bits of britain
Post on 01-Feb-2022
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In our effort to understand the world around us, we constantly look for appropriate
words to categorise people. “It’s so typical of you not to listen to what I’m saying”, you
might tell a friend who is drifting off in the middle of your long account of an eventless
day. However, deep inside you know that he is often quite an attentive listener, too. In
the same manner, we may apply characteristics to nationalities. We are all familiar with
the notion of Norwegians being natural born skiers who just love open landscapes and
untouched nature, though it is perhaps more typical of Norwegians nowadays to be city-
dwellers who spend their spare time on social media. What is the case with both of these
examples is that the generalisations are not necessarily true.
The generalisations that we use when talking about different nationalities such as the
Norwegians or the British sometimes end up as stereotypes, which are descriptions of a
group of people that are much too simplified and categorical. If we base our knowledge
of other people mainly on such stereotypes, we may become prejudiced, or we may just
appear ignorant. Bearing the dangers of stereotyping people in mind, it is still worth a
try to describe what is typical of British identity and society. Naturally, the following bits
of Britain will never make up the entire puzzle that is Britain.
Only a spot of bother
Two words that often spring to mind
when people are asked to describe
what is typically British are politeness
and restraint. You might envisage a
well-dressed and well-educated man
from the upper middle or upper class
who keeps his cool and his good
manners no matter what problems he
faces. The term “stiff upper lip”, as
opposed to the trembling lip, can be
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added to make the picture complete. (This is definitely verging on a stereotype!)
Even though this quality of remaining calm and being polite may be interpreted as being
too reserved and unemotional by some people, it is highly appreciated by others.
Moreover, it is a quality that has helped the British through more than a spot of bother:
for instance, it helped them through the devastating Blitz
(Nazi Germany’s bombardment of the UK) during the
Second World War. Living on meagre food rations and
exposed to constant bombing, it was necessary to stay
calm and determined.
However, it is not British reserve that marks many football
supporters in the UK. Most of them stop at screaming and
swearing, but there are those who get more physical when
expressing their frustration. The term football hooliganism,
used to describe violence and unruly behaviour among
football supporters, originated in Britain.
A more controlled, but still unexpected lack of politeness
can be seen in the British Parliament. It is common to
interrupt and to “boo” if you disagree with what another
politician says. Such emotional outbursts, however controlled and accepted as “part of
the game”, are not heard in Stortinget.
The tabloid press can serve as a final example of how British reserve and politeness
might not apply to all. Its headlines take capital letters to new heights, and s-words such
as scandal and sex, often in combination, regularly feature in those headlines. Royals are
not spared. Some claim the tabloid press is partly to blame for the death of Princess
Diana in 1997, as she was fleeing from paparazzi photographers when the car she was in
crashed in a tunnel. In 2011 the tabloid press itself was involved in a scandal when it
was discovered that reporters in the News of the World, nicknamed Screws of the World
for its tendency to mainly write about sex scandals, had used illegal methods such as
phone hacking to get hold of information. The newspaper had to cease publication
because of this revelation, so perhaps British decency and politeness won after all.
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The final issue of the tabloid the News of the World (10 January, 2011)
A question of class
Unlike Norway, which is a very egalitarian society, people in Britain are to some extent
defined by the class they belong to. This is not to say social classes do not exist in
Norway, but geography and history have not provided the factors necessary for
fostering a large group of aristocrats here. In Britain, on the other hand, there is
definitely an upper class in addition to a middle class and a working class. Class is a
question of wealth, as well as occupation and education, and it is perhaps especially
through education that the upper class keeps its privileged position. Upper class people
send their children to renowned, independent schools such as Eton, and being educated
at such institutions later qualifies for jobs that offer good salaries as well as prestige.
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A distinctive mark of the upper class is that its wealth and status are inherited. This is
even reflected in the parliamentary system. Parliament consists of two chambers, the
House of Commons and the House of Lords. In the latter you find so-called hereditary
peers, noblemen/women who have inherited their seats. This is something that strikes
many British people as odd, old-fashioned and unfair, and in 1999 major changes were
made in the composition of the House of Lords. The number of hereditary peers was
reduced from 800 to 92, and the majority in the Upper House are now so-called life
peers, people who have earned their seats by making valuable contributions within
different fields of society such as culture, business and education.
Doreen Lawrence, a woman who has fought for many years to help victims of racist crime, takes her seat in the House of Lords in 2013 as Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon (NTB scanpix)
This change reflects a general movement towards more democracy and less respect for
inherited privilege. Margaret Thatcher, a former Conservative Prime Minister, strongly
advocated “meritocracy” – that you should get your position in society based on your
merits, meaning what you have done and achieved yourself. And this came from a PM
representing a party that has traditionally been eager to protect the British class system
from too much change.
