The aim of this assignment is to evaluate the claim that Britishness is based on shared values, ideas or ways of life. I will do this with particular focus on a range of short pieces of writing from a variety of different sources such as that at government and independent levels. Britishness is not entirely about symbols and a flag, to be British implies sharing a place of residence.
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Although these residents of Britain will exhibit an array of different identities according to their background, Britishness can also be used to refer to the characteristics that bind and distinguish British people and forms the basis of a national identity or explains British culture.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the correct name for the country, whereas Great Britain alone does not strictly include Northern Ireland, the adjective 'British' usually includes everybody. Britishness does not have a singular meaning and it has been created through a numerous ideas. For some people, Britishness refers to the relationship between people and places, other people will make historical connections such as that of the Monarchy or see the political influences that shape the country. Many people believe the term directly relates to a shared culture, shared values, ideas or ways of life. People in the United Kingdom share a national identity, though this for many is not something they are predominantly at ease with. A person may wish not to be associated with a stereotypical view like English people drink excessive amounts of alcohol, though have no problems with the view that British people are polite. Being British, as mentioned, suggests that people share a place of residence, though it is also sometimes treated as a racial category, that means being part of the 'British race' or being Caucasian. At other times it has been treated as an ethnic identity and such ideas of
race, termed by scholars as 'racial thinking', have made it possible to see how white people were able to dominate other groups and places because they were deemed the superior race. Due to the fact that racial thought focuses on the biological questions of skin colour and so on, it always constructs connections between race, place and culture and often the imagined connections between these blur national, racial and ethnic identities. Shared belief in 'common descent' is what makes ethnicity a social category, because ethnic groups are expected to describe themselves and this may change over time or depending on the social context. Therefore to identify ourselves as British can sometimes create both negative and positive feelings, such "uncertain results from the many potential meanings of this identity" (Clarke, 2009, P.214).
Culture, a rather vague term with various meanings can be connected to 'high
culture', the artistic or aesthetic cultural products that shape culture at a national level through music, art and literature as examples. Another meaning of culture "involves treating culture as everyday life - the habits, practices and values of a 'way of life'", (Clarke, 2009,P.219).
There are many aspects of literature associated in the identification of British
Culture. William Shakespeare used literature and theatrical plays to demonstrate the British culture by providing powerful imagery that reflected British attitudes during the sixteenth century. Although these images continue to be powerful today, which suggests such values remain relevant when thinking about Britain, it is uncertain whether or not these values are continued in the modern United Kingdom. This view of British culture is created and cultural theorist and historian Raymond Williams (1958) describes this as a selective tradition, where the work of some individuals is remembered and others, excluded. The dominance of, for example, English writers and musicians throughout the country is the cause of many a clash. This biasness results in the exclusion of cultural influences from other countries of the United Kingdom or scattering populations like migrants, though cultural products are apparently common to all British people. Britishness in the terms of values and practices, discussed in a statement by David Blunkett as contribution towards a debate about a 'diverse society', explains that Britishness is not defined on exclusive backgrounds. Instead he claims it can be defined "through our shared values", ([BLUNKETT, 2005, P.4] Clarke, 2009, P221) and represented through public organisations such as the NHS and the BBC that are open to all citizens. Trevor Phillips, who was Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality also highlighted how Britishness can be easily adopted by people of all backgrounds, though he believes that these values are expressed more so in our actions towards one another as a form of social order that control the way people behave, "the way we behave towards each other is the outward appearance of our values" ([Phillips, 2007, P.42] Clarke, 2009, P.233) Both insist that Britishness is open to everyone and that it is not exclusive, though, despite Blunkett and Phillips trying to define a common Britishness using the matter of shared values, both views can be challenged if one looks into other aspects of British life and the experiences of different members of society that contradict such claims. Contradictions include the evidence of inequality even though there are claims of social equality or supposed tolerance that can be set alongside evidence of persistent judgement or the increased numbers of 'hate crimes' towards minority groups. The relationship between national identity and diversity were heavily debated matters during the early 21st century. A mixture of individuals and parties suggest that diversity has overstepped the mark and that it undermines the national identity resulting in types of social solidarity. Portraying diversity in such a way conflicts with other arguments that claim Britain has become a multi-cultural society that must work towards developing a more multiple and complex national identity by acknowledging all cultures and identities as playing their part in contemporary Britain. A focal point over recent years has been to establish the relationship between national
Identity and diversity. David Goodhart, the editor of a magazine called 'Prospect' believes that decades of peace, increased wealth and mobility have allowed for greater diversity in our lifestyles and values, he uses the term 'value diversity' to refer to cultural diversity and implies that ethnic diversity produces stranger citizens. In contemporary British society people live amongst stranger citizens and regularly share things with them, whether that be
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public services or parts of their income in the welfare state. Also implied is that if we live by a limited set of common values and assumptions, that this process will be best managed. Though as diversity continues to rise and common cultures fade, Goodhart focuses on social solidarity and argues that problems will occur because sharing and solidarity can conflict with diversity. Sociologist Bhikhu Parekh looks at different obstacles that British society is faced with, such as racial discrimination and a racially orientated moral and
Political culture. In contrast to Goodhart, Parekh writes about the importance of valuing all citizens and communities and identifies social fragmentation and racism as a cause for concern because these could amplify the differences between social groups. 'Imagined communities' as described by the anthropologist Benedict Anderson (1983) are nations that rely on construction through a variety of symbolic forms, such as every day ceremonies and flags. Britain is imagined in relation to America, Europe and Empire. These have significantly contributed to the key conditions of Britishness and the construction of national identity. Britain's relations with these other nations have shaped Britishness materialistically and culturally in a number of different ways. For instance there is a strong sense of antagonism towards Europe due to previous conflicts, the 'Empire' has shaped the country's economic, political and cultural life and the relationship with America is focused on fantasies of power and living a life of luxury. Throughout the construction of imagined
communities the word 'we' is used, this implies the sharing of something in common and gives a clear distinction between those who are members of the community and of those who are not.
To conclude, one can see that Britishness is not a simple matter, the nation is not fixed or permanent and things are constantly changing. There are a number of influences that contribute towards Britishness and this can be defined through relationships between people and place, imagined communities, diverse societies and shared cultures that form a national identity as described in the essay. Culture it is claimed by some people to be the habits, practices and values of a way of life, whereas William's claims that there are selective traditions that cause some aspects to be excluded, despite the view that cultural products are common to all residents. It is clear that there are a lot of sources from which to gain information about the portrayals of Britishness, though one should also take into account the writers or speakers interest or role in the matter, because they can often manipulate the wording to give or enhance particular significance.
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