British Culture free essay sample

Another fact is that it is extremely rare for people to commission the building of their houses. This attitude is so dominant, that it leads to a strange approach towards house prices. Falling prices (normally a good thing) mean that people cannot afford to sell their house. Individuality and conformity Individuality: people like to choose the colour of their own front door. That’s another reason why flats aren’t popular. Individual self-expression is another advantage of a front garden. Most houses are build by organizations, who build whole streets in one time, often with the same design. The houses are different, however, the residents will make sure of that. Interiors: the importance of cosiness British houses have a reputation for being the coldest in Europe. This reputation is exaggerated and is the result of the fact that houses in Britain are older than in other countries. Therefore, they are not very well isolated. Idea of domestic comfort: to create an atmosphere which seems warm, even if it isn’t really warm. This desire usually has a priority over aesthetic concerns, which explains why British people have such a bad taste. Tradition is part of cosines, and this can be suggested by being surrounded by old items of furniture. Most older houses have two general living rooms, or have a hall to pass through before getting in the living room. Owning and renting British people are not content to rent their accommodation. Wherever they are, they like to put down roots. The desire to own the place where you live is almost universal in Britain. People are happy to take out mortgages because house prices normally increase a bit faster than the general cost of living. Therefore, most people can make a profit when they sell they house. It was only at the end of the twentieth century that everybody wanted to own their house. Before that people rented their accommodation. The ambition to own was made easier by policies of tax relief. Some of the interest which people paid on their mortgage could be subtracted from the income tax they had to pay and people selling their houses did not have to pay capital gains tax on any profit. During the 1980s the philosophy of Thatcherism (Margaret Thatcher) was the idea of the ‘property owning democracy’. Council tenants were allowed to buy their council houses and were given financial incentives to do so. Homelessness In 1993 it was estimated that there were half a million homeless people in Britain. The supply of council housing is limited, and has decreased since the 1980s because of the sale of council houses and the lack of money available for building new ones. In the early 1990s many people lost their jobs in the recession and so could not longer afford the monthly mortgage payments. Most homeless families are provided with temporary accommodation in boarding houses by their local council. Homeless people can also find shelter in hostels for the homeless run by charitable organizations or simply living on the streets. Solving the problem of homelessness is not a political priority for the British government, partly because the level of public awareness of the situation is low. Chapter 20 Food and drink Britain and good food are two things which are not commonly associated British tastes are different from everybody else’s. Most common complaint is that British food has little taste at all. Most visitors eat in an institution or ‘eat out’ al lot. This is not were good food can be found. Typical home cooking (which is good) does not suit the larger scale production. Attitudes to food However, these are only partial excuses. The quality is lower than in other countries, because British people simply enough don’t care to bother. People just want to eat up quickly and don’t care if their hamburger is tasty. People get horrible coffee bec ause they want caffeine, not because they want coffee. Even at home, food and drink is given relatively little attention. For example, if a British person wants to have a barbecue, they like the atmosphere, not necessarily the food. When the British do pay attention to food, it is most frequently not to appreciate it but to notice what they don’t like about it. British people have mostly been urban, and maybe that’s why the range of plants and animals they will eat is rather narrow. When British people want to refer to other countries insultingly, they often allude to their strange eating habits. While the British are conservative about their ingredients, they are no longer conservative about the way it is served. For example, in the 1960s British tourists insisted their Fish and Chips served on a British newspaper. Eating out Although it is far less unusual than it used to be, going to a restaurant is still a comparatively rare event for most British people. Restaurants are for the richest and associated with snobbery. Being in an expansive restaurant is more important than the food eaten in it. The menus are another expression of snobbery. Almost all the dishes are not from the English language (mostly French), because it makes the food more exotic and exciting. In 1991 the government suggested that menus should give details of ingredients in dishes, leading the restaurants chefs to be outrageous. Giving away the details would take the fun out of eating. Eating places which serve British food are used only for more everyday. Pubs. ‘Workman’s cafe’: used during the day, mostly by manual workers. Fish-and-chip shop: used in the evening for ‘take-away’ meals. Fast food outlets are more common in Britain than in any other country, because there is no class association. All classes can feel comfortable in them. Alcohol The attitude of alcohol in Britain is ambivalent. On the one hand; it is accepted. ‘The local’: the nearest pub. ‘Regulars’: people who visit them often. Even a certain level of drunkenness is accepted, if it doesn’t lead to violence. On the other hand; the puritan tradition has led the widespread belief that drinking is something potentially dangerous. No drinking under 18 (most regular drinkers don’t even give half a glass of beer to minors). No child under 14 allowed in a pub. Most cafes are not even allowed to serve beer. The lessening of this negative attitude to alcohol has been balanced by increasing concerns about its impact on health and safety. Pubs (short for ‘public house’) Without pubs, Britain would be a less sociable country. The average person can comfortably meet others. Like in fast food restaurants, pubs are classless. Pubs have become a bit less distinctive in the last few decades to widen their appeal. Nevertheless, pubs have retained their special character. For example, no waiter service. If you want a drink, you have to go and ask at the bar. This provides a ‘home from home’ atmosphere. With a waiter people feel they have to behave at their best and don’t feel comfortable. Another notable aspect of pubs is their appeal to the idea of tradition. Pubs have their own name The person who runs the pub is called a ‘landlord’ (while in fact he really is a tenant. He is simply employed by the brewery as its manager). The word is used because it evokes earlier times when all pubs were privately owned ‘inns’ where travellers could find a bed for the night. Chapter 21 Sport and competition There is a good chance your favourite sport was first played in Britain, or that its first modern rules were codified there. The concept of fair play is about both written and unwritten (don’t be a cheat and be a good loser) rules. A national passion Sports probably plays a more important part in British people’s lives than in most other countries, as it is the main form of entertainment for a very large number of people; taking part or being a spectator. The British are one of the best in the world a large number of different sports than any other country. The British are so fond of competition that they even introduce it into the garden. Neighbours indulge in