England: What We Learned

Submitted by Sarah Edgerton on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice…

During my stay in London we visited several sites and had two walking tours of London.  The Tower of London held prisoners until the 1960s. It was eye-opening for me to realize how gruesome their punishments could be. This would never be allowed or tolerated in today’s society. However, the United States still legalizes the death penalty in certain cases. I find it interesting that this method of punishment is still widely accepted so many centuries later and makes me question how humane our society has become.

I learned a great deal on the Gin Lane tour about the way that society operated in the 18th century and how alcohol was regulated. During this time, gin was a symbol of lower class socioeconomic status. Many workers drank away their sorrows in order to escape reality. I can’t even imagine what they were going through at the time.

In comparison to Gin Lane, we learned how beer during the 18th century was much safer to drink than water. It is quite eye-opening for me to fathom the idea of not being able to drink clean water and having to rely on alcohol. People were not aware of the harmful health effects of alcohol during this time and it made me realize how privileged we really are.

I got extremely close with a few of the girls on my program. We took a day trip to Kensington Palace where we learned about royal culture and the way in which young Queen Victoria was raised. At the young age of five years old, Victoria became the queen of England. I learned a great deal about the monarchy while abroad and found it extremely interesting to compare it to the U.S. government system. Being born into a monarchy seems like a great deal of pressure and although they view it as privilege, I can see how it may be difficult for a young woman or man to take on that responsibility.