The clout of the British aristocracy

Acepublisher .

Order the writing of a tailor-made Journalism Essay

Free quote online

Essay Format .doc

The clout of the British aristocracy

Download

Read an extract

Reader
Abstract
Contents
Extract

Abstract

The British aristocracy is known worldwide, not only because of its prestigious past, but also for all its special ways of life. Many stereotypes can briefly define them: they have a great economic power, they are important actors in the British political life, and they have very specific habits or hobbies which make them feel like a class apart. That's because of all those preconceived ideas that people are interested in them all around the world.We wanted to go over those preconceived ideas and clichés in order to find the real reasons that justify the clout of the present day British Aristocracy. This topic is very up to date since, today more than ever, the importance given to this top social class is very debatable. Although the British aristocracy has succeeded in remaining a ruling class in the British society, nothing can be sure about its position for the times to come. To fulfil this mission, we have tried to analyze how the Aristocracy managed to be a part of the Upper Class, and how it has managed to retain its privileges and influence till today. Then, we wanted to see on the one hand, how the Aristocrats see themselves in the present day society and on the other hand, how they are seen by the rest of the population.

Introduction.
How the Aristocracy managed to maintain its privileges.
1. A leading class in the economic development of Britain.
2. An active political body.
3. A remaining social class thanks to cultural specificities.
How the aristocrats see themselves.
1. Rivalry with the Nouveaux riches.
2. A modern and open political ruling class.
3. 'Social guides' for the rest of the population.
How the Aristocrats are seen by the rest of the population.
1. An admired social class.
2. An criticized social class.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.

Get this table of contents for free after login.

Extract

[...] KEVIN: Studying the political clout of the Aristocracy was much more interesting that I could ever imagine. Indeed, I have learnt a lot from my researches and I felt more enthusiastic about working on this project even though I was quite reluctant at first. I met some difficulties in organizing information that was collected during my researches. That's why I would like to thank Priya and Maximilien for their help and indications. PRIYA: Being a perfectionist, I really wanted our project to be the best. [...]

[...] Part Three: How they are seen by the rest of the population There is no doubt that the British Aristocracy remains a key element of the British society. It is of course at the roots of numerous ‘clichés' but it still true that there is a kind of admiration for this traditional upper class. A striking example is the importance of articles on members of the Aristocracy in the British media. And what is even more surprising is that there are not only such articles in the tabloids or papers like the Sun, the Daily Mirror, but also in more serious papers such as the Guardian. [...]

[...] The key element of the importance of the British aristocracy (the core of the pre-industrial upper class) is of course the landownership. The lord ruled his territory and provided security, whereas the serfs were not free but attached to this land. As productivity was very limited (self consumption in the domestic system) and the market relations unimportant, the political and the production units coincided. There was, in short, a “juridical amalgam of economic exploitation with political authority”[2]. The term ‘feudalism' refers to a political organization but it could describe as well the very fragmented economic situation of the period. [...]

[...] * Radio Broadcasts Aristocracy', By Melvin BRAGG, In our time, BBC Radio London Jun ( A comparative, sometimes cross-cultural, analysis of the rise and of fall of the British Aristocracy by two British and one Spanish historians. However it's sometimes difficult to understand the Spanish expert's English. * Encyclopaedia "Aristocracy", Encyclopædia Britannica Feb http://www.britannica.com ( A very clear and detailed article which provides many helpful factual and up-to-date information but also some developments about the controversial aspects of the subject. [...]

[...] This activity appeared in the most industrially advanced areas, and was first played in the British schools where all the children of the aristocracy were studying. Sport at that time was closely linked to the capitalism thinking, with words such as performance or competitiveness. Soccer appeared in the 1850s. It was created to limit violence in schools and was based on many typically British virtues such as self control, self-sacrifice or fair play By the 1880s, it entered the working class society. [...]

doc