Language and Culture I Prof. Adriana M.

Fernández

British Lifestyle, Identity and Attitudes

(Course summary by Natalia Diquech, Angélica Santi, Karina Moreschi, Agustín Lopez, Melina Nuñez y
Guadalupe Bustingorri) (Summarised from Britain by O’Driscoll and Britain in close-up by Mc Dowal,
1993, for academic purposes only)

British people tend to be attributed with certain characteristics which are

supposedly typical. However, they have reasons for being cautious about it. There is a
popular belief that Britain is a land of tradition. But in their private lives, the British
are less inclined to follow tradition than people think. There are many examples of
supposedly traditional British habits which are simply not typical any more. Britain is
today a multicultural society; the new British have brought with them widely differing
sets of attitudes which have helped to make people more informal.
The British can be particularly conservative. Their conservatism can combine
with their individualism; they are rather proud of being different. Their concern is not to
be like everyone else; that is a good reason not to change. They also have a high respect
for privacy. Unless you know people very well you do not ask them personal questions.
The habit of keeping private themes to themselves is still deeply engrained. British
public life has a reputation for demanding puritanical standards of behaviour.
Family identity is rather weak in Britain, especially in England. The family unit
is still the basic living arrangement for most people. But in Britain this definitely means
the nuclear family. There is little sense of extended family identity. This is reflected in
the size and composition of households. However, the stereotyped nuclear family of
father, mother and children is becoming less common. Britain has a higher rate of
divorce than anywhere else in Europe and the number of children born outside marriage
is one of the highest, too.
In terms of everyday habits and mannerisms, the British are said to be reserved
and famous for their politeness, self discipline and especially for their sense of humour.
Basic politeness (please, sorry and excuse me) is expected. When being entertained at
someone’s home, it is nice to take a gift for the host: a bunch of flowers, a bottle of
wine or chocolates are all acceptable. In England people like to form orderly queues and
wait patiently for their turns. Remember that if you are in England you will not greet
people with a kiss; they only kiss people who are close friends or relatives. You should
not speak out loud in public, either. British people place considerable value on
punctuality; it is often considered impolite to arrive even a few minutes late.

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Language and Culture I Prof. Adriana M. Fernández

British society probably expects a sharper difference between the sexes than
most other European societies do. As far as roles are concerned, most people assume
that a family’s financial situation is not just the responsibility of the man. However, the
care of the children is still seen as a woman’s responsibility. Despite the fact that men
are taking a more active domestic role than they did forty years ago, some things never
seem to change. In general, the distinction concerning roles and behaviours of the two
sexes is shown in the lower and upper classes and it is less clear in the middle classes.
People in modern Britain are very conscious of class differences. They consider
it difficult to make friends with somebody from a different class, and this results from
the fact that different classes have different sets of attitudes and daily habits.
The most obvious and immediate sign of people’s class comes when a person
speaks. The English grammar and vocabulary which is used in public speaking, radio
and television news broadcasts, books and newspapers is known as Standard British
English while most working class people speak non-standard English. Identification of
an accent can place the speaker in a general area of Britain. Geordie, Scouse and
Cockney are well-known dialects from Tyneside, Liverpool and London respectively.
Today, the home counties accent, which are the counties nearest to London, is usually
accepted as Standard English.
People in Wales speak a completely different language. About 25% of the
people still speak in their native Celtic tongue called Welsh. In some regions of
Scotland, Gaelic is used as a first language. All over Scotland the accent is markedly
stronger, some words are different, but overall it is not difficult to understand.
It has been said that accent tells where a person comes from. It can also tell
which social class the person belongs to. According to sociologists, social class is the
grouping of people by occupations. Doctors and lawyers and university people are given
more status than unskilled workers. The different positions represent different levels of
power, influence and money. Britain was once a class-ridden society. Class was a staple
part of the British way of life. Today, multiculturalism and a changing economy are
gradually eroding the British class system, but some features of the system still remain.
The upper class consists of people with inherited wealth, and includes some of the
oldest families, with many of them being titled aristocrats. The upper classes are not
only defined by their title, but also by their education and pastimes which include the
traditional sporting life involving hunting, shooting and fishing, as well as a great deal
of horse-riding. The middle classes are the majority of the population of Britain today.

