UNIT 69

SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES:

EMBLEMS AND STEREOTYPES

THE SONG IN ENGLISH AS A VEHICLE OF CULTURAL INFLUENCE

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SOCIETY CULTURE EMBLEMS AND STEREOTYPES IN BRITAIN.

2.1. Culture, Emblems and Stereotypes in the British Isles as a Whole

2.2. Scotland

2.3. Wales

2.4. Ireland

2.5. England

3. SOCIETY CULTURE EMBLEMS AND STEREOTYPES IN THE USA

4. THE SONG IN ENGLISH AS A VEHICLE OF CULTURAL INFLUENCE

5. CONCLUSION

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1. INTRODUCTION

In this unit we are going to look at the society and culture in English speaking countries. This will
include a look at Scotland, Eire, Wales, England and the United States.

When one learns a language, one has to have a positive attitude towards the culture of the country,
without it, the motivation to learn the language will be lacking. This means that it is important to be
aware of how people live in the target language community in order to develop a tolerant attitude.

Each country has its own norms and attitudes, and although certain things are better in certain cultures,
overall, the way a society lives is better for that culture, and should not be compared with how others
live. What is good for one country need not be for others.

Society and culture are concepts that relate the history of a community with its folklore. From an
anthropological point of view, the cultural norms and values and the predictable laws of behaviour form
a pattern of a given society. From a humanistic point of view, some cultural values are reflected by
several societies, such as can be seen in the way that the same tales can be found in several areas in the
world. From a psychological perspective, culture is studied according to people’s behaviour. The
myths, fairy tales, jokes and so on are taken to express hidden layers of subconscious wishes and fears.

Within this unit we will look at each of the countries in turn, taking into account the relevant issues. We
will begin by looking at the society and the culture of the countries in question - although this section
will be fairly brief. This is because most of the facts that determine the society and the culture of a
country will be made clear when we go on to discuss the next point - the stereo-types that exist
according to each society. Stereo-types are how we judge a society. Frequently they are wrong, often
they are just plain stupid, but, sometimes they have some basis in fact. The next area that we will look
at will be the emblems of those countries.

Finally we will finish with an examination of the song as a vehicle of communication. This is a vital
area, as the song in English can be heard in any country, and it is a good way for the students to receive
exposure to the language.

These, taken together, should give us some idea about the overall view of the society and culture of the
countries.

Let us begin by looking at the society, the culture, the emblems and the stereo-types in the British Isles.
The information we will use has been taken from Building a Culture by Robert Williams and
Anthropological Societies by Anne Chambers.

A more complete list of references will be given at the end of this unit.

2. SOCIETY, CULTURE, EMBLEMS AND STEREO-TYPES IN BRITAIN

One big mistake that is made in Spain is to refer to the whole of the British Isles as England. This not
only shows a lack of understanding of the situation in the islands, but also could be seen as a great
insult to the Scottish, Welsh and Irish. It must be remembered that these countries have had a long
history of independence from each other, in fact they have spent more time separated than they have
together. True, the administration is done from London, and the countries do function as one as regards
international business, but it should not be assumed that the races are similar. In fact, in May of 1999,
Scotland and Wales voted for a separate parliament, and will be run quite independently from England.

Let us look at some of the issues that can be connected to the nation as a whole, before we look at each
of the countries in turn.

2.1. The British Isles: Society, Culture, Emblems and Stereo-types as a Whole.

Britain is seen as a proud nation which holds onto its past and its traditions. This is true, up to a point,
but it must also be remembered that Britain is one of the world’s leading technological and technical
innovators, a fact that shows that the British don’t just live in the past.

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The nation may be divided between different countries, but all of them, the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish
and the English, will all work together for the common good. The rivalries and territorial disputes are
quickly put aside when there are international business opportunities.

The British Isles are joined by the emblem of the Union Flag. An important point is the Union Jack, as
the flag is often known, is only called so when it is flown from a ship. Many British people don’t know
this, and refer to it always as the Union Jack, although on T.V. commentators are at pains to highlight
the difference.

The Union Flag is made up of the flags of England, Scotland and Ireland. (The Welsh flag is not
included, as the Welsh were already a part of the Union with England when the flag was designed, but
the red colour included in the flag is from Wales). This flag can be found incorporated into flags from
Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to this, there is the national anthem, God Save The Queen. This was written in the mid 18 th
century, and was the world’s first national anthem.

