Immigration: Multicultural Britain 3301-KB243

The aim of the course is to provide students with a thorough background in immigration and ethnicity in postwar Britain. The course begins with on overview of the legacy of the British empire and the impact of Britain's imperial past on both the construction of British/English identities and the attitude towards non-white immigrants coming from the former colonies after the Second World War. The groups of immigrants are divided into to major categories such as immigrants from Europe and immigrants from the Commowealth. The media coverage of such events as the arrival of the Empire Windrush in London in 1948 and the 1950s TV documentaries are examined as source materials. These are set against and discussed in the context of legislation that was introduced to limit the numbers of non-white immigrants in Britain (British Nationality Acts) as well as the legislation whose goal was to prevent discrimination of ethnic minority groups (Race Relations Acts).

TOPICS:

Class 1. Course introduction; Britain's imperial past; Immigration timeline. Definition of terms.
Class 2. Immigration from the Commonwealth 1948-1955 – racialization of black immigration, Race Relations Acts
Class 3. British Citizenship - British Nationality Acts, the British National Party .
Class 4. Celebrating diversity – Notting Hill Carnival, A London Carnival
Class 5. P. Gilroy's „There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack” – music and racism
Class 6. Race Riots – Riots 1958, 2001 riots, the 2011 riots
Class 7. Ethnic minorities in Britain after 1945 – British Asians, Asian Dub Foundation
Class 8. New Labour and racism, immigration policy since 2001
Class 9. The Ideology of Multiculturalism in Britain
Class 10. Polish community in the UK
Class 11. Cameron and immigration
Class 12. Immigration debates before and after Brexit – Understanding Brexit
Class 13. Review
Class 14. Final test
Class 15. Individual sessions

Course coordinators

Katarzyna Kociołek

Type of course

elective courses

Mode

Classroom
Remote learning

Prerequisites (description)

Second cycle studies course Three absences are allowed. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom is governed by the rules set forth in Resolution No. 16 of the Teaching Council for the programs English Studies, English Studies – Linguistics, and English Studies – Literature and Culture of 9 December 2025 https://ia.uw.edu.pl/fileadmin/ilustracje/dokumenty/2026/RD_IA_2025_UCHWALA_nr16_narzedzia_AI_nowelizacja_ZAL2_EN.pdf AI use: Any and all use of AI must be reported. It is not permitted to use AI for graded assignments or final projects.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes applicable to students beginning their studies in the academic year 2026/27

Knowledge
Students will have in-depth familiarity with:
K_W01 advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art in the disciplines of literary studies and culture and region studies,in the area of multiculturalism/contemporary visual culture research in Great Britain, in accordance with their chosen specialization (and educational path)
K_W04 concepts and principles concerning the protection of intellectual property and copyright

Abilities
Students will be able to:
K_U01 apply the advanced terminology, theories and research methods of literary studies and culture and religion studies to solve complex and original research problems in accordance with his/her chosen specialization (and educational path)
K_U04 apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law

Social competences
Students will be ready to:
K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources
K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult experts when required

*** Applies to students who began their studies in the year 2022/2023 ***

Knowledge
Students will have in-depth familiarity with:
K_W01 Identify and characterize on an advanced level the place and status of literary and culture studies within the humanities
K_W02 Describe on an advanced level the current trends in literary and cultural studies research within English studies in the area of multiculturalism/contemporary visual culture research in Great Britain
K_W04 Characterize on an advanced level the principles of research design in literary and culture studies with special focus on the application of methods and tools in formulating research problems
K_W05 Identify the notions and principles pertinent to intellectual property and copyright

Abilities
Students will be able to:
K_U01 Apply advanced terminology and notions pertinent to the discipline (linguistics, literary studies, culture and religion studies)
K_U02 Apply advanced research methodology within literary and culture studies and English studies, in the area of multiculturalism/contemporary visual culture research in Great Britain respecting ethical norms and copyright law
K_U03 Apply knowledge obtained during the course of studies to account for and solve a problem, thereby completing a research task related to the discipline literary studies and/or culture and religion studies in the area of multiculturalism/contemporary visual culture research in Great Britain
K_U04 Analyze linguistic, literary and cultural phenomena and draw generalizations on their basis in the context of societal, historical and economic factors on an advanced level
K_U05 Discern alternative methodological paradigms within a discipline
K_U06 Find information in various sources and critically assess its usefulness for research related to the topic of the MA project

