I am an institution

Description

A collective consideration of the perception of Britishness, from the apex of Britain's industrial power to the acknowledgement of her decline, such was the purpose of the conference organised at the Université Charles-de-Gaulle - Lille 3, in October 2004. These twin analyses of the evolution of the image of the United Kingdom combine vernacular interpretations and, perception from Britain's arch enemy and nonetheless ally. Our diachronic reflections, gathered in this bilingual book, basically deal with political and cultural history, including representations. Besides England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, imperial and European aspects are considered, as well as the «Special Relationship». From the 18^th century, the exaltation of insularity, protestantism and a fundamentally anti-French patriotism cemented Britishness. In the aftermath of Waterloo, the Anglo-French antagonism was especially obtrusive on the economic and diplomatic fronts, against a background of imperial rivalry. In the 20^th century, periods of anglophilia tempered with distrust alternated with anglophobic spells. Although it survives in graphic satire, the stereotype of «perfidious Albion» is fading as the United Kingdom's integration into the European Union gains ground.