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They include industrialists, professionals, business people and shop owners. Working
class people are mostly agricultural, mine and factory workers.
The architecture of the UK has a long and diverse history from Stonehenge to
the designs of Norman Foster and the present day. The earliest known examples of
architecture are the many Neolithic Monuments such as those of Stonehenge and Avery.
This is known as Pre-Roman Architecture and dates back to 750-12 bc.
The earliest domestic architecture is that bequeathed to the country by the Romans, who
occupied Britain from 43 AD to 410 AD aprox. The Romans built the first cities and
towns which included Chester, London and Bath. Many fine examples of Roman
architecture still remain, of special note are the ruins of the spa in Bath. Following the
Roman’s departure, architecture seems to have regressed, and little remains of the
period immediately after the Roman withdrawal. This is known as Roman Architecture.
Following the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon period (around 450 AD), a few isolated
examples of architecture began to appear, most notably, churches.
After the Norman invasion in 1066, more consistent forms of design began to appear
regularly. William I and his law lords built numerous castles to uphold their authority.
Often they were built initially of wood, speed of erection being of greater concern than
design or appearance; the best known of these is the Tower of London. However, during
the following two centuries of the Norman period, further and even larger castles were
built to suppress the natives. Many castles remain from these medieval times and in
most times and villages the parish church is an indication of the age of the settlement.
While the Crown was busy with the construction of defensive structures, the clergy and
indeed most of society, was dedicated to the glorification of God through the erection of
Gothic Cathedrals, such as Salisbury Cathedral.
The 15th and 16th centuries are famous, among other things, for their architecture. This is
the time of Tudor Architecture. Henry VIII was the most famous Tudor King. You can
see many Tudor houses in England today. Most ordinary homes in Tudor times were
half-timbered – they had wooden frames and the spaces between were filled with small
sticks and wet clay called wattle and daub. Tudor houses are known for their “black-
and-white” effect.
After the civil war of 1642-49, houses were built purely for living, and design and
appearance were forever more important than defense. Following the Restoration of the
Monarchy in 1660 and the Great Fire of 1666 an opportunity was missed in London to
create a new metropolitan city. Although one of the most well-known British architects,

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Sir Christopher Wren, was employed to design and rebuild many of the ruined ancient
churches of London, his master plan to rebuild London as a whole was rejected. It was
in this period that he designed the building that he is perhaps best known for, St Paul’s
Cathedral. This period is known as Stuart architecture.
The 18th century was the time of Georgian architecture. In this period, comfort and style
became truly popular. After the great fire an act of Parliament was passed to ensure new
homes were made from fire resistant materials, such as brick and slate. A typical
Georgian house of the 18th century was elegant and formal in style. During the Georgian
times there was a heavy tax on windows, as England needed money for war. The
number of windows you had was a sign of your wealth as poor people only had one
window per floor. Some people bricked up windows to avoid the tax (King’s College in
Cambridge). Buildings were built in red brick with white stone decoration. There were
pillars in the front of the house. They had square symmetrical shape, a panelled front
door in the centre, tiled hipped roofs (a roof that slopes upwards from all sides of the
building), paired chimneys and sash windows (windows that slide up and down).
The 19th C. was the time of Victorian architecture. Opposing the symmetry of the
Georgian period, the romantic medieval gothic style reappeared. Steel was incorporated
as a building component. In this era of prosperity and development English architecture
embraced many new methods of construction, but ironically in style, some architects
ensured it remained firmly in the past. With the beginning of the railways and new
manufacturing processes, previously locally produced building materials became
available all over the country. Many architects at the start of their careers emigrated to
the different parts of the British Empire taking with them the British style of
architecture. The typical Victorian house had bay windows, iron railings, red bricks,
stained glass in doorways and windows, decorations on the walls and roofs made of
slate.
The 20th C. brought with it lots of new forms and fashions. The classical style, however,
has never been abandoned in Britain. Today, the British like private property, and the
importance of a home is to feel cosy. The cost of housing in Britain has increased much
faster than people’s salaries, making it impossible for first-time buyers to get on the
housing ladder unless they are in especially well-paid jobs, are able to call upon rich
relatives or are prepared to buy jointly with friends. As buying a house is very
expensive, people usually pay for it with a special loan called a mortgage, which they
must repay, with interest, over a long period time, usually 25 years. Most British people

