3 british belief and values

British
Beliefs and Values

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British vs. english
Yes, I am Welsh first. If
someone ties me down, I ’ ll
say I ’ m British. I ’ m proud
to be Welsh, but not so
proud to be British.
Britishness for me is just
a name. End of story.
(White Welsh, Cardiff)

© Commission for Racial Equality
St Dunstan’s House, 201-211 Borough
High Street
London SE1 1GZ
Published November 2005
ISBN 1 85442 573 0

-I don ’ t want to be British. I
want to be Scottish!
-I do think of us as part of
Britain
- No, but we ’ re Scottish
- Year, but we ’ re British.
We ’ re British. Your
passport says that you ’ re

British.
(White Scottish, Glasgow)

The first thing that comes to
mind when you say English is
a white person. You don ’ t see
a black person as English.
(Black Africans and Black 2
Caribbeans, London)


We celebrate the diversity in our country, get strength from different
cultures and the races that go to making up Britain today.
-Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, 2 October 2001

More than 250 languages
are spoken in London
Multicultural Britain

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Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Conservatism
Being different
The love of nature
The love of animals
Formality and informality
Public spiritedness and
amateurism
7. Privacy and sex
8. Others

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1. Conservatism
They may NOT
BEHAVE
in traditional ways

However

For example

The decline of
nuclear family

However

They LIKE symbols
of tradition and
stability

Politicians cited
enthusiasm for
traditional
family values
as a way of
winning support5


1. Conservatism
They like their pubs to look old

They like living in an old house
Children like reading stories in
rather old – fashioned world

6


Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Conservatism
Being different
The love of nature
The love of animals

Formality and informality
Public spiritedness and
amateurism
7. Privacy and sex
8. Others

7


2. Being different
Conservatism + individualism =
proud of being different
E.g. left-hand traffic

8


2. Being different
The double-decker buses

9


2. Being different
British Government

sometimes seem to
promote this (1993)

System of measurement

BBC weather forecasts
View this forecast in
Celcius

5 oC

-3 o C

View this forecast in
Fahrenheit

41 o F

27 o F
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Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Conservatism
Being different
The love of nature
The love of animals
Formality and informality

Public spiritedness and
amateurism
7. Privacy and sex
8. Others

11


3. The love of nature
e
h
t
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o
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G

ro

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g
n

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w
e
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f
o
e
k
i
l
s
i
D
s

n
o
i
t
c
u
r
t
s
con
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The love of the
countryside
British people have an idealistic
vision of the countryside
Some countries
countryside = poor facilities + lack of
educational opportunities +
unemployment + poverty

To the British
 countryside = peace + quietness +
good health + no crime
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The love of the
countryside

British Countryside

14


The love of the
countryside
An ideal
country
house:
- Thatched
cottage
- a pond with
ducks on it
- built around an
area of glass

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Growing plants
 Royal Paddock
Allotments in London
 Used for gardening
 Rent

 A £20 fee to be in the
waiting list
 Annual fee for full

plot: £20
 Annual fee for half
plot: £10
 An off enrollment fee
of
£ 20
Plot 36

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Royal Paddock Allotments
in London

Plot 154

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Royal Paddock Allotments
in London

Plot 157

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Royal Paddock Allotments
in London

Plot 23A

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Royal Paddock Allotments
in London

Plot 115

Plot 39

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Dislike of new
constructions
Some history connected with the
building of the Channel tunnel
On the English side,
nobody wanted
the rail link
near them

On the French side
communities battled
with each other to
get the new railway
lines built through
their towns

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Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Conservatism
Being different
The love of nature
The love of animals
Formality and informality
Public spiritedness and
amateurism
7. Privacy and sex
8. Others

22


4. The love of animals
Soldiers ’ dog cemetery at Edinburgh Castle

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4. The love of animals
 St. Tiggywinkles, the world ’ s busiest hospital for
wildlife animals
 Treats over 10,000 animal casualties a year
 Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (even
Christmas)
 All treatment free to public

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4. The love of animals
Bird watching is very popular 
bird tables

Pictures and cover of British Birds
(January 2007), one among many
other British bird magazines
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