Also, the currency is seen as an important sign of culture. The Pound Sterling is strong, worth 33%
more than the Euro, which is one of the main reasons why the British are reluctant to join the monetary
union. The pound is divided into 100 pence, and is the same for England, Scotland and Wales,
although the pound coin has different designs, for example, it may have a symbol on it from one of the
three countries. Ireland had the Irish pound, otherwise known as the punt, but it has now accepted the
Euro.

Now that we have seen a couple of the factors that are attributed to the British Isles as a whole, we will
go on to look at Scotland, beginning with its society and culture.

2.2.Scotland.

Society and Culture

As we said before, we will not be going into great detail in this part, because many of the factors that
govern the society and the culture will come up in later sections. However, we can say that the Scottish
are a proud race who are fiercely in competition with their English neighbours in all issues except those
that make money.

We can divide Scotland into two areas, the Highlands and the Lowlands. The Highlands are considered
to be one of the most beautiful areas in Europe, as well as one of the most dramatic. It is here that the
moors, the valleys, the mountains and the lochs (lakes) can be found.

The Lowlands contain the major cities and the major industry. Edinburgh (the capital) and Glasgow
(the biggest city) are situated side by side in this region.

Edinburgh has long been hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in Britain, and the Scots are justly
proud of the city’s heritage, not to mention its highly acclaimed festival, where performers from all
over the world flock to put on shows, and the Military Tattoo, which is a spectacular show held by the
Scottish armed forces within the walls of the castle.

Those who live in the Highlands consider themselves to be the true Scots, still following many of the
traditions and wearing the famous kilt - an emblem of Scotland that we will look at in more detail in
the next section. They are also more likely to speak the original Scottish form of Gaelic, a language that
can still be found represented in common words such as kirk meaning church.

Emblems in Scotland.

By emblem, we understand an object that can be regarded as a sign for something, for example; of a
country, a group or an idea. This section can be divided into two areas, official emblems and unofficial
ones. Let us begin with the official ones.

Official Emblems.

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The first one of these that we can think of is the flag. The flag of Scotland is a diagonal white cross on a
blue background, known as the cross of St. Andrew. This is the official flag, but at any sporting
occasion other flags, with other emblems, can be encountered, such as the thistle (cardo) and the
rampant, yellow lion.

Scotland also has its own national anthem, Flower of Scotland, although they also accept God Save The
Queen.

Now that we have seen some of the official emblems, we will look at the unofficial ones, emblems that
are by far in the majority over those that are officially recognised.

Unofficial Emblems

The kilt, mentioned above, is perhaps one of the most enduring images of Scotland for foreigners, along
with the bagpipes and whisky. Unfortunately they are all Irish. This is a little known fact - most Scots
have no idea of the truth - and in reality has no effect on the image of them as being from Scotland.

The kilt is a kind of skirt that is made from tartan - a checked cloth that is now a standard pattern for
clothes from countries other than Scotland. Originally, tartan showed the clan that you were from, each
one having its own style of cloth. The clans were characterised by the prefix Mc. as in McDonald -
meaning son of Donald.

The bagpipes are a typical Celtic instrument, and can be found readily in Spain, especially Galicia.
Whisky is the most famous export. Known as scotch (not Scots as said in Spain - this is the people),
whisky can be found all over the world.

Other emblems include the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie. Nessie is reputed to live in the depths of one
of the deepest lakes in Britain, and every year many tourists come in the hope of catching a glimpse of
her.

Finally, we will look at the stereo-types.

Stereo-types of the Scottish.

The Scottish see themselves as being canny, meaning clever, or sly. They feel that they have a good
idea of what is going on around them, and that they are difficult to beat in a business deal. The rest of
Britain interprets this as meanness. That the Scots are tight with money is a stereo-type that has existed
for centuries. In fact, there is little truth in it, and the Scottish are as open with money as anyone else.

The other view of the Scottish that may be common, is that of a big, strong man who drinks hard. In
fact, this one does have an element of truth to it. The Scots, especially around Glasgow, do seem to be
giants compared to the English, and more whisky, predictably, is drank there than anywhere else in
Britain. Films such as Braveheart have also represented the Scottish as brave fighters.

The Scots are also renowned for their patriotism. This can especially be seen in any sporting encounter
that involves Scotland playing against England, where the desire for a Scottish victory can become
fanatical.
One of the smallest countries in the British Isles is Wales. This is the country
that we will now look at.