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live in towns and cities, but they have an idealised vision of the countryside. To them,
the countryside means peace and quiet, beauty, good health and no crime. Almost
everybody in Britain dreams of living in a detached house (a house which is a separate
building) because they say that “an Englishman’s house is his castle”, and this illustrates
their desire for privacy and the importance attached to ownership, which seems to be at
the heart of the British attitude to housing. A house is also a status symbol. They would
also be happy living in a thatched cottage because it is the idealised country retreat. The
second best is a semi-detached house. This is one building with two separate
households. Each house is the mirror of the other. A less desirable one is a terraced
house because it has no way through to the back and each house in the row is joined to
the other. The least desirable kind of house is the flat. Flats are the cheapest kind of
home. For British people they mean less privacy and they consider that the people who
live in them are those who cannot afford to live anywhere else. Most houses in England
are made of stone or brick from the local area where the house is built. The colours of
the stones and bricks vary across the country.
Another problem concerning households is that people do not like living near
big roads or railways. The value of houses along roads goes down. Nevertheless, nearly
three quarters of the households in Britain have regular use of a car, and about a quarter
have more than one car. Their enthusiasm for cars is partly the result of people using
them to project an image of themselves. Another possible reason is the opportunity that
cars provide to indulge in the national passion for privacy. Being in a car is like taking
“your castle” with you wherever you go. This is why the occasional attempts to
persuade people to “car pool” have met with little success.
However, people use public transport more than their own cars. Nevertheless,
public transport services have suffered because there is so much traffic on the roads that
they are not as cheap, as frequent or as fast as they otherwise could be. The different
types of public transport found in Britain are the double-decker buses; the underground,
known as the tube, which has twelve lines and provides a connection between the city
and the surrounding suburbs, and the black taxis. Motorcycling is also very popular and
coaches are used for travelling long distances or for going on school outings. Traffic
congestion is a major problem nowadays. Greater wealth has increased car ownership
and as a result many people commute to town in their own cars. Unfortunately, there are
negative effects of this on the environment. Vehicle exhausts cause air, noise and visual
pollution. There is more danger of accidents and stress to drivers, the cost of

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maintaining the roads has gone up, and people now waste more of their time sitting in
traffic jams. Cities have responded to the urban traffic problem in a number of ways:
they have built by-passes to divert traffic from the centre, they encourage motorists to
leave their cars in the suburbs with park-and-ride schemes. Some cities have even
invested in new public transport systems.
The rail network in Britain is one of the most extensive in Europe and it covers
hundreds of thousands of kilometres and joins the remotest parts of the country. There
are also Euro trains that travel under the Channel Tunnel (1995) to Paris, as well as
ferries between England and France, Spain, Ireland, The Netherlands. Dover is one of
the busiest ports. As regards airports, London’s two airports, Heathrow and Gatwick,
are among the busiest in the world, mainly as a result of their geographical position.
As regards food and drink, it is said that British food is terrible and that British
people do not have good taste. The vegetables, for example, are overcooked and too
bland, and coffee is horrible but they drink it because they say they need caffeine. This
happens because British people are not interested in quality; they only want to eat
quickly. Even at home, food and drink are given little attention. Barbecues, parties and
celebrations are not centred round food; they only enjoy the atmosphere. There are a lot
of vegetarians in Britain. Concerning eating out, it is a rare event because restaurants are
very expensive. When they eat out young people and families with children eat at fast
food shops.
As far as meals is concerned, people in the UK have their biggest meal in the
middle of the day though most have it in the evening. They usually have three meals a
day – breakfast, between 7:00 and 9:00; lunch, between 12:00 and 1:30 pm and dinner
(sometimes called supper) which is eaten any time between 6:30 and 8:00. On Sundays,
the main meal of the day is eaten at midday, not in the evening. This meal is usually a
roast dinner consisting of roast meat, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables, one of which is
almost always potatoes.
Most people around the world think a typical English breakfast consists of eggs,
bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms and baked beans all washed down with a cup
of coffee. Nowadays, however, a typical English breakfast is more likely to be a bowl of
cereals, a slice of toast, orange juice and a cup of coffee. For lunch, many children at
school and adults at work have a “packed lunch”. This typically consists of a sandwich,
a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink

