How British Is Britain?

[Bobj]

Interesting article...

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24302914

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Parley]

I posted in another thread a while ago that maybe some people have an identity crisis.

But I don't blame them.

 

It is very confusing.

 

Should someone think they are English ? or British ? or from the UK ?

 

Great Britain comprising 3 countries, UK comprising 4 countries.

 

Hard to know what you are.

[Guest]

Easy to misinterpret given the photo used but the majority probably class themselves as English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish rather than British.

 

I have never thought of myself as 'British' - even though in someways being English but living in Scotland it is quite possibly appropriate.

[Parley]

Irish are definately not British.

 

Britiain is only the mainland England, Scotland and Wales.

 

Many people don't realise the difference between Great Britain and UK so no wonder people get confused as to what they think they are.

[Guest]

Just re-read and noticed this...

 

'It is a similar story with religion - the faith group least likely to describe themselves as British are Christians (15%) and the most likely are Sikhs (62%).'

 

Very interesting, it implies migrants are more likely to consider themselves British.

[Parley]

I think British really means anyone from the UK or any of the overseas british territories.

 

So someone from Northern Ireland is British, even though tachnicaly Britain is actually just England, Scotland and Wales.

 

It is confusing.

[gee13]

Slightly offtrack but...Something interesting that I found out in my studies was that Brittany, a province in France was settled by Bretons...who were originally tribes from south 'Briton' at the time who migrated to escape the invader Saxons, Angles and Vikings. They live a quiet life to today and speak the original gaulish tongue.

[Que Sera Sera]

I'm always English never British but on forms there is never that option so you get used to British. I've just filled out my Aussie Citizenship forms and nowhere does it give an English option. Maybe its just a sign of the drop down tickbox. Our choices are slowly being limited.

[Johndoe]

I'm always English never British but on forms there is never that option so you get used to British. I've just filled out my Aussie Citizenship forms and nowhere does it give an English option. Maybe its just a sign of the drop down tickbox. Our choices are slowly being limited.

 

I always answer " British/English".................if there isn't the option, I just write alongside.

[Jacaranda]

I consider myself to be british!

[Xenon4017]

I'm always English never British but on forms there is never that option so you get used to British. I've just filled out my Aussie Citizenship forms and nowhere does it give an English option. Maybe its just a sign of the drop down tickbox. Our choices are slowly being limited.

 

I don't think it's a deliberate ploy.

 

There's no such political entity as the "English Nation", so when they ask for nationality, they really mean to what political entity you belong. You might like to have the term British split up into it's respective dominions. I know a few from Yorkshire who would like to see an extra category for themselves.

 

All countries are to some extent amalgamations. If you were designing the form, would you give people born on the Iberian peninsula the chance to declare themselves as Catalan, Valencian, Gallego etc, rather than Spanish? And the further east you go in Europe the more complicated it gets.

[Que Sera Sera]

I don't think it's a deliberate ploy.

 

There's no such political entity as the "English Nation", so when they ask for nationality, they really mean to what political entity you belong. You might like to have the term British split up into it's respective dominions. I know a few from Yorkshire who would like to see an extra category for themselves.

 

All countries are to some extent amalgamations. If you were designing the form, would you give people born on the Iberian peninsula the chance to declare themselves as Catalan, Valencian, Gallego etc, rather than Spanish? And the further east you go in Europe the more complicated it gets.

I don't disagree with you I'm merely pointing out that maybe this is why more people are saying British rather than anything else.Its easier basically.

[flag of convenience]

British as a description of self is inclusive regardless of ethnicity or even place of birth. Anyway that would be the reason I would give not being born in England. While those white and born in one of the countries that make up The United Kingdom, would in my view be far more inclined to identify with the particular country of birth.

[Xenon4017]

British as a description of self is inclusive regardless of ethnicity or even place of birth. Anyway that would be the reason I would give not being born in England. While those white and born in one of the countries that make up The United Kingdom, would in my view be far more inclined to identify with the particular country of birth.

 

That's the core of the thread. When you fill out forms, you have to state what is factually true. And you only get a limited set to choose from, because that reflects the currently recognised political reality.

 

Whether yoiu "feel" culturally British is another issue, which is further complicated because feeling British means different things to different people. It has no strict definition.

 

I often think many of the worlds problems can be traced back to these loose affiliations. Not just the trivials ones like "It ain't Australian of you to do this or that". But the wider issues when one group tries to define acceptable behaviour for followers of a particular religion.

[Keith and Linda]

I'm a citizen of Leeds, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Australia, Queensland, Brisbane in that order (of importance to me). Australiana may, in time, nudge in front of the UK, and that would be about it, but I use them to my best convenience as and when needed and I have no problem in doing so. I would add that I am proud of them all.

[flag of convenience]

That's the core of the thread. When you fill out forms, you have to state what is factually true. And you only get a limited set to choose from, because that reflects the currently recognised political reality.

 

Whether yoiu "feel" culturally British is another issue, which is further complicated because feeling British means different things to different people. It has no strict definition.

 

I often think many of the worlds problems can be traced back to these loose affiliations. Not just the trivials ones like "It ain't Australian of you to do this or that". But the wider issues when one group tries to define acceptable behaviour for followers of a particular religion.

