British Culture

By Benjamin Lam

British Culture

British culture is normally thought to be just another western culture but in actual fact it is one of the most complex cultures of the modern world. So by the time you've finished reading this you will be an expert in Britology (don't look that up I made it up)

Arts, Literature and Entertainment

I think it looks like a massive water rat just settled on his head

The United Kingdom is well known around the world for its literary works and has a long history of writing including Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare and John Milton. In history British literature has been very formal but in recent years it is more casual including Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling who are some of the best-selling authors in the world.

The UK has a tradition of theatre which continues to this day and has some of the oldest theatres in the world. Theatre is a large form of entertainment in British Culture and has created some of the most famous theatre works in history including Shakespeare.

Traditional British music includes marching and army bands, nursery rhymes and folk music which has branched of into other types of music including sea shanties, jigs, hornpipes and dance music.

The UK manufacturer of film, TV and radio. Most broadcasting in the UK comes from the British Broadcasting Corporation which is government-funded but independently run. British TV is watched all around the world and the country is a major exporter of films.

The UK is home to the biggest sport in the world, soccer (I'm gonna get bashed for this). Most people support a team from their individual state and the sport is played by a large portion of the British population. Soccer is associated with the United Kingdom’s history and can be a way of life and winning or losing is life and death (if not more). 

Religion                                                                                                    

The UK is a mostly Christian and about 30 percent of the population are with the Official Church of England, the UKs biggest church. The country was created by the Anglican Church which is the most common religion followed by Catholicism. 

Language

The British Language is globally known to be one of the least understandable languages in the world. In all seriousness the language differentiates from American English in many ways like in vocabulary where there are hundreds of words and phrases that are said differently such as “flats” instead of “apartments”. Other differences are spelling (“organise” instead of organise) and grammar (I’m sleeping in at the weekend instead of I’m sleeping in on the weekend). 

Social Etiquette

British people are kind of funny because they have all of these funny habits or traditions, here are some for example:

If you don’t ask your British colleagues if they would like a cup of tea or a coffee when you go to make yours, then you instantly get the stink eye.

When greeting someone you may hear “you alright?” rather than “how are you?” It’s the same thing.

No matter how rich or poor you are- your accent defines you.

It’s taboo not to take a holiday.

British people do not make small talk with strangers, and they would never strike up conversation with someone on public transportation.

Stereotypes

It is commonly known that British people drink a lot of tea, which is true – British people admit to drinking it more than anything else.

Another stereotype is that they are all friends with the queen, which their not – but most of them will know a person who knows another person….

It is believed by other countries that British people live in cottages and castles because of media like Harry Potter. British people instead live in tiny apartments and houses which not much space.

For foreigners there is a misconception that all British people speak posh like the queen but that is just a regional accent.

The Monarchy

The most culturally recognisable part of British society is the Queen of England. Royalty has been British custom for over a thousand years. The UK does have a government or parliament but these days the monarchy mostly exists as a tradition, royal birthdays and weddings are often a widely publicised event, drawing worldwide viewers.

So in conclusion British Culture is one of the most rich European cultures and whenever you meet a British person you should go make them a cup of tea so you can get their respect. So that was an overview on British Culture and the British People. You are now a certified Britologist give your self a pat on the back :)