Britishness

Fish and chips & Royal wedding : the ambiguous Britishness

From the Continent, Britishness refers to all the distinctive aspects of what is considered to be the British Culture, such as those ugly, royal-printed cups, or the fantastic Brit pop Bands, or even the supposedly humorous things like Mr Bean. Of course,  we are aware that this is based on stereotypes. However, it contributes to the worldwide popularity of the Kingdom.

But Britishness might also be a way of federating all British people : On the one hand is the need to integrate the large number of immigrants that live in the UK, and on the other hand is the necessity to gather all the nations of the United Kingdom. Thus, it's the British identity that's at stake with Britishness, even though it sometimes raises the issue of the English domination over the Scottish, Welsh and Irish cultures.

For centuries, Britishness has refered to the fact of being British, despite the doubts and critiques it may raise. Anyhow, Britishness remains the tool of a worldwide spread of the British Culture, and the weapon of the United Kingdom Softpower.

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Amélie Blandeau - Week 6 - 182 words