UNIVERSITATEA DIN ORADEA

FACULTATEA DE ISTORIE, GEOGRAFIE SI RELATII INTERNATIONALE

MASTER DRCI

ASPECTS OF INTERCULTURAL
BRITAIN

MASTERAND: BOGDAN RALUCA VASILICA

AN 1
 In a world that encourages social seclusion by means of its technological
evolutions, one cannot help pondering the need for human interaction without those “new
intermediaries”. What we might see today as means of easy and fast communication
(Internet, high-tech gadgets, highways,) are just instruments that lead to social
segmentation and reduce human direct interaction. And in an age of diversity in terms of
cultures and people, the avoidance of human communication seems to waste many great
opportunities of discovering the essence of the world we live in and the people who
inhabit it.
We are all part of a culture and the culture is a part of who we are. It is in the
different processes that we undergo in life in the middle of a particular group that we find
our identity. What we know and recognize makes us more comfortable with the world,
which we tend to characterize by referring to the elements that constitute this comfort
zone. It is when the strange and the different comes into place, that we sometimes
become insecure: people who are different, who have different customs than ours tend to
be labeled as strange and sometimes scary.
But is such an attitude compatible with the world we live in today? So intense is
the diversity of cultures in the postmodern century, so common is the phenomenon of
migration and cultural mixture around us that such attitude can eventually seem unnatural
and can only lead to unpleasant consequences. Acceptance and integration represent the
only solutions for a better world. What should define us is the openness to the difference
between cultures and the natural communication between people.
Great Britain represents a perfect example of the variety of cultures that co-
inhabit a space and where discussions about the need for a healthy intercultural dialogue
have already started to lead to concrete solutions. A brief look at the levels of
multiculturalism in Great Britain would conclude that the islands of the Brits represents a
space of great diversity and integration, though, as some would argue, this does not
necessarily imply the lack discrimination, racism and exclusion of minorities. The thing
that nevertheless characterizes the British culture is the sensitivity that it shows towards
the issues of equality in the context of diversity.
It is this very diverse ethnic stock that lies at the core of British culture, the people
in UK being descents of the populations that settled here before the 11th century: the
Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Norse and the Normans. Nowhere else in Europe can one
find a more impressive mixture of ethnic layers, all having its specific features that have
mingled to create the British culture, from the coldness and determination of the Saxons,
to the warmth and intelligence of the Romans, from the warrior spirit of the Norse to the
creative force of the Celts; a conglomerate of identities, colours and styles that make up a
great nation.
But how can one define British culture today? What is interesting in relation to it
is the fact that it has become one of the best known and most recognizable cultures of the
world. It is this nation’s specific allure of “Britishness” that makes it so unique and
special. The British are proud of who they are and what they represents and scarcely do
they accept exterior influence or any “cool”, “hip” trends that the globalization
phenomenon injects in most cultures. So famous are its particular symbols that a simple
brainstorming on British culture would release inside almost any mind an avalanche of
cultural aspects: be it Shakespeare, Lady Di, Buckingham Palace or double-deckers, or
even the custom of tea drinking at a particular hour (though borrowed from former
colonies). Try as we may, we simply won’t be able to deny the special vibe that bursts
from the isles.
In terms of orientation, one could easily observe that the British tend to put a
greater accent on individuality, rather than social groups, priorities being laid on a
person’s ability to make it on his/her own and become self-sufficient as a result of one’s
struggles, without the constant protectiveness of family.
As far as time awareness is concerned, rarely will you find a typical Briton that
doesn’t respect the value of punctuality. So important is this feature, that if a person
decided to ignore it he/she would risk to be accused of rudeness and be labeled as
untrustworthy.
The typical reserved attitude when it comes to words and manners is what leads to
the characterization of the British people as a culture that values indirect communication.
The features that best describe them are politeness and self-discipline, which would
normally give an impression of coldness but which, in their case, are often combined with
a tasteful sense of humour.
Another important aspect worth mentioning here is that the British culture
encourages a low authority system, where everybody is equal (be it man or woman,
Muslim or Christian) and where rules apply on a universal level. For them, the things that
matter most are fairness and fair-play.
The many characteristics of the British mentioned above easily leads to the
conclusion that Britain’s cultural environment functions according to certain principles
that encourage a healthy intercultural communication. Proud though they are of their
roots and their Britishness, there is nevertheless an openness and acceptance of cultural
variety and multiculturality. Let’s not forget that England is the birth place of
parliamentary democracy, which implies a certain level of freedom and equality.
As formerly stated, multiethnicity was never a novelty for the British. Their
society today is constituted of various levels of multiethnic groups, shaped in history
through the migrations from the former colonies of the populations in seek of
employment. At the time of the industrial revolution, they were the ones who met the
needs for development and expansion of the great empire. Thus, it was this history of
colonialism and violence that brought the current British ethnic minorities in the territory
of the UK, and one can say that these minorities found at the time a certain connection
and unity through the experience that they had undergone and the position that they
occupied in society.
The 2001 census revealed a number of the members of ethnic minority groups
that represents less than seven per cent of the UK population and included the Mixed
(White and Black Caribbean, White and Black African, White and Asian, Other Mixed),
Asian or Asian British (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Other Asian), Black or Black
British (Black Caribbean, African, Other Black) and Chinese or Other Ethnic Group.1
The cultural diversity is never more so apparent than in London, where you can
find almost every race, nation, culture and religion in the world. And the more varied the
cultures, the more difficult it becomes to reach an efficient level of communication
among them. Though some deplore the loss of the old sense of Britishness due to this
phenomenon, the thing it brings out most is a somehow defensive, yet accepting attitude:
we accept you as long as you don’t affect our previous lifestyles.
1
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/census2001/IntroOneNumber.asp, retrieved 13.04.2010
In the past years efforts have been made in Britain to adopt policies and strategies that
can help transform the great cultural diversity into an advantage for the entire nation. As
several studies have demonstrated in recent years, from diversity comes innovation and
impressive creative genius, if people learn how to understand each other and live in
perfect harmony. Never before have the British had a greater interest to apply the theory
according to which, for cities to become socially and economically dynamic, they need to
be able to take advantage of what they have. Only through becoming more intercultural
can cities unlock the benefits of cultural diversity. Cultural literacy is thus of utmost
importance and learning about the Others ‘culture can only be achieved through
integrative strategies.
Consequently, among the different strategies that have been adopted in
Britain are, for example, the policies in the field art, by promoting an art that
encompasses various cultural manifestations and creative expressions. Not only is art an
expression of creative activity, it also gives a deeper understanding of human mind and
culture. Another example is the initiative of the Commission for Racial Equality to adopt
certain important projects like the Race in the Media Awards. What these awards manage
to create is an attempt for the resolution of the issues connected to integration and
diversity under the umbrella of British culture. The open discussion on problems such as
racism and xenophobia is what is aimed at through such initiatives.
At the core of this intercultural policy lies the American model that seeks to create
in all people, no matter their race or religion, a sense of national belonging, assertiveness
and pride. Therefore, the concept of openness is the basic idea around which the
strategies of integration and intercultural dialogue in Britain are built: openness in civil
society, through representation in fields such as health, welfare, education, the openness
of public space, through the perception of cultural inclusiveness in any area characterized
as public (libraries, swimming pools, community centres, theaters, etc) and last, but not
least the openness of mind of each and every citizen.
Popular as it may be, the term “intercultural” continues to need a more attentive
addressing and understanding, thus leading to a more concrete application and solution.
Only when all the different sides of the cultural diversity issue have been tackled, will
there be an actual chance of reaching the immense advantage and freedom that it can
bring.