Past event
Cultural Memory Reading Group: 'Brexit, National Identity & the Uses of History'
As the transition period ended and the United Kingdom broke its ties to the European Union, 2021 will be a crucial year in determining the UK's place in the world. Brexit, of course, also affects personally many of the staff and students associated with our institute. While the media is often filled with news of prospective trade deals, lorry queues in Kent and political infighting, we want to take a step back and reflect on Brexit from a cultural perspective.
Please find the suggested readings available on our website: https://cims.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/reading-group/
For any questions, or if you have trouble joining the meeting, please email us at: [email protected] or [email protected].
In these two articles, Robert Saunders and Paul Beaumont focus – from different points of views – on the role of the British Empire in the Brexit debate. How do notions of national identity affected the views of voters? How was history used in portraying Britain and Europe's past, as well as their future? What does ‘Global Britain' mean? In answering some of these questions, the authors engage with useful concepts in our field of study, such as ‘nostalgia', ‘amnesia', ‘decolonisation' and ‘retrotopia.'
UGs, PGTs, PGRs, and staff from all schools are welcome.
The event will take place on Teams. Please email [email protected] if you intend to come.