INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH PEOPLE

Instructor: Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, Ph.D., USSH, VNU-HCMC

Email: ndmongha@hcmussh.edu.vn,
ndmongha@gmail.com
Office hours: Monday afternoon, Faculty of Education, Room A314
 Content
• The brief historical setting of British Civilization
(Chapter 2)
- The earliest times (pre-history)
- The middle ages
- The modern times
• The British people
- Chapter 4: Identity
- Chapter 5: Attitudes
PART I (CHAPTER 2):
OVERVIEW OF BRITISH HISTORY
HTTPS://WWW.LONDONSCHOOL.COM/LSIC/BRITISH-CULTURE-QUIZ/
 Brainstorming
• How have the seas and oceans
surrounding Britain influenced
the British history ?
- Foreign invasions from other
parts of Europe?
- Invasions by ships along the
coast
- Ship-building: trading,
colonizing other territories

Compared with Vietnam ?

250,000BC: First evidence of
human life

5000 BC: Britain became an

island

3000 BC: Tribes of Neolithic

people crossed the water
from Europe, probably from
the Iberian peninsula (now
Spain)
A race of nomadic hunter-
gatherers were the earliest
inhabitants
Foundation stones – The celtic kingdoms
• The Bluestones: about 2,000 BC, the
first stone circle (which is now the
inner circle), comprised of small
bluestones, was set up, but
abandoned before completion.
• The best guess: the Stonehenge site
was begun by the people of the late
Neolithic period (around 3000 BC)
and carried forward by the Beaker
• The Beaker used pottery drinking
vessels, began to use metal
implements and to live in a more
communal fashion than their
ancestors.
http://www.britannia.com/history/h7.html
  700-800 BC – the Celts
• Began to arrive until the
arrival of Romans
• Came from Eastern and
Central Europe
• Became dominant due to
owning iron weapons
• Ancestors of Highland
Scots, Irish and Welsh
• The Celtic way of living:
tribal, agricultural, rural
Celtic warrior
 Summary of early history
• New Stone Age 3,000 BC: Neolithic people from
Europe (pottery): Iberian (Spanish), North African?
• 2,400 BC: round-headed, strong built (Beaker)
• Stonehenge: monument or astronomical clock?
• 700 BC-800BC: tall, fair hair, blue eyes (Celts) from
central Europe? Iron Age (metal skills)
• The Celts intermingled with the pre-historic peoples
who were there
• Native Britons (under Roman rule in England, Wales
• The Gaels in Ireland & Scotland: against Roman
II-THE ROMANS TIME (43AD- 410 AD)

The Romans
The Roman Empire
(55 BC-400AD)
was extensive Roman rule
had a large
impact on
England, the
biggest single
influence on
Britain
 55 BC Julius
Caesar first
crossed the English
channel to lead
Roman invasion .
 They called Britain by
43 AD Emperor its Greco-Roman name,
Claudius headed the Pretani and set up
successful invasion Roman capital named
Londinium (London)

The Romans remained

in control of Pretani ,
renamed Britannia for
nearly 400 years
- The Romans moved north and west through British Tribes until they
met the fearsome Picts and the cold, wet weather.
- They stopped and built Hadrian’s Wall instead. This area became
Scotland! Many people in Scotland and Ireland remain of Celtic origin.
Amphitheatre Temple
Romans built many centres linked by a network of roads with their
military purpose, but they also encouraged trade
They constructed baths, temples, amphitheatres and villas

They also brought literacy to the country, using Latin language and
the new religion – Christianity.
Roman Towns

London
Manchester
Cambridge
Exeter
Carlisle
Chester
Colchester
York
Newcastle
Bath
Roman roads

today
 Roman heritage
During Roman invasion After Roman invasion
• Roman dress, arts • Disappeared
• Roman language (Latin) • Influenced very little
• Roman law & • Disappeared
administration
• Roman towns/cities • Few
• Roman road system • Still exists
• Roman temples, baths, • Destroyed
villas
• Christianity
• Still exists (stronger after St.
Augustine came)
449-550: Arrival of Jutes from Jutland, Angles from
South Denmark and Saxons from Germany
In the mid-9th century, the Danish Vikings had been
raiding the country. In 897, Vikings were defeated at
sea by king Alfred, the founder of British navy
 Summary of Pre-Norman Britain
People Dates Characteristics /Achievements
-Neolithic (Iberian) 3000BC- Stonehenge, metal-working skills
-The Beaker 2400 BC Pottery
The Celts 800-700BC Tribal organization, agriculture,
Celtic lang, Iron Age Celtic culture
The Romans 55 BC Roman dress, Latin, cities /towns,
(Caesar), 43 roads, villas, temples, baths,
AD Claudius theatres, Christianity, art, law &
410 AD administration, military
The Anglo-Saxons 5thC New farming methods, Germanic
(Angles, Saxons, (Old English), pagans before being
Jutes – central Eur) Christianized, settlement
The Danish/ Vikings 8thC Ships, plunder (pirates), trading,
(Denmark) coastal areas, Christianity, Germanic
 IV-THE NORMAN CONQUEST AND END OF
FOREIGN INVASION (1066)
• The Normans were 1066 – William of
descendants of Vikings Normandy, defeats and
who had settled by force kills King Harold, then
in North East France became William I, the
Conqueror, first Norman
around the mouth of the King of England.
Seine River
• The name Normandy
William I
comes from the French
(William the
“normand”, meaning Conqueror)
Norsemen and Normans (1027 – 1087)
  William 
II Stephen

William
I  Henry I  Henry II

With the Normans, England became a unified country for the

first time since the Romans left 600 years earlier
The Norman kings consolidated their hold on England, then
took control of Wales and Ireland.
 Norman influence
• Language (French: upper class &
administration until 14thC)
• Feudal system
• Aristocracy (shires, knights, barons, lords,
noble titles: Duke/Duchess/Earl, clergy,…)
• Ownership of land
• Parliament
1. MEDIEVAL BRITAIN (1066-1485):
-THE NORMANS (1066-1154)
-PLATAGENETS (1154 – 1399)
2. TUDOR ENGLAND (1485 – 1603)
3. STUARTS (17thC)
4. HANOVERIANS (18thC)
5. VICTORIAN BRITAIN (19thC)
6. WINDSOR (20thC)
 Henry VIII
Elizabeth

Henry VII Mary

1558 - 1603
1485 - 1509 1553 - 1558
1509-1547 King Edward VI
1547 - 1553
 The House of Windsor
• Marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert
• Queen Victoria herself remained a member of the
House of Hanover
• Name changed in 1917: When George V (1910 –
1936) came to the throne, he changed the family
name to Windsor because of the anti-German
feeling at the time.
• King Edward VIII: June 1936
• King George VI (1936 – 1952)
• Queen Elizabeth II (1952 - 2022)
• King Charles (2022- present day)
• 1707 – Scotland and
England joined in a Union
• 1733 – the first British
Review of recent times
colony in America. In 1776
the colony declared
independence
• 1780s – with the invention
of the steam engine, the
Industrial Revolution
• 1900 – British empire.
Britain had the largest navy
in the world
• 1914 – 1960 – The cost of
2 world wars led to the
decline of the British
Empire and formation of
the ‘Commonwealth’
PARTII: THE BRITISH PEOPLE
CHAPTER 4-5
 Chapter 4: IDENTITY
Scottish identity
Language: names, Gaelic &
distintive way of speaking English
(dialect & accent) „Loch, dunno“
Ceremonies, Organization: law,
festivals…. welfare, politics (Scottish
Parliament 21stC)

Scotland Organization:
Music, poem: folk (St. