Prof. Drd. Daniela Angelica DorobanţuSome people argue there is no such thing as a shared English culture. They say all those invasions by the Normans and Romans simply left them with ‘hotch potch’ of other people’s cultures. Paradoxically, this melting pot is what makes England unique. And today’s multicultural communities make this mix even more vibrant and interesting. Icons are everywhere. Wherever you go in England you will find museums, galleries and all sorts of other places linked to icons.
What makes something an icon? Is an icon beloved or somehow symbolic?
Well, icons for my purposes have to be uniquely important to life in England and the people who live there and, in general, considering the fact that we live in a multicultural society. Some icons are obvious: Stonehenge, cricket, the crown jewels. Others are more controversial. When I talk about icons I do not mean people. This does not mean I will ignore key individuals. It means that I will include Shakespeare’s plays rather than the man from Stratford.
Some of the icons are considered stereotypes of the British culture and civilization.
At one end of the scale we might find phrase books and tourist guides that tell us emphatically that all British people enjoy the traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon every morning and instruct us to learn phrases such as 'What a lovely day today!' as a conversation opener.
At the other end of the scale, we might find a course that teaches students facts about the political and economic institutions of Britain, with topics such as Law and Order, the Monarchy, the Parliamentary System or the Family.
Discourses of nationalism put into contrast the chosen people, the blessed British people with other groups, to the detriment of all those held to be outsiders. To a lesser degree, the same distinction is maintained today through other forms of discourse: sport, where commentators refer to 'us’ and 'our team', advertising, where stereotypes of national char¬acteristics are frequently used to sell products and in humour systems, where other groups are ridiculed and debased. A common type of joke in English opens with the Englishman, the Irishman and the Scotsman, and the Englishman generally emerges as the victor. If told by a Scot, the outcome might well be different.
When you think of British stereotypes, the first things that come into mind may be the Big Ben, the Queen, the red buses and black taxis. When you get to England they all think that we must know David Beckham. They are so proud of their nationality and maybe that is why they do everything in a different way. They drive on the left, they do not use kilometres, but miles, they do not use kilos, but pounds.
The British are known to be very punctual and polite. We can often hear words like: “Please”, “Thank You”, “See you later”.
They are great tea drinkers and whenever there is a problem to fix or a shoulder to cry on, the first thing they do is to put the kettle on.
Even if the weather is terrible and damp, everyone wants to live there. It rains a lot in Britain and the people are crazy about a sunny day. That is why they start almost every conversation with a question about weather.
As John Oakland argues these characteristics have often been attributed “to the allegedly insular and conservative mentalities of island peoples, with their supposed preference for traditional habits and institutions.” Some influences have come from abroad. But the absence of any successful external military invasion of the islands since the Norman Conquest of AD 1066 has allowed England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to develop internally in distinctive ways, despite wars and disputes between them.
Cultural facts do not have singular meaning, but rather a changing variety of interlocking, often conflicting meanings for par¬ticular individuals and social groups. Investigating cultural meaning is accordingly a question of establishing patterns within the society as regards who forms particular interpretations of any given material being studied.
What makes something an icon? Is an icon beloved or somehow symbolic?
Well, icons for my purposes have to be uniquely important to life in England and the people who live there and, in general, considering the fact that we live in a multicultural society. Some icons are obvious: Stonehenge, cricket, the crown jewels. Others are more controversial. When I talk about icons I do not mean people. This does not mean I will ignore key individuals. It means that I will include Shakespeare’s plays rather than the man from Stratford.
Some of the icons are considered stereotypes of the British culture and civilization.
At one end of the scale we might find phrase books and tourist guides that tell us emphatically that all British people enjoy the traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon every morning and instruct us to learn phrases such as 'What a lovely day today!' as a conversation opener.
At the other end of the scale, we might find a course that teaches students facts about the political and economic institutions of Britain, with topics such as Law and Order, the Monarchy, the Parliamentary System or the Family.
Discourses of nationalism put into contrast the chosen people, the blessed British people with other groups, to the detriment of all those held to be outsiders. To a lesser degree, the same distinction is maintained today through other forms of discourse: sport, where commentators refer to 'us’ and 'our team', advertising, where stereotypes of national char¬acteristics are frequently used to sell products and in humour systems, where other groups are ridiculed and debased. A common type of joke in English opens with the Englishman, the Irishman and the Scotsman, and the Englishman generally emerges as the victor. If told by a Scot, the outcome might well be different.
When you think of British stereotypes, the first things that come into mind may be the Big Ben, the Queen, the red buses and black taxis. When you get to England they all think that we must know David Beckham. They are so proud of their nationality and maybe that is why they do everything in a different way. They drive on the left, they do not use kilometres, but miles, they do not use kilos, but pounds.
The British are known to be very punctual and polite. We can often hear words like: “Please”, “Thank You”, “See you later”.
They are great tea drinkers and whenever there is a problem to fix or a shoulder to cry on, the first thing they do is to put the kettle on.
Even if the weather is terrible and damp, everyone wants to live there. It rains a lot in Britain and the people are crazy about a sunny day. That is why they start almost every conversation with a question about weather.
As John Oakland argues these characteristics have often been attributed “to the allegedly insular and conservative mentalities of island peoples, with their supposed preference for traditional habits and institutions.” Some influences have come from abroad. But the absence of any successful external military invasion of the islands since the Norman Conquest of AD 1066 has allowed England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to develop internally in distinctive ways, despite wars and disputes between them.
Cultural facts do not have singular meaning, but rather a changing variety of interlocking, often conflicting meanings for par¬ticular individuals and social groups. Investigating cultural meaning is accordingly a question of establishing patterns within the society as regards who forms particular interpretations of any given material being studied.
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