British Culture

British Culture

                                                        Insight-Dev (2012) Big Ben

Abbott (2013) held 'in a speech on Tuesday that fast-developing technology and an "increasingly pornified British culture" has led to a secret garden, strip-tease culture in British schools and society, which has been put beyond the control of British families'.It is by no means an easy task to define what British Culture is. Some people tend to see British culture mainly in terms of traditions and symbols : they might, for instance, use ‘Big Ben’ and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace to define ‘Britishness’; others may simply describe British culture in terms of its component institutions, such as the ‘British education system’, the parliamentary system, food and drink, etc.

McGovern (2013) states 'that landmark historical events such as the location of Stonehenge, or who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar will give those new to the UK a starting point to learn about important periods of history'. In recent decades, the Royal Family has served as a strong focal point for the nation, able to bring together a diverse group of people from different faiths, religions and traditions. In many ways, the British monarchy has been very successful in galvanising a diverse population within Britain and providing a common focus at special times. Yet there are signs that while the monarchy continues to be much admired across Britain, regardless of age, class and even ethnicity, its function is a changing one, and it cannot be used straightforwardly to connote British culture either.


The recent Olympic games in London, especially the opening and closing ceremonies, provided an opportunity to look again at what defines 'Britishness' and 'British culture'. Both ceremonies provdided a delicate balance between tradition and modernity, and took account of a diverse history, with multiple definitions of what it means to be 'British.'



Bibliography:

Abbott, D. (2013) British Culture Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21127073  (Accessed : 21 February 2013).


Insight-Dev (2012) Big Ben Available at: http://insight-dev.glos.ac.uk/departments/international/current/living_in_the_uk/PublishingImages/Big%20Ben.jpg
(Accessed : 21 February 2013).


McGovern, A. (2013) British Culture Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21234254
(Accessed : 21 February 2013).