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Today it is not as easy to
categorise people according to
class as it used to be. Because of
increased welfare in Britain as a
whole, fewer people can be
defined as typically working
class. Moreover, since inherited
privileges seem increasingly
unfashionable in a modern
democracy, an aristocratic background is not necessarily a ticket to success.
Consequently, the upper class itself might not want to flaunt their posh lifestyle as much
as before (though the hats at Ascot tell a different story – see picture above). So was
Labour politician John Prescott right in 1997 when he said, “We are all middle class
now”? Probably not, seeing as people still consider class to be a defining factor; it can
decide where you end up in life.
What has surely not disappeared is the allure of the nobility. There must be a reason
why the costume dramas from the BBC continue to attract viewers. If the actual power of
the nobles has faded in modern days, the old world of “upstairs” and “downstairs”, of
nobles and commoners, is at least kept alive and romanticised in series such as Downton
Abbey. And although the prime example of an upper class activity, fox hunting, was
banned in 2004, there are many who now believe the present government will propose
to lift the ban and let the aristocratic hound chase the fox again.
God Save the Queen
A woman that is definitely not middle-class is Queen Elizabeth II. It might be difficult to
know how to fit people into the social pyramid today, but there is no doubt who is at the
top of it. The fact that the monarchy still exists in Britain is in itself a sign of a class
system that is still alive, if not kicking. The queen has by definition inherited her
position; she would not be royal otherwise, but ironically she epitomises much of that
“meritocracy” Thatcher advocated. The reason why most British people respect her is
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that she is a hard-working woman who takes her duties very seriously and always acts
decently.
The same cannot be said about all royals past and present. The British monarchy has
had its fair share of scandals. In 1992 things were so bad the queen herself described it
as “annus horribilis” (horrible year). Her daughter Princess Anne was divorced, Prince
Charles was separated from Princess Diana, and Prince Andrew’s marriage was in
shambles. They all starred in a kind of “royal soap opera” containing ingredients such as
infidelity, slander, bulimia and heartfelt, mutual allegations of cruelty and egoism. It was
good times for papers such as the News of the World.
The scandalous behaviour among the royals provides republicans with an argument for
abolishing the monarchy. Moreover, the institution is sometimes seen as old-fashioned,
undemocratic and too expensive. The call for a republic is, however, not very loud in
Britain. Most people value the monarchy because it helps keep the UK together. The
royal family is a symbol of Britishness. Besides, enthusiasm for the royals has really
picked up since 1992. In 2011 Prince William married Katherine Middleton at a wedding
that was like a vitamin injection for the monarchy. When a new heir, Prince George, was
born in 2013, Britain suddenly had a young royal family that looked picture perfect.
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Rule Britannia
One reason why the monarchy is so highly valued in Britain is perhaps that it used to
symbolise not only the UK, but an entire empire; at its height Britain controlled a quarter
of the world. Although that empire has crumbled, today’s royals may remind the British
of their imperial and glorious past, when Britain ruled the waves.
In the 21st century the British Empire is of course not only seen as something to be
proud of. It takes some arrogance to believe your culture is so superior it allows you to
colonise a great part of the world. It should be noted that Britain shared the belief in the
superiority of Western civilisation with many other European states that were also
eager to acquire colonies on different continents.
Colonisation might be a “dubious business”, but it made Britain a nation to be reckoned
with. British culture was exported to far-flung countries, which can help explain why
cricket is the most popular sport in India. Today it is American culture that is exported
to the entire world, but the reason why English is the world’s lingua franca has more to
do with the British Empire than Americanisation. Spreading the English language is
something the British are still allowed to be proud of.
In spite of strong American dominance in the cultural field, Britain still makes its
contributions. Some claim British culture is far more sophisticated than the American
variety, which can be seen even in its humour. Whereas American humour often exploits
simple and obvious points, British humour excels in so-called understatement. This
particular brand of humour is best illustrated by some examples. In the film The
Meaning of Life by a group of comedians called Monty Python, Death turns up at a dinner
party, wearing a black cloak and carrying a scythe. One of the dinner guests comments
on Death’s arrival in the following way: "Well, that's cast rather a gloom over the
evening, hasn't it?" In another scene in the film, an army officer has just lost his leg. He is
asked how he feels and responds with: “Stings a bit”.
Who are the British?
Apart from being people who like their humour understated, their manners impeccable
and their tea served in the afternoon, who are the British? A common denominator is
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fondness of traditions. Many of the traits seen as typically British are tied to their
resentment of radical change. (Obama’s slogan in 2008, Change, might not have been
such a hit in Britain as it was in the USA.) Why keep the monarchy? Well, it is a tradition.
Why keep the House of Lords? Another tradition. When the sketch Dinner for One is
broadcast in Norway every Christmas, we all take delight in James’s comment, “Same
procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?” and Miss Sophie’s response, “Same procedure as
every year, James”, because it seems so utterly British.
