Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

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In the past few years in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) there has been an overwhelming focus on the use of English at all levels of education, in both public and private schools. In addition, the UAE has given English a fairly central role in both the educational sphere and within society. This rapid spread of English has caused concern among members of the general public, some political figures, and the media. Much of the concern with the spread of English is that the language is taking away from young people’s attachment to and fluency in Arabic. In addition, there is a major concern that any loss of Arabic is tantamount to a loss of Arab identity. The discourse of Arabic as an identity marker needs to be assessed in order to determine the validity of these concerns. In order to evaluate this discourse, this study examines how students, who are native speakers of Arabic, perceive their Arab identity. This is done in two ways: first, by asking them to articulate their perceptions about their own Arab identities, and secondly by asking them to discuss their use of both languages. The study asks the students directly what they believe marks their Arab identity. The research for this thesis took place at an American curriculum, English medium university in the UAE. The data for the study was collected in two ways, through a questionnaire that 304 Arabic speaking students completed, followed by semi-structured interviews with 12 of those students. The findings of this study reveal that Arab youth living in the UAE have a complex Arab identity which is made up of a variety of markers or affiliations. Most participants were unable to state definitively that Arabic was the main marker of their Arab identity, or even a major marker. In a world of globalization and global English, these Arab youth have found another language in which to communicate. They see both Arabic and English as resources for facilitating communication, and do not see a strict bond between Arabic and an Arab identity. The participants view their identity as fluid and display agency in their understanding of their Arab identity and in how they use both languages. The results reveal that there is some concern with a loss of Arabic literacy, but there seems to be very little concern about any loss of Arab identity. Overall the findings show that researching Arab identity is a complicated process, and the responses that are garnered show how complex this process is in the UAE. Based on these findings, it is argued that in this particular setting within the UAE, Arabic is not looked upon as an identity marker. However, due to the paucity of research directly interrogating Arabic and Arab identity construction in the Arab world, this study recommends that further studies be carried out in other institutions of higher education in the UAE, where students may not be as proficient in English, and in other Arab nations where English is perhaps not as firmly entrenched.

Le cinéma mettant en scène des anglais d'origines indienne ou pakistanaise, se déroulant sur le territoire britannique et traitant de relations avec les habitants qu'ils soient anglais dits de souche, anglais issus de l'immigration ou de familles métissées est appelé British-Asian cinema. Quelle image moderne de la britannicité les films British-Asians propagent-ils? L'identité anglaise n'est pas liée à la couleur de la peau ou aux origines ethniques mais au sentiment d'être anglais et de partager une culture commune. Beaucoup de personnes issues de l'immigration se disent aujourd'hui anglaises comme cela a pu être expliqué dans le très surprenant documentaire "100% English". Ces diverses représentations transparaissent dans les médias et de façon claire et accessible dans les films. Le cinéma agit comme un moyen de propager dans le monde entier une image de la britannicité. C'est dans ce contexte de redéfinition identitaire britannique que le gouvernement de Tony Blair a misé sur le cinéma britannique et son développement dans toute sa diversité. Nous pouvons nous interroger sur ce qu'est cette représentation britannique, mais aussi anglaise, vu sous cet angle particulier du mélange culturel au cinéma. L'intégration, réussie ou non, les mariages forcés, la religion, les stéréotypes culturels britanniques et Asians sont autant d'obstacles à franchir pour affirmer une identité britannique. Certains anglais ne savent plus qui ils sont réellement, on en vient à faire des tests ADN pour évaluer son niveau d'anglicité et toute légitimité à être anglais. Il est étonnant d'observer qu'à l'inverse, ces nouveaux britanniques issus de parents indiens ou pakistanais, affichent souvent une identité britannique et anglaise claire, peut être même exacerbée et mieux définie. / Cinema staging English people of Indian or Pakistani origins, taking place in Britain, is called "British-Asian cinema". What is the modern image of Britishness that British-Asian films convey? In this respect, English identity is not linked to the color of the skin or to ethnic origins but to a common culture. Various representations appear in media and in a clear ans approachable manner in films. The cinema acts as a means to spread an image of Britishness worldwide. It is in this context of British self-defining or redefing that the government of Tony Blair gave support to the British cinema and its development in all its diversity. Analysing British representation through the lens of cinema seems quite interesting. Whether it is represented as successful integration or forced mariages, religious fanaticism, the Asian cultural stereotypes are obstacles to overcome to assert a British identity. Moreover, some English people do not know who they are, indeed they ended up making DNA tests to assess their level of Englishness and any legitimacy to be English, as it is explained in the TV documentary "100% English". It is striking to notice that on the opposite, these new British people of Indian or Pakistani parents, often show a clear British and English identity, which can sometimes be exacerbated and very accurately defined.

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"We Have to Record the Downfall of Tyranny": The London Times Perspective on Napoleon Bonaparte's Invasion of Russia aims to illustrate how The London Times interpreted and reported on Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia. This thesis explains how England feared its grip on Europe was slipping away due to a French takeover of the continent. This work details the English struggle in order to provide a broader analysis through a newspaper of how nations indirectly involved in the Napoleonic wars understood the conflict.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Simon Fraser University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis explores the geographic complexity of English identity in the High Middle Ages by examining texts that reflect moments and spaces of cultural contact. While interaction with a cultural Other is often thought to reinforce national identity, I challenge this notion, positing instead that, in the texts analysed here, cultural meetings prompt the formation or consolidation of regional identities. These identities are often simultaneously local and cross-cultural, inclusive but based in community ties and a shared sense of place. Each of the four chapters examines a different kind of regional identity and its relation to Englishness through romances and historiographical texts in Anglo-Latin, Anglo-Norman, and Middle English. Discussion primarily focuses on the Gesta Herwardi, Gaimar's Estoire des Engleis, Fouke le Fitz Waryn, Gui de Warewic, Boeve de Haumtone, Le roman de toute chevalerie, and Richard Coer de Lyon. Each of these texts negotiates English identity in relation to a cultural Other, and balances various aspects of cultural identity and scales of geographic affiliation. While some focus exclusively on a particular locality, others create inclusive regional identities, draw together the foreign and the familiar, or depict England as a region on the edge of an interconnected world. These texts show that Englishness can carry different meanings, nuances, and identitary strategies that depend on context, location, or ideology. Together, they forge an image of England that is diverse and multinucleated. Its borders become spaces of meeting, connection, and cultural overlap, as well as division. These works establish a strong English identity while articulating England's necessary relationship with other places, spaces, and peoples, challenging not the borders of England, but the borders of Englishness.