Social competences
Students will be ready to:
K_K02 Apply knowledge and skills obtained during the course of studies to undertake lifelong learning, as well as personal and professional development
K_K03 Take responsibility for performing one’s professional duties, with due respect for the work of others, obey and develop the ethical norms in professional and academic settings related to the disciplines included on the curriculum of English studies
K_K04 Assess critically one’s own knowledge and skills related to the studies
K_K06 Value cultural heritage and cultural diversity as well as individual opinions

Learning outcomes applicable to students beginning their studies in the academic year 2025/26

Knowledge
The graduate has in-depth familiarity with:
- K_W01 advanced terminology, theory and research methods corresponding to the state of the art
in the disciplines of literary studies and culture and region studies, within the in accordance with their chosen
specialization (and educational path)
- K_W04 concepts and principles concerning the protection of intellectual property and copyright
Abilities
The graduate is able to:
- K_U01 apply the advanced terminology, theories and research methods of literary studies and
culture and religion studies to solve complex and original research problems in accordance with
his/her chosen specialization (and educational path)
- K_U04 apply the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law
Social competences
The graduate is ready to:
- K_K01 critically appraise their knowledge and content obtained from various sources
- K_K02 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems; consult
experts when required.
Depending on the specific course; methods regarded as most suitable for verifying learning outcomes will be determined in the course syllabus: W, U, K.

Learning outcomes applicable to students in the years 2022-2024

Knowledge

Students know and understand:

K_W02 at an advanced level, key terminology, main methods and theories of research on British culture (in particular regarding migration and multiculturalism) within the framework of English philology;

K_W03 at an advanced level, tendencies in the development of cultural studies, in particular the history and theory of migration and multiculturalism within the English philology;

K_W05 at an advanced level of grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology, pragmatics of the English language;

K_W07 principles of designing cultural studies, in particular the use of methods and tools in formulating research problems.

Skills

Students can:

K_U01 use the terminology and conceptual apparatus in the field of cultural studies, in particular regarding migration and multiculturalism;

K_U02 use the methodology of cultural studies within the English philology, respecting the standards of scientific ethics and copyright

K_U04 use the acquired knowledge to describe and solve problems and perform tasks related to the discipline of science about culture and religion

K_U11 design their own development path

Social competence

Students are ready to:

K_K02 lifelong learning and personal development, using the skills to select subjects and projects corresponding to the interests of a given person

K_K03 taking responsibility for one's own work and respecting the work of others, taking care to observe the principles of professional ethics as well as ethical principles and standards in project activities and other activities undertaken as part of professional work, volunteering, etc.

Language education at the B2 + level.

English language training level B2+

In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.ducation at language level B2+.

Assessment criteria

TEACHING METHODS
- analysis of primary and secondary sources
- discussion
- presentations

ASSESSMENT:
Presentation - 20%
Final test - 80%

GRADING: 60-65 % - 3; 66-70 % - 3,5; 71-80 % - 4; 81-90 % - 4,5; 91-100 % - 5

Retake exam during a retake session

Bibliography

Alibhai-Brown, Yasmin. True Colours. Southhampton: Institute for Public Policy Research, 1999.
Baker, Houston A., Jr.,Manthia Diawara and Ruth H. Lindeborg, eds. Black British Cultural Studies. A Reader. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Bhabha, Homi K. “Narrating the Nation.” In Nation and Narration, edited by Homi K. Bhabha,1-7. London: Routledge, 2000.
Bhabha, Homi K. “The Postcolonial and The Postmodern: The Question of Agency.” In The Cultural Studies Reader, edited by Simon During 189-208. London: Routledge, 2001.
Cannadiene, David. Ornamentalism. How the British Saw Their Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Fairclough, Norman. Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. London: Routledge, 2003.
Gilroy, Paul. There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack. London: Routledge, 2002.
Hall, Stuart, ed. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage Publications, 2002.
Mirzoeff, Nicholas. “The Multiple Viewpoint. Diaspora and Visual Culture.” In The Visual Culture Reader, edited by Nicolas Mirzoeff, 204-214. New York: Routledge, 2005.
Morley, David, and Kevin Robins. British Cultural Studies, Geography, Nationality and Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Parekh, Bhikhu. Rethinking Multiculturalism. Hampshire: Palgrave, 2000.
Paul, Kathleen. Whitewashing Britain. Race and Citizenship in the Postwar Era. New York: Cornell University Press, 1997.
Pines, Jim. “Rituals and Representations of Black ‘Britishness’.” in: British Cultural Studies. Geography Nationality and Identity, edited by David Morley Morley and Kevin Robins, 57-66. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.