But naturally, Britain is changing; no one, not even the British, can resist change. For one
thing, the image many of us have of the typical British person as a reserved, pale-skinned
person descended from a long line of other Brits is becoming increasingly false . A
typical Brit may also be a dark-skinned person of Indian descent. Due to immigration,
especially from former British colonies, Britain has become a multicultural society and
curry is about to become as traditional as teatime.
Maybe Britain has never really been a homogenous society. It has welcomed, if not
always willingly, diverse groups of people such as the Angles, the Saxons, the Romans,
the Vikings and the French long before modern day immigration. Moreover, the UK is a
union of four countries, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, all with their
own distinctive marks. This diversity makes Britain defy any kind of stereotyping, but
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there is still enough truth in the idea of national identity that we can keep laughing at
the Britishness in Dinner for One every year.
Sources:
http://www.royal.gov.uk/ImagesandBroadcasts/Historic%20speeches%20and%20broadcasts/Annushorribilisspeech24November1992.aspx [25.04.2014]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understatement [25.04.2014]
http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/house-of-lords-reform [25.04.2014]
Vocabulary:
a spot of bother: et lite problem
restraint: tilbakeholdenhet
decency: anstendighet
egalitarian: som fremmer likhet mellom mennesker
merits: egenskaper, oppnådde resultater
Royal Ascot: berømt hesteveddeløp i Storbritannia, arrangert siden 1711, kun mennesker fra den sosiale eliten inviteres
allure: tiltrekningskraft
epitomise: være et kroneksempel på
be in shambles: ligge i grus
dubious: tvilsom
impeccable: plettfri
defy: avvise
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TASKS
1 CORRECT THE STATEMENTS
There is something wrong about the statements below, and it is your task to explain
what is wrong.
a) Stereotypes can tell us the truth about the different nationalities.
b) The British are often referred to as people with trembling lips because they easily
start to cry every time they face a problem.
c) The British tabloid press is careful not to violate people’s right to privacy.
d) Meritocracy is the idea that people get important positions in society because
they belong to the upper class.
e) Today all British people belong to the middle class.
f) Nineteen ninety-two was a great year for Queen Elizabeth II.
g) At one point Britain controlled half the world.
h) The British feel only pride when someone mentions the British Empire.
i) Understatement is typical of American humour.
j) Brits easily replace what is old with something modern and new.
2 PARTS OF SPEECH
a) Make a table with three columns, one for adjectives, one for nouns and one for
verbs. Find five words of each category in the text, and translate them into
Norwegian.
Adjectives Nouns Verbs
appropriate = passende listener = lytter categorise = kategorisere
Now you continue…..
b) Swap word lists with the person sitting next to you and give each other a few
minutes to skim through the lists. Swap lists again and take turns checking each
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other’s spelling skills. One of you says the word in Norwegian, the other writes
down the English counterpart. When done with one word list, change roles.
Finally, correct each other’s “tests”.
3 DEBATING SOME BRITISH ISSUES
Make 10 groups. Each group gets 15-30 minutes to find arguments to support their
stand (see below). Afterwards it is time to debate the issues in front of the class, two
groups at a time.
• Group 1: pro school uniforms
• Group 2: against school uniforms
• Group 3: monarchists
• Group 4: republicans
• Group 5: pro fox hunting
• Group 6: against fox hunting
• Group 7: pro limits to press freedom
• Group 8: against limits to press freedom
• Group 9: Thatcher had a positive influence on British society
• Group10: Thatcher had a negative influence on British society
Here are some links you might find useful:
School uniforms: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6958858.stm
Monarchy/republic:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/2038381.stm
Fox hunting: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/449139.stm
Freedom of press: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3689049.stm
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Thatcher’s legacy: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/margaret-
thatcher-britains-most-polarizing-pm/
4 FAMOUS BRITISH PEOPLE
In groups of four, plan and carry out a talk show to which famous Brits, dead or alive, are
invited. One of you is the host, the three others pretend to be famous Brits. Try to pick
people from different times and different fields of society, e.g. one might have David
Beckham, Princess Diana and Winston Churchill in the same show. The host should
make it clear how the people invited have made valuable contributions to British
society.
5 FROM TOPIC SENTENCE TO PARAGRAPH
Each paragraph in an essay should contain a topic sentence that signals what the
paragraph is about, and supporting sentences that explain and give examples of what is
stated in the topic sentence. The success of an essay can depend on your ability to flesh
out your ideas. That is why it is a good idea to practise making good paragraphs. Pick
two of the topic sentences below and make two full paragraphs.
It seems like the British tabloid press will do anything to get a scoop.
Many people want to abolish the House of Lords.
Though the monarchy is often criticised, most people in Britain want to keep it.
It is more difficult to define what is typically British today than sixty years ago.
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