2.3. Wales.

Society and Culture

The Welsh are very aware of their Celtic heritage. The Welsh language is still taught in schools, whole
communities speak Welsh, and all road signs are in Welsh and English. The proper name for Wales is
Cymru1 and this is the name that greets you on the signpost as you cross the border from England.

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pron: kimru

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From this we can deduce that the Welsh are a proud race.

At the moment, Wales is suffering greatly. The major industry was coal mining, until the pits were
closed in the 1980’s. Since then, unemployment has risen steadily.

The country is a mixture of mountains and hills, including the spectacular scenery of the Snowdonia
National Park, and the low valleys, where sheep outnumber people.

The main passions in Wales are singing (the Welsh choirs are world famous) and rugby, although the
national team has had little success in recent years. However, Wales is famous for producing great
actors, Richard Burton was Welsh, as is Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones.

We will now look at the emblems of Wales, although these are much fewer than for Scotland.

Emblems in Wales.

The official flag of Wales is a red dragon on a green and white background. Also the leek is seen as a
symbol of the country. The currency is the pound, although the pound coin does have a picture of a leek
on it, distinguishing it from the other nations.

Throughout Britain, Wales is known for its beautiful scenery and fervent rugby playing. Cardiff, the
capital, is famed for its castle, and, internationally, one of the towns has the longest name of any town
in the world, with over 40 letters. This also means that the sign at the railway station bearing its name is
the longest railway sign in the world.

There are no real stereo-types for the Welsh, so we will move onto Ireland.
2.4. Ireland

Society and Culture

Ireland is divided into two nations, the independent Eire, and Northern Ireland, which contains the six
counties of Ulster and has just gained independence after many years of British rule - although the
unifying of the two countries is proving to be difficult. As the differences in the two parts of the nation
are political rather than anything else, we will deal with them as being one country.

Both nations have been shaped by the political and religious struggles. Northern Ireland is divided into
Catholic and Protestant, Eire is predominantly Catholic. Since gaining independence, Eire has become
Europe’s poorest country - a fact that has not been lost on the population who have reservations about
being re-united with Northern Ireland.

The struggle throughout the centuries has given material to some great writers, including James Joyce,
George Bernard Shaw and Seamus Heaney.

Most of the Irish live off the land, with potatoes being the main crop. However, there is not always
enough work to go round, so there is a high level of emigration to England and the United States.

The capital of Eire, Dublin, is known for its beauty. Sadly, in contrast, the capital of Northern Ireland,
Belfast, has become synonymous with violence.

Emblems of Ireland.

Official

The flag of Eire is orange, white and green in vertical stripes from left to right. The flag of Northern
Ireland is a diagonal red cross on a white background, known as the Saint Patrick Cross.

Both countries have Danny Boy as an unofficial national anthem, although parts of Northern Ireland
will recognise God Save The Queen.

Unofficial

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Unofficially, the North is identified by the violence and the marches that happen in both the Catholic
and the Protestant areas. In the South, Dublin is the most famous image, with Trinity College being the
main university.

Also in the South the scenery is famous. There are many green valleys, and rugged, beautiful stretches
of coastline. The towns are small and friendly, and the Irish pub is being marketed all over the world.

This will also include the marketing of the national drink: Guinness, a dark, thick brew that is popular
everywhere.

Recently, Irish music and dance has become popular, with Riverdance, an Irish dance group achieving
astonishing success in London and New York. As their fame spreads around the world, so too will Irish
dancing. Irish music has long been popular. Traditionally it has been played on a type of violin called a
fiddle, and in any Irish bar you will be able to find live music being played.

The Irish group The Corrs have also enjoyed success around Europe.

As we mentioned earlier, the bagpipes, the kilt and whiskey have their roots in Ireland. Notice that
whiskey is spelt with an /e/, this is the Irish form, in Scotland the /e/ is omitted.

Stereo-types of the Irish

The main stereo-type that has existed has been that of a stupid drunk. There are many jokes about the
Irish in England, often highlighting a supposed lack of intelligence - although the genius of many of the
Irish writers has suggested that maybe they are not so stupid as the English would like to believe.

One positive stereo-type that is true is that of their friendliness. If you go to Ireland and have a foreign
accent, it is sure that someone will start talking to you in a bar, offering advice on the best places to go,
and offering to buy you drinks.

