dying remain unaffected. This then raises the need for health care professionals to be aware of the original (purist) value and belief system of each individual patient's culture, i.e. before acculturation, and keep that as a broad framework while assessing the current values and beliefs of that individual patient. The difference between culture and religion is briefly discussed, then a few cultural groups are selected to describe beliefs and practices during dying and at death. This is important because the basic tenet of palliative care is to view and treat the patient holistically. To do so, a clear understanding of the patient's values and belief system must be foremost.

'God Wants Us to be in Different Parties': Religion and Politics in Britain Today

Journal Article ‘God Wants Us to be in Different Parties’: Religion and Politics in Britain Today Get access MARTIN DURHAM MARTIN DURHAM Senior Lecturer in Politics *Dudley Campus, University of Worverhampton Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 50, Issue 2, April 1997, Pages 212–222, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.pa.a028721 Published: 01 April 1997

The parenting of adolescents in Britain today

The parenting of adolescents in Britain today

The parenting of adolescents in Britain today

In this paper it is noted that increased attention has been paid to the topic of parenting in recent years. However, most of this attention has been concentrated on the parenting of young children, with the parenting of adolescents being largely ignored by both practitioners and academics. The paper reviews the available research on the parenting of teenagers, and shows how this could be of use to those who live with young people. The article concludes with some suggestions for new research, and argues that there is an urgent need for greater support and information for this group of parents.

The parenting of adolescents in Britain today

The parenting of adolescents in Britain today

The marketing of British hardwoods

This paper considers the paper of the same name written by J. H. Newnham70 years ago, and then outlines the current situation and trends. The management of woodlands is a long-term process, but it is nevertheless disturbing to note that much of the broadleaved woodland in Britain today is still suffering the same haphazard management Newnham complained of, with high levels of under-management and a poor growing stock. Newnham also regarded theforest industry which utilizes timber from British woodlands as not keepingup to date with new ideas and methods, and not giving consumers the goods they actually require. There have been many significant advances in softwood processing during the last 70 years, but this level of innovation is not evident in the hardwood sector. The importance that we now place on the amenity and environmental value of broadleaved woodland should not prevent managers from growing at least some high-quality trees with a view to their providing a contribution towards the costs of management. This will not happen unless there is a robust and concerted effort to manage deer and squirrels in broadleaved woodlands. New markets for some traditional products, developments in technology and the willingness of people to network information may offer a wider range of outlets to woodland owners in the future. The future is viewed with some optimism; but so it was by Newnham.

Gender Differences in Religious Mobility in Great Britain

For the last thirty years, the question of religious mobility has generated increasing research activity within the USA. Despite this research attention, however, the impact of gender on religious movements has rarely been investigated. Using recent British data, this paper examines gender differences in both the nature and extent of religious mobility within this society. The results suggest that males are significantly more likely to change their religious preferences than females. Furthermore, this relationship remains net of prior religious identification and background, as well as current socio-economic attainments, marital status, parental status and age. This is not to suggest, however, that gender is the only factor in explaining religious movement. Other equally, if not more salient, determinants include parental religious background, religious activity in childhood, denomination of origin, as well as spousal religious homogamy. In fact, more so than any other factor, it is religious socialization, or a respondent's religious experiences in childhood, which emerges as the key predictor or religious movement in Britain today

Alan Bennett: Political Playwright

Alan Bennett is one of the most popular mainstream dramatists working in Britain today, his canon now a mainstay of regional and amateur theatre companies. Yet for a writer who was once compared to John Osborne as taking ‘the moral temperature of the nation’, his output is widely regarded as apolitical and, at worst, ‘safe’. In the following article, Richard Scarr suggests that this viewpoint is misleading, and argues that Bennett is not only one of the most politically contentious playwrights in dominant theatre, but that the ideological viewpoints he has supported have changed as his career has progressed. Richard Scarr is an English graduate of the University of North London, and has recently completed an MA in Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary and Westfield College. He is currently researching a PhD on the rhetoric of Renaissance comedy, with particular emphasis on the double-entendre.

THE PONSONBYS AND QUEEN VICTORIA

G Sir Henry Ponsonby was the nineteenth-century proto.type of the modern private secretary. Schooled by the Prince Consort and Baron Stockmar, Ponsonby himself, in his tum, trained the man who would be George V's longest-serving private secretary, Lord Stamfordham. Among these advisers to the Crown, Ponsonby deserves special attention not only because he was a model for his successors, but also because he served the Queen during a critical stage of the country's shift to a more democratic constitution. Ponsonby's wife, Mary, is of equal interest. A fonner Maid of Honour and long a friend of the Queen, she had one foot in the Household and the other in a bohemian world of radicals, writers and freethinkers. In their letters and diaries, preserved in the Royal Archives at Windsor, she and her husband both left an unusually articulate record of the daily routine and atmosphere of Queen Victoria's court. That record forces us to revise some of our stereotypes about the character of life at court in the second half of the century. Further, because the monarchy is once again under scrutiny in Britain today, a study of the Ponsonbys offers opportunities to see how intelligent late-Victorian insiders might have answered the question, Why is the monarchy worth having? Henry Ponsonby's main associations were with the Army, Ireland and the Whigs. He was the son of a general who had fought with Wellington in the Peninsular Campaign and at Waterloo. His grandfather, the third Earl of Bessborough, was an Irish landowner. His mother was a Bathurst and on both sides of the family there were multiple connections to the families who dominated government during the eighteenth century. As a young man, Ponsonby obtained a commission in the Grenadier Guards, served as A. D. C. or private secretary to five Lords Lieutenant of Ireland and was decorated for fighting in the Crimea. He first came to court as equerry to the Prince Consort in 1856. Following the prince's death and a brief spell in Canada, Ponsonby returned as equerry to the Queen, and succeeded General Grey as the Queen's private secretary in 1870. After a quarter of century in office, he had a stroke at Osborne in 1895 and died, aged 70, some months later. Ponsonby's wife, Mary, was the daughter of John Crocker Bulteel, M. P., and a granddaughter of the Lord Grey who brought in the Great Reform Bill. She first came to court as Maid of Honour in 1853, and served until her marriage in 1861. Her husband succeeded her uncle Charles