Download a glossary of terms used in this module.
When people talk about the UK, what do they mean? Some people talk about England or Great Britain when they really mean the UK. So, before we start this module on British culture, we should make sure we understand what these terms mean!
- The United Kingdom (UK) is a sovereign state consisting of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has its own distinct regional cultures
- The island of Ireland is divided into the countries of Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland
- England, Scotland and Wales make up the island of Great Britain
- 'British' is a term that is used to refer to someone who lives in the UK.
Select each item to reveal some information about different aspects of life in the UK.
Continue on for some useful information about different aspects of life in the UK.
Weather
The weather in the UK is generally quite mild, with distinct seasons. There is some variation throughout the UK, for example the North of Scotland gets very cold in winter, and the South of England quite warm and sunny in summer. It is common to have snow in winter. Remember the quote attributed to Wainwright, there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing! Read more about UK weather.
Religion
The UK is a tolerant society where different religions are practised. You are likely to be able to find specific spaces in and around university to practise your faith and join religious communities. Some people in the UK do not practise a faith or are not religious, which is also accepted. Read more about religion in the UK.
Food and drink
Whilst traditionally food in the UK has been considered bland and tasteless, this is no longer the case as you can find food from all over the world to satisfy every taste and budget. Dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher) are catered for in many shops and eating establishments. Do try some traditional British dishes and ingredients whilst in the UK, such as a fried breakfast, Sunday roast, Lancashire hotpot, fish and chips and haggis. Check 18 regional dishes to try or make in the UK and unique foods in Northern Ireland.
Bank holidays
Depending on where you are located in the UK, there are normally 8-10 bank holidays per year. Most public services and universities are closed on a bank holiday and public transport may be less frequent than a normal working day. On Christmas Day (25 December) almost all shops are closed, and there is no public transport. You may wish to plan in advance for Christmas day, by arranging to stay with a family in the UK, or attending the International Students' House Christmas dinner in London, to meet other international students. Note the deadlines for Host UK and International Students' House.
Traditions
You will notice traditions in the UK which may vary depending on where you are located. British people might mark days of the year, for example by making and eating pancakes on Pancake Day at the start of Lent before Easter, or by 'trick or treating' on Hallowe'en on 31 October. You might be surprised by the British tradition to drink a cup of tea at a time of crisis! Read more about traditional days and common traditions.
Further information on British culture and traditions, as well as the UK and division of Ireland, can be found in the 'Useful links' pod.
- Some useful information about the differences between Great Britain and the UK.
- A short introduction to the history of the partition of Ireland.
- Information from the British Council for international students living in the UK.
- A blog post from the British Council, What you need to know about studying in the UK, that no-one ever told you.
Culture
Now we know what is meant by 'the UK', what is meant by the term 'culture'? There are whole books written about it, and researchers have devoted their lives to studying it. While definitions vary, most seem to agree on the following:
- Culture is the way of life of a group of people
- Aspects of culture include attitudes, beliefs, values, habits, thoughts, and shared activities and experiences
- Many aspects of a culture feel so natural to the people who are members of it that they do not notice them
- Cultural traits tend to be learned by members of the group without them realising (subconsciously).
Expectations in the UK
Our expectations can influence how quickly and how well we adapt to a new culture. Often, we come with ideas and opinions – both good and bad – about what the country and the people will be like. We often do not realise that we have these beliefs. This
It is likely you are wondering what British culture is like. You may think you are familiar with it already from watching British TV or films or reading about it. Maybe you are anxious about how you will adapt, or maybe you are excited about the opportunity to discover new things.
I didn't expect the cold winters! I was very unused to such weather, so had to invest thoroughly in winter coats, boots and thermals. I wish I had done more research about the weather before moving, as I hadn't accounted for that cost in my budgeting.
Melody, international student from Dubai
The UK is beautiful, and I appreciate the infrastructure now, but when I first came I thought the buildings looked rather outdated, but that's just because a lot of the buildings were built in Victorian times. There's a lot of heritage here, combined with a lot of modern innovation.
Michelle, international student from Botswana
Consider each statement and decide whether you think it is true or false, and then continue for feedback.
Statement 1 of 4:
When we talk about culture, we are talking about fine art, classical music and literature. So, in the UK, it is only used to refer to works by the playwright Shakespeare, the painter Turner and the author Jane Austen, for example.
Answer options:
- True
- False
The correct answer is:
- False
Feedback:
The word 'culture' is often used to refer to the arts, such as fine art, classical music and literature – you can often associate these with a particular country or area, and it is likely you have heard of the examples above. However, culture also has a much wider meaning. It refers to the ideas, customs and behaviours of a particular group, so can be seen in almost everything a particular group does. This includes how they dress, what they watch on TV, the newspapers they read, the pop music they listen to – the list goes on and on. It is also evident in the way that they behave. For example, you may find that the rules around greeting people are different in the UK than they are in your home country.
Statement 2 of 4:
How you view people from another culture will be shaped a lot by your own culture and subconscious views of what is 'correct'.
Answer options:
- True
- False
The correct answer is:
- True
Feedback:
Culture as a concept covers many different behaviours and rituals, from how you greet other people, to what you wear in different situations, to how a society takes care of children and the elderly. It even includes things like which hand you eat with, and which cutlery you use! If you find yourself in a society where people do these things differently, you may be surprised or even shocked. That is because our own cultures shape how we perceive the world around us. This can even lead us to make judgements about others' cultures being 'right' or 'wrong', when often they are simply different.
Statement 3 of 4:
A country's culture changes only very slowly. This can be seen in the UK, where the culture has remained largely unchanged over the last 100 years.
Answer options:
- True
- False
The correct answer is:
- False
Feedback:
Some aspects of a culture will remain the same for a long time. In the UK, for example, tea drinking has been part of the culture for hundreds of years. However, in other ways, cultures do change rapidly. Attitudes to marriage, sex, and gender roles, for example, have changed a lot since the middle of the last century. In the UK, homosexual relationships were illegal until as recently as 1967, but since 2013, two women or two men have been able to marry (same-sex marriage).
Statement 4 of 4:
We all have more than one cultural identity. So, we cannot say that someone's cultural identity is formed entirely by where they are from or the religion they practise.
Answer options:
- True
- False
The correct answer is:
- True
Feedback:
This is true. We are all part of different microcultures. This is something that we will look at in more detail later in this module. But for now, it is enough to realise that each of us belongs to multiple cultures, which all have their own unique cultural identity and set of practices. Together these make up who we are: a person will be influenced by their family background, religious identity, social class, place of work, the sports clubs they belong to, and many other things. Each of these has its own cultural characteristics, and people adapt their behaviour according to each.
Adapting to a new culture can be difficult, and you can find out more about these challenges and how to cope with them on the screen Dealing with culture shock and reverse culture shock.
Find out about two UK traditions that you think are interesting. When are they? How do people celebrate them? What is the story behind the tradition? Do you have anything similar in your country?