The final country in the British Isles that we will look at here will be England.

2.5. England

Society and Culture

England is Europe’s most multi-racial society, with immigrants from all over the world (there are
reputed to be 172 languages spoken in London). This means that it is hard to point out one particular
element of culture that can cover the whole of the country.

The country is proud of the fact that it is a constitutional monarchy without a written constitution,
everything being done on honour. The Queen rules the state, but does not actively participate in the
running of the county. This she leaves to Tony Blair and the Labour government.

England is known for its culture, especially in the field of literature, with writers such as Shakespeare,
Dickens, Wordsworth, etc. being internationally acclaimed.

However, to best study the society and the culture of England, it may be a good idea to look directly at
the emblems and the stereo-types, as all are interrelated.

Emblems in England.

Official

Perhaps the most important official emblem of the country is the Royal Family. The world has a
fascination with royalty in Britain, not only with Diana, especially - and ironically - since her death, but
with everything that they say and do. Internationally, more space is dedicated in the world’s press to the
British Royal Family than to any other item of news. This is good for the country as tourism is a big
factor in England’s wealth. Of course, it should be argued that the Royal Family is the head of Britain,

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not just England, and it must be remembered that Diana was the Princess of Wales. However, England
is the country that benefits most from the attention they receive, and Elizabeth is known as The Queen
of England, not Britain.

The flag is a red cross on a white background - but other symbols include the red rose, and a lion and
unicorn. The anthem is God Save The Queen, but Land of Hope and Glory is often used instead.

However, it is the unofficial symbols that offer the most enduring images of Britain.

Unofficial.

Not many other nations in the world have as many symbols that can be directly associated with them as
England. Where else would foreigners take photographs of telephones and post boxes - much to the
puzzled amusement of the English?

These emblems can be both positive and negative. Let us begin by looking at the positive ones.

When one thinks of a black taxi or a red double decker bus, one instantly thinks of London. In London,
the amount of tourist attractions that are internationally known is staggering: Big Ben, Buckingham
Palace, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The Houses of Parliament, Scotland Yard, to name
just a few.

However, England is more than just London. Outside of the capital the emblems of the country can
readily be identified in the green countryside, the cottages, Oxford and Cambridge universities, cricket
in the summer, and, of course, the pub. The English pub, usually an ancient coach house for travellers,
is one of the most famous of sights. It is known for warm beer and closing too early.

There are also a large amount of historical figures that seem to exemplify England. These figures can
be factual, such as: Shakespeare, Henry VIII, Nelson, Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, The
Beatles, Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, or mythical, such as King Arthur, Sherlock
Holmes, Robin Hood or James Bond.
Many sports are identified with England, including tennis at Wimbledon, the Oxford/Cambridge boat
race, The Grand National horse race, football at Wembley Stadium, and, of course, cricket - which -
although confusing for foreigners is seen to represent the principle of fair play, as no-one cheats or
argues with the referee, each other, or other members of the crowd.

However, as we said before, there are negative emblems of England. Perhaps the two most standard
criticisms are the food and the weather. After the war, food was scarce in England, and as a result the
dishes that were prepared lost a lot of flavour and imagination. This means that for many years English
food was seen as a joke. Things are improving, slowly, as the younger generations start to rediscover
the kitchen. Food in England is becoming more adventurous, and dishes from all over the world are
regularly to be found in the supermarkets.

As for the weather, it must be remembered that England is a long way north, and so can be cold. In the
winter the country is no colder than Spain, but the continuous rain and wind, as well as the short days
can seem depressing to a Spaniard. However, in the summer, England actually has more hours of
sunshine than Spain, although it isn’t so hot. This is because the northern location means that the sun in
the summer will rise at 4 a.m. and set at 10.30 p.m.

These, however, are minor things. The most negative emblem of England in recent years has been the
skinhead hooligan. This aggressive breed is usually found at football matches, although this tends now
to be restricted to international games. For some reason, many English youths behave in an aggressive
way. Foreign students who go to England in the summer are horrified at the threatening behaviour of
the teenagers in towns such as Brighton.

This then, also has become a stereo-type of the English.

Stereo-types

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Bowler-hat, suit, umbrella and a copy of The Times. This is the image that most people have of the
English, and this is the way that an English person is portrayed on foreign television - although the truth
is, you would be very lucky to see anybody dressed like that in England.