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People’s attitude to alcohol is ambivalent; on the one hand, drinking is accepted

as an integral part of British culture. The local pub plays an important role in almost
every neighbourhood, and pubs are predominantly for the drinking of beer and spirits.
The neighbourhood pub in known as “the local” and the people who go there are known
as “regulars”. Even a certain degree of drunkenness is acceptable; provided this does not
lead to violence, there is no shame attached to it. On the other hand, the puritan tradition
has spread the view that alcohol is dangerous and therefore should be restricted. The
greatest attention is given to the drink, and in particular, to the beer. Sociability comes a
close second. A good bar encourages social intercourse. People cannot be served in
pubs until the age of 18, and they are not allowed inside one until they are 14. It is
sometimes difficult to get served when pubs are busy: people do not queue, but the bar
staff will usually try and serve those who have been waiting the longest. In Britain, in
general, there is no table service; you must go to the bar and order drinks and food and
pay for your purchase immediately. Pubs sell many different types of beer; one of the
popular ones is bitter, which is dark and served at room temperature. More popular
today, though, is lager, which is lighter in colour and served cold. Beers are sold in
“pints” for a large glass and in “halves” for a smaller one. Most pubs are open from 11
to 11. Nearly all pubs sell pub lunches. One of these is the famous “Ploughman’s
lunch”, which is a great wedge of Cheddar cheese, some bread, some pickle and an
onion. Some also offer chips, pies and chicken. Pubs usually have traditional names.
Various games, especially darts, are traditional and common features of pubs.
When you think of your favourite sport, whichever it is, there is a good chance
that it was first played in England and even a better chance that its rules were first
codified in England. They include cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf and rugby.
England’s national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as
their national sport. The public schools of the Victorian era believed that organised
competitive games had many psychological benefits. These games appealed to and
developed the British sense of fair play. Sports probably play a more important part in
people’s lives than in most other countries. For them, and especially for men, sports are
the main form of entertainment. Millions take part in some kind of sport at least once a
week. Many millions more are regular spectators and follow one or more sports. There
are hours of televised sport every week and every newspaper devotes several pages
entirely to sports.

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Most British people prefer their sports, their television or other free time
activities to anything cultural. As a result, the arts are met with a mixture of public
apathy and private enthusiasm. Publicly, the arts are accepted and tolerated but not
actively encouraged. More people today read books, visit art galleries, go to the theatre
and attend concerts. They have annual art festivals in summer but many people don’t
know about their existence. British artists like painters, composers, opera singers and
ballet dancers are many times more well-known internationally than nationally.
However, there theatre culture is very strong in Britain. In London there are plays that
run for years and all cities have their theatres. For British people, cinemas are simply
another form of entertainment and many times the Americans use their studios more
than themselves.
Britain is a country governed by routine. It has fewer public holidays than any
other country. There are no semi-official holidays and most of them occur either just
before or just after a weekend, so the practice of going away on short holidays is
practically unknown. The British upper class started the fashion for seaside holidays in
the late eighteenth century. The middle classes soon followed them and when they were
given the opportunity so did the working classes. They used to have traditional types of
holidays that have now become less popular because the increase in car ownership has
encouraged many people to take caravan holidays. However, the greatest cause of the
change is foreign tourism. Most foreign holidays are package holidays, in which
transport and accommodation are booked and paid for through a travel agent. The most
popular package holiday destination is Spain.
Christmas is one occasion in modern Britain when a large number of customs
and traditions are enthusiastically observed by most ordinary people within a family.
For many families Christmas is the only time when they are all together. Christmas day
may include the eating of Christmas Dinner and listening to the Queen’s message on tv.
Even the commercialisation of Christmas has become part of tradition. It is a time when
most people buy presents for their family, relatives and friends, and send lots of
Christmas cards.
There is one day which is very difficult to ignore. This is November 5th, the day
which celebrates a famous event in British history: Guy Fawkes’ Day. At the beginning
of the seventeenth century a group of Catholics planned to blow up the Houses of
Parliament while King James I was there. Before they could achieve this, one of them,

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Guy Fawkes, was caught in the cellars under Parliament with the gunpowder, and then
he and his partners were all killed. Since then, the day is celebrated with fireworks.
The UK is among the countries with the largest economies in the world. Its
capital, London, is one also of the largest financial centres in the world. The UK’s
official currency is the Pound Sterling. Although the UK belongs to the EC, they have
not yet joined the Euro, but some stores do accept it. The main industries today are
banking and finance, steel, transport, equipment, oil and gas, and tourism. The UK has
large coal, natural gas and oil reserves. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanised and
efficient by European standards. There are also other minor industries, though not less
important such as machine tools, automation equipment, railroad equipment, chemicals,
paper and paper products, shipbuilding, textiles, clothing and other consumer goods.
People in Britain stay at work for a large part of their lives. Normal retiring age
is sixty five years old. People look for work in newspapers, local job centres and
privately-run employment agencies. There are lots of work organizations which
represent employees in all types of business. The law is against discrimination in
employment and it is illegal for women to be paid less than men for the same type of
work, though many times the law is not respected.