BITS OF BRITAIN

By Kari-Ann Nordrik

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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.