The Englishman has a reputation for eccentricity, politeness and reserve, never showing his emotions.
These are true, to a certain extent. An English person would never hug and kiss in the streets like in
Mediterranean countries, a reticence that gives the impression of coldness and unfriendliness.

Politeness is a factor that the English seem to give more importance to when they are at home than
when they are abroad. In England, punctuality, saying please and thank you continuously and waiting in
a straight line when queuing are seen as essential elements in good manners, as is not talking loudly in
public places and never going through a door in front of the person behind you. In another country,
some English may forget their manners though, and behave in a different way than at home.

England is in fact a country of contradictions. It may seem that the English love animals more than
people, but in fact the English give a higher percentage of their salary to charities than any other nation,
and to prove this there are more charities in England than anywhere else.

Finally we will look at one of the most controversial countries in this unit, the USA.

3. SOCIETY, CULTURE EMBLEMS AND STEREO-TYPES IN THE USA

The States has a short history by European standards, but within the last few centuries it has achieved a
remarkable amount.

Since the Constitution was signed in 1787, America has risen to be the standard that all the other
countries follow. As the global policeman, the United States has become involved in many different
trouble-spots in the world, often without the full support of its allies, and, equally as often, misguidedly,
as in Vietnam or Korea.

For many people, American culture may sound like a contradiction in terms, but nowadays the US is
developing this side of its character fast, so fast that the world seems to be following the American way
of life, with McDonald’s, Levi’s and Coca Cola household names on all parts of the earth.

America is built on the constitution that states that all men are equal. This may be true, but in a multi-
racial society such as America, some are more equal than others. As an example we can think about
blacks. Until as recently as the 1960’s, blacks suffered segregation. In the south today, racism is still a
major issue. Even in the north, which is traditionally more open, blacks complain that they get a worse
share of the country’s fortune than whites.

However, as in England, it is when we come onto the emblems and stereo-types that we really start to
get some idea of the culture of the USA.

The USA: Emblems.

The list is endless. However, as with most countries the official list is smaller than the unofficial one.

Official Emblems.

Here we can think of the flag, perhaps one of the most famous flags in the world. The Stars and Stripes
is flown all over America, especially at sporting occasions. The national anthem, The Star Spangled
Banner, is also internationally known, particularly because it is played at many of the sporting events
that America wins.

Like many other countries, America has an animal as a national symbol, namely the eagle.

Of course, the dollar is the world’s most famous and used currency, and is seen as an example of the
American wealth.

Unofficial Emblems

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Perhaps the most instantly recognised emblem of the United States is the Statue of Liberty. Other
buildings that we would immediately associate with America are The Whitehouse and the Empire
State Building, as well as Disney World and Hollywood. Although these mention just a few of the
man made images that make us think of the United States, there are many others.

The scenery in America can also be impressive. When we think of The Grand Canyon or Niagara
Falls America will immediately come to mind. This is not always good, the pollution of the big cities
has become as much an emblem of the States as has the Wild West.

Food also plays a major role in defining what is American Although it may have a bad image, mainly
through McDonald’s or Coca Cola, American food can actually be surprisingly good, and the image
that we have of it in Europe is based on the products that are exported, not on the food that is actually
eaten there.

Sport is another image of America that we embrace here in Europe, especially games such as
basketball, although baseball is becoming more popular, and the American Football League is broadcast
in England.

Clothes can be associated with sport, and when we think of the USA we think of Nike and baseball
caps. However, there are other images of American clothes that stand out, such as jeans, which have
nothing to do with sport, with of course Levi’s being the number one brand.

However, if we really wanted to think of emblems of America, we would have to think about concepts
of Americana, because this is where we draw most of our opinions.

These concepts are drawn from what we see on television, or at the cinema. They may include figures
such as the cowboy, mythical figures from Disney, such as Mickey Mouse, or real life celebrities, like
a Hollywood actor. Normally, our concept of America is of a vast nation that seems to appear in all
parts of our daily lives here in Europe. This is because of the sheer volume of images that we are
bombarded with day in and day out.

Not all emblems of America are either good or harmless, however. It must be mentioned that many
people would see the gun as being a symbol of the USA, especially bearing in mind the amount of
shootings that we hear about.

This view can also help to cloud our image of the American people.
Stereo-types

In Europe we have the image of the Americans as being big, loud, vulgar, brightly dressed individuals,
who have an arrogant and superior attitude towards the people with whom they come into contact.

