Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Politics
Original poster

What is this "British" culture of which you speak?

85 replies

GrandhighBOOba · 18/10/2010 13:53

Have been lurking on another thread in which the failure or otherwise of multiculturalism has been discussed, and it has got me thinking; what is this "British" culture that is being discussed, which some posters want immigrants to comply with?

I don't see that there is one culture in Britain - the differences in lifestyle, language, beliefs and attitudes from one area to the next are so large. For example, the difference between living in the south of England as compared to central Scotland, or the Scottish Isles, or the Welsh valleys. Or the difference between being working class or middle class, the difference between being urban or rural. Is this not multiculturalism?

What makes one culture more important than another?

OP posts:
claig · 18/10/2010 15:14

same cultural references, Shakespeare, the Beatles and the Beano

claig · 18/10/2010 15:11

Same sense of humour

Chil1234 · 18/10/2010 15:11

Culturally we have a lot more in common with Australia, Canada and other English-speaking historicaly white anglo saxon countries due to our imperial past connections than we do with France or Japan. Imperial Brits and other British Isles emigrees took their culture with them wholesale so we still feel relatively at home in these places, even though they have their own traditions that they've developed independently.

Within Britain there are many cultural traditions that we've acquired down the centuries. Religious, regional, national, class-related, culinary, artistic.... we're a fantastic hotch-potch of them all and we love preserving all the whacky differences from cheese rolling to Wakes Weeks. But we all speak one language (if grudgingly in parts of North Wales), we have a national school curriculum, a national BBC & therefore we have the same points of reference and a high level of commonality. Even in the Scottish Islands.

claig · 18/10/2010 15:09

same laws, pubs close at the same time. Drive on the left hand side of the road, unlike the rest of Europe. Same greetings. Same love of gardens (I used to work with French people and they think we all have gardens and are like Sherlock Holmes). Same mannerisms.

Original poster
GrandhighBOOba · 18/10/2010 14:57

I think there are lots of unique things in Britain, but I can't think of any that universally apply to the whole of Britain. What are the common parts which apply equally on Lewis and in Essex? I can't see a common British culture. Maybe there is an English culture, a Scottish culture etc, but even then, I think that is too simplified. I know for example that coming from central Scotland, I would struggle to adapt to life in the isles, and equally feel like a fish out of water when I visit my sister in England.

OP posts:
claig · 18/10/2010 14:41

Yes but isn't there one common culture, that contains the common parts of the many cultures? and isn't this shared common culture different to the French shared common culture? Isn't there something unique about Britain that is not shared by France and vice versa?

Original poster
GrandhighBOOba · 18/10/2010 14:33

Claig - I am not saying there is no culture, I am saying there are many, I assume the same is true of France.

TBH, I don't think that the culture of the Scottish Islands is the same as that of the South of England - they do not share a common history, cuisine, religious practices, mythology etc, yet both are British.

Chil - the language point is interesting, although I think particularly in some areas of Wales they would object to the notion that they "enjoy" the use of Welsh - for many it is their first language. But that aside, culture has to be more than a shared language - after all, America, Canada, Australia and many other countries use English as their main language, yet have separate cultures to Britain(s)

OP posts:
Chil1234 · 18/10/2010 14:24

'imperial past' I should have said :)

Chil1234 · 18/10/2010 14:23

The 'culture' of Britain has always been diverse because we are a nation of disparate tribes and an empirical past. A quintessentially English afternoon tea (as outlined in 'The History Of The World in 100 Objects' recently) involves tealeaves... a drink from the Indian subcontinent ... sugar... an ingredient from the West Indies and porcelain... a material created in China. And curry is our favourite national dish.

I think what we want is not so much people to be subsumed in our culture and forget their own..... we don't expect newcomers to suddenly go Morris Dancing or caber-tossing.... but to respect our values and laws and to take part in the day-to-day activities of the community. Not remain separate.

Language is fundamental. And whilst some parts of the UK may enjoy speaking Gallic or Welsh, and whilst other parts of the country have distinct dialect everyone's common language is English. Fail to understand English and it becomes impossible to participate or communicate.

claig · 18/10/2010 14:04

So are you saying that no country has a culture? That France has no distinct culture? That France is the same as Britain? that France has no traditions that unite and bind the French people? no shared history, no shared development, no uniqueness, no unique food, no unique wine, no unique cinema? etc.

Britain has developed a unique culture over hundreds of years, with unique literature and art and customs and conventions. Britain is different to Italy. The urban and rural parts of Britain share a common British culture. It's not multiculturalism, because they are part of the same common culture.

It's not about which culture is more important, all cultures are important. But if you deny that Britain even has a culture, then you are saying that British culture is unimportant. Would you say the same about other countries' cultures?