 

I would suggest most anything within the law is acceptable behaviour. We don't need to pull the same way nor have strict definitions, which only impede individuality and freedom.

[Xenon4017]

I would suggest most anything within the law is acceptable behaviour. We don't need to pull the same way nor have strict definitions, which only impede individuality and freedom.

 

Then why would you identify with any cultural label at all? If an Ozzie pointed to you and said "Take that sandwich to that European over there", would you identify with that? It's factually true (I'm not really sure you are a European but you catch my drift), but it maybe isn't a label you're comfortable with. You've just pointed out that your impression of "Britishness" is pretty lax. Others less so. A famous Mr Tebbitt once attempted to define a more rigorous test of belonging.

[Guest Guest66881]

Some see britain through rose tinted glasses pretending all is good and still serca 1955, but the reality is it's 2014 and the only real time the 'country' get together is for state events maybe or world cups (both short lived and over before you know it).

Modern britain is multicultural while still trying to be the stiff upper lip of the world (on the political stage at least), generally (public) just get on with the day to day stuff i bet.

[Paul1Perth]

They shouldn't have given them the option to identify themselves as English, Scottish, or Welsh, they would have got a lot more British then.

 

My wifes Sister and Brother in law consider themselves very English. Me and the wife think they are both a bit snobby and up themselves a bit. They lived in Bermuda for over 10 years, both teachers and got together a fair chunk of money. They always wanted to return to England to live and settle and were most upset when they were about to return we had been accepted for emigration here. They just couldn't understand why anyone would come to live here.:rolleyes:

 

There idea/ideal England though is the thatched cottage they have in Tolpuddle. That has sort of always been their idea of what England is. It's nice, we've been down there to stay with them but we found it boring after a week or so. Tolpuddle is lovely but not much going on, nearest big town is Dorchester and if you don't have a car the bus service is about once a day.

 

They love it and we can't knock them. Their kids though (23 and 18) are both back in Manchester at Uni and teacher training, they couldn't wait to get away as they though it was boring too.

 

I guess if you asked a lot of people what they considered to be an English town Tolpuddle would be right up there. Perthbums neck of the woods, Stratford would be too. There are a lot of places I could think of that seem well and truly English and the same goes for Welsh, Scottish and Irish people I'm sure. Never spent much time in any of those places but I bet there are things that stand out as National identities.

 

The shot of "pupils in Harrow" doesn't bring back any memories of England and I certainly wouldn't have picked it as England just from the photo. I guess it could have been any one of millions of places now the world is full of refugees looking for somewhere to settle.

[Guest Guest66881]

The perception:

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The reality:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25150[/ATTACH]

 

 

Both exist but the balance is all out, but some shout the top as the norm.

I personally would like to see euro zone migrants living in the top image areas as this is the britain they have been shown.

[Parley]

Isn't England like on all the TV shows like midsomer murders.

Lovely country villages, but someone gets murdered usually.

[Xenon4017]

The perception:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25149[/ATTACH]

 

The reality:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25150[/ATTACH]

 

 

Both exist but the balance is all out, but some shout the top as the norm.

I personally would like to see euro zone migrants living in the top image areas as this is the britain they have been shown.

 

It's a shame that they've had to get rid of the church at the end of the street, but at least they're making better use of parking options now......

[kungfustu]

Some see britain through rose tinted glasses pretending all is good and still serca 1955, but the reality is it's 2014 and the only real time the 'country' get together is for state events maybe or world cups (both short lived and over before you know it).

Modern britain is multicultural while still trying to be the stiff upper lip of the world (on the political stage at least), generally (public) just get on with the day to day stuff i bet.

 

 

The perception:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25149[/ATTACH]

 

The reality:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25150[/ATTACH]

 

 

Both exist but the balance is all out, but some shout the top as the norm.

I personally would like to see euro zone migrants living in the top image areas as this is the britain they have been shown.

 

eh?......with regards to your first post....all is pretty good.....from what I see anyway and certainly much better than anywhere else I have lived.

 

when else would you suggest the "country" gets together?.....most other countries do not have royality so do not get the chance to celebrate these state events.....most other countries do not qualify for the world cups so what other events/celebrations are us brits missing out on?

 

Both of those pictures are representative of the UK....we have many many villages and farming communities still flourishing today.....I can get in my car and drive 10 minutes and see both of those pictures in all their glory......the urban landscape accounts for 10% of the UK.....woodland covers 13%.....the rest is non urban.....look at the link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18623096

 

My final point relates to the euro zone migrants.....they come to this country to work.....most of the work is in towns and cities and most inner city and town accomodation looks similar to your bottom picture.....both of these are the norm and both of these have existed in similar quantaties since the industrial revolution.

[bunbury61]

Interesting article...

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24302914

 

Cheers, Bobj.

 

English 1st - British if that's the only tickbox on a form .....its ironic , if you look back at the 66 world cup final ...all the flags being flown at Wembley , by the English were union flags ....you would nt see pne at an England game now

[Bobj]

Considering the number of Euopeans who have invaded Britain in the last 2500 years, it is really a hotch-potch of nationalities, so I suppose British would be fair.

 

Cheers, Bobj.