There may be some truth in this, as they can behave very differently when abroad than when at home.
However, in America itself, the people are, generally speaking, very polite and friendly, and not at all
like the image they portray when abroad.

Some stereotypes that can persist however, are those of the American as being very patriotic. This also
has some basis in truth. In the States, many of the houses have the US flag outside, something that is
rarely seen in Europe. All the schools have the flag in the classroom, and the children, each morning,
have to place their right hand over their heart and sing the national anthem - a scenario that, by
European standards, seems a little absurd.

It must be said, though, that it is virtually impossible to make any real stereotype of the American
people, because the nation is so big and there are such a large amount of different nationalities all living
there. This melting pot, as it is called, means that there are so many varieties of behaviour that, in
actual fact, we find stereotypes for states, rather than for the whole country.

This can include the idea that people in New York are rude, people in Texas are arrogant, people in
California are all weird and people in the deep south are racist, religious fanatics. These stereotypes can

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no more be applied to the whole country than if we said that all English are drunken football hooligans
and all Spanish love bullfighting and flamenco dancing.

Whatever attitude we have towards the Americans, we should remember that it is to them that we turn
whenever we have an international crisis. This has left America open to attack from terrorists – fact that
was terrifyingly demonstrated on September 11 th, 2001, when Islamic extremists flew planes into the
World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

It may be noticed that up to now we haven’t mentioned the song as an emblem. This is because in the
final part of this unit we are going to look at music as a vehicle for cultural influence.

4. THE SONG IN ENGLISH AS A VEHICLE OF CULTURAL INFLUENCE

Music can be studied from two different points of view. It can be seen as being a part of a nation’s
folklore, or it can be seen as a form of social influence.

In this section, we are going to focus mainly on music as a vehicle for cultural influence, especially in
regards to the spreading of the English language abroad.

Over the last 50 years or so, the international music scene has been dominated by either American or
British bands, depending on what was in fashion at the time. This has meant that all of the songs have
been sung in English. Teenagers from all over the world have listened to the same songs, and there are
few artists from other countries who have managed to become internationally famous.

Let us go back to some of the roots of American music to see when this cultural influence began.

It would seem that to say that the early dominant music was part of American culture would be wrong.
In fact, The Blues and Jazz were the domain of the blacks - a leftover from their days on the plantations.
The harmonies are African, and the true greats, such as Muddy Waters or Duke Ellington had African
roots.

The first real American music came in the 1950’s with Rock ‘n’ Roll. Artists such as Chuck Berry
started the craze for Teddy Boys which soon conquered both sides of the Atlantic. Elvis Presley was to
become their King.

In the early 60’s, the crown was passed to Britain, and The Beatles. The four youths from Liverpool
went on to become the best selling band in the world. Their records are still selling better than most
bands nearly 40 years after they were released.

During the 60’s, protest music took hold. The war in Vietnam caused riots in the US and a peace
movement called the Hippies started up in America and soon spread to Britain and Europe. Here, the
music could be seen as decidedly political, and the culture of love was spread. Both Britain and
America had an even share of the market during this period. From America came legends such as Bob
Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, whilst from Britain, equally as famous, came The
Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and The Who. In the States at this time was also
developing Motown Soul. From Detroit, black singers such as Diana Ross and James Brown were
emerging.

Into the seventies the disco became the fashion around the world. Almost everyone, in every continent,
has gone to the disco at some point in their life, and American bands have dominated this scene. Disco
music still survives today. However, the seventies were a period of change for music. In the late
seventies Punk Rock emerged from Britain. It’s fathers, The Sex Pistols aimed at shocking the
establishment by wearing outrageous clothes and insulting the queen.

The eighties saw a new wave of music. Again, the lead was shared by the US and Britain. From Britain
came groups such as Culture Club, The Police and U2, whilst from the States, came Madonna and
Michael Jackson. However, Heavy Metal was the follow up to punk, with long hair, loud music and
shocking lyrics. Groups included AC/DC, Whitesnake, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath.
In the 1990’s the music changed to something more commercial than ever before. British groups, such
as Take That and The Spice Girls led the way. However, there was a reaction, and Britpop emerged

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from working class British homes to challenge the music industry. Groups such as Blur, Oasis and The
Lightening Seeds appeared, and were listened to all over the world.

