Essay on the Peculiar Aspects of the UK
Number of words: 1129
The UK is a place apart, having a unique culture, society, and politics. Every country is unique in its way and the British people do things their way and that is what makes Britain a different country. The United Kingdom of Great Britain consists of four countries that have impacted the nation: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The people residing in these countries together create the British people, who have their values and interests. British culture is one of the most unique in the world, but which aspects of the culture, politics, and society make Britain different from other countries?
The royal family, food, and politeness are only some aspects contributing to making the British culture stand apart. The British royal family has an important role in the country and attracts thousands of visitors from around the world each year. The queen is the head of state and she is respected around the world. The royal family is regarded as a British cultural icon and a majority of the residents of the country support the monarchy. Even though the political impact of the monarchy has been reduced, it has shaped the country over the course of many decades and therefore is important to the British people.[1] Britain is also home to the famous English breakfast, fish and chips, beef wellington, and tea which remains a popular drink and considered an important part of British identity.[2] However, many other foods have become popular, such as chicken tikka masala, due to the immigration in the last decades which has created a diversity of cultures in the country. Hence, Britain is often referred to as a “melting pot”, where new cultures and traditions are being transferred, explaining the diverse culinary traditions. Another important aspect of the culture is polite behavior. Politeness is often seen as typical of British culture and avoiding phrases like “please” and “thank you” is considered rude.[3] Compared to Norway, Britain considers politeness as a major part of its culture. On the other hand, polite behavior is not typical in British politics.
British political traditions have similarities to other countries, whereas some of them are peculiar. The UK is a parliamentary government, where the parliament is made up of The House of Commons and the House of Lords. Traditionalism is an important aspect of British politics and how things are done. The preponderance of the society tends to stick to old traditions, thus the House of Lords still exists, even though they do not have any real power. The members of the House of Commons, on the other hand, are elected by the people. The UK is considered as a two-party system, where the two dominant parties have been the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The debates in the House of Commons are often very loud and disrespectful, despite politeness being quintessential to the British culture. Besides, another special part of British politics is that judges still wear old-fashioned white wigs in the court.[4] Despite having traditions, there is also some willingness to accept new ideas and create change. Brexit, a recent incident in British politics, emphasizes accepting behavior towards change. Being the first country to leave the EU, after 47 years of membership they have impacted the whole world and the British society is changing.[5]
Class consciousness has traditionally been an important part of society in the UK and it still is. Traditionally the British society consisted of three main social classes, the upper class, the middle class, and the working class. However, class divisions are more complicated today. The UK is divided into seven social classes, revealed from a BBC-sponsored survey from 2013, reflecting the people’s wealth, level of education, and type of job.[6] The new classes are defined as; elite, established middle class, technical middle class, new affluent workers, traditional working class, emergent service working class, and precariat.[7] Britain remains a society with huge inequalities and these classes definitely emphasize the problem in the British society..
In conclusion, every country has developed their traditions and cultures, and are thus unique in their ways. Britain has developed new traditions over the course of the years, however many of them have existed for several decades. The polite behavior, royal family, love for tea, and class being important, yet complicated part of life in the UK. These are just some of the aspects contributing to making the UK a place apart, however there are other instances that emphasize the peculiarity of Britain. Hence, every country is unique in their own way and Britain do have aspects making it a different country.
Reference list
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). “Brexit: What you need to know about the UK leaving the EU”. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887 (17 February 2021).
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). “Huge suvery reveals seven social classes in UK”. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22007058 (17 February 2021).
- Historic UK. “English Etiquette”. Retrieved from https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/British-Etiquette/ (17 February 2021).
- Smithsonian Magazine. “British Parliament Is Losing its Wigs”. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/british-parliament-losing-its-wigs-180962069/ (17 February 2021).
- Study in UK. “British Culture and Social Norms”. Retrieved from https://www.studying-in-uk.org/british-culture-and-social-norms/ (17 February 2021).
- The Royal Family. “The role of the Monarchy”. Retrieved from https://www.royal.uk/role-monarchy (17 February 2021).
[1]https://www.royal.uk/role-monarchy
[2]https://www.studying-in-uk.org/british-culture-and-social-norms/
[3]https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/British-Etiquette/
[4]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/british-parliament-losing-its-wigs-180962069/
[5]https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887