Global Citizen: The British Experience - units 2026/27

Tea and biscuits, kings and queens and empire, slavery and abolition, Shakespeare, Dickens, and Austen - what is it exactly that defines Great Britain? This study theme explores the many facets of the British history, culture, and society, from the celebrated to the unknown, the innovative to the destructive. 

This cannot be done in isolation, however, so many of the units adopt a comparative or postcolonial lens, reconsidering iconic British writers, the long shadow of imperialism, and British society today from a more global perspective. Several units focus specifically on the city of Bristol, giving students the chance to get to know this unique corner of the UK.

You will find units on:

• decolonisation, colonialism, and empire
• literature
• cinema, art, and visual culture
• society, including the NHS (health care), education, youth justice system

This theme is available for General Pathway students. You can choose as many (or as few) units from this study theme as you like. There are no requirements to pick units only within this list.

Pre-requisites

• Year 1 – units suitable for all students.
• Year 2 – for students with some university study in a relevant discipline (see below for details of the related discipline for each unit).
• Year 3 – for students with a strong background of study in a relevant discipline (see below for details of the related discipline for each unit).

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3