Today the singers that are having a major impact include The Corrs from Ireland, Dido or Robbie
Williams from England and Rihanna although originally from Barbados, has produced all of her music
from America. Recently, James Blunt went to number one in both Europe and America.

Most of the groups that we have mentioned in this section would be familiar to most teenagers today,
showing how music is still the most powerful form of media. It should also be remembered that it is one
of the most powerful ways of teaching the language, as students will be able to identify with the lyrics
far more than they can with a textbook.

5. CONCLUSION

In this unit we have seen how the English speaking countries each have their own values and emblems,
being united only by their language. This does not mean that they are all the same, just as Spanish
people are not the same as Argentineans, even though everyone speaks Spanish.

In addition to this we have seen how America and Britain have dominated the world music scene, thus
ensuring that the English language, as well as the culture from those countries, is being as wide spread
as possible.

REFERENCES

Peter Childs; Mike Storry (editor). Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture. Taylor & Francis.
1999.

David Christopher. British Culture: An Introduction. Routledge. 1999.

Julie F. Codell; Dianne Sachko Macleod (editor). Orientalism Transposed: The Impact of the
Colonies on British Culture. Ashgate Publishing. 1998. .

Marcus Collins (editor). The Permissive Society and Its Enemies: Sixties British Culture. Rivers Oram
Press. 2007.

HYPERLINK

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/

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Unit 69 Society and Culture

Themes Notes

Students need to have a positive attitude to society of TL community. Britain is not only
England. 1999 referendum left Scotland and Wales with their own parliaments. British Isles
are joined by Union Flag. (Only Union Jack when flown from a ship.) God Save The Queen
is the anthem. Pound is the currency, but in Eire its the punt. Britain is proud if its
currency, which is why it won’t accept the Euro.
Scotland: Can be divided into Highlands and Lowlands. Those who live in the Highlands
consider themselves to be the true Scots, wear the kilt. In the lowlands the main towns of
Edinburgh and Glasgow can be found. Flag of Scotland is a white diagonal cross on a blue
background. Can also be found with a lion, or a thistle. Kilt is one of the most famous
images. Also bagpipes and whisky - although these are Irish. Loch Ness monster is good for
getting tourists. The Scottish see themselves as being clever or sly, and difficult to trick.
The rest of the British Isles sees them as mean.
Wales is the smallest part of Britain. They are poor as most of the mines have been closed.
They put many of their road signs in Welsh. Official flag is a dragon.
Ireland is divided into two nations, Eire and Northern Ireland. Both are defined by politics
and religion. Flag of Eire is green white and orange. Northern Ireland has a diagonal red
cross on a white background. The main emblem of the country is the violence. Guinness
can now be bought all over the world. Have a negative stereotype of being stupid and often
drunk. They are also very friendly.
England Multi racial society. Constitutional monarchy. Royal Family is one of main
emblems. Also there is the red rose, the lion and the unicorn. Emblems can be positive or
negative. Many sights in London are famous, as are buses and phones. Food, weather and
hooligans give a bad image. The English have a reputation for eccentricity, politeness and
reserve. Can give the impression of being cold and unfriendly Politeness is the most
important thing in England, although some English can forget their manners when away
from England. Also have the stereotype of being badly dressed.
The USA is leading the world, and we all follow their culture. Some negative images
remain, such as the way that blacks are treated. Stars and Stripes are recognisable
everywhere. Buildings such as Statue of Liberty, scenery such as Niagara, food such as
McDonalds, sport, e.g. baseball, clothes such as Levi’s all point to the USA. There are also
the concepts, such as Disney, the carrying of the gun and so on. We see Americans as being
loud, vulgar and arrogant. This is not how they behave when they are in America. They are
excessively patriotic. Open to terrorist attacks – Sept. 11.
The Song as a vehicle of cultural influence can be seen through bands that sing in English.
America started with the blues and Jazz, then Rock and Roll that shaped public expression,
as did rock music and protest music in the 60’s. Punk Rock (70’s) caused protests all over
the world, and disco spread to all countries.

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 Now test your understanding of unit 69 by answering the following questions:

1. Give a brief synopsis of the stereo-types connected to the British Isles as a whole

2. Comment on the official and unofficial emblems of Ireland.

3. What can be said about England?

4. What are the problems of stereo-types?

5. What are the social and cultural implications of music in English?

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