The Stereotypes of British People

977 Words4 Pages
The stereotypes of the British people The British, like the people of every country, tend to be attributed with certain characteristics which are supposedly typical. However, it is best to be cautious about accepting such characterizations too easily, and in the case of Britain there are three particular reasons to be cautious. Societies change over time while their reputations lag behind. Many things which are often regarded as typically British derive from books, songs or plays which were written a long time ago and which are no longer representative of modern life. However, in their private everyday lives, the British as individuals are probably less inclined to follow tradition than are the people of most other countries. There are very few ancient customs that are followed by the majority of families on special occasions. The country has fewer local parades or processions with genuine folk roots than most other countries have. The English language has fewer sayings or proverbs that are in common everyday use than many other languages do. The British are too individualistic for these things. Britain is a multicultural society. There are areas in London in which there is an Indian way of life with Indian shops, clothes, language. These people have brought widely differing sets of attitudes with them. However, the divergence from indigenous British attitudes is constantly narrowing. In fact, the new British have made their own contribution to British life and attitudes. They have probably helped to make people more informal. The British have few living folk traditions and are too individualistic to have the same everyday habits as each other. However, this does not mean that they like change. They don't. They may not behave in traditional ways, but they like symbols of tradition and stability. In general, the British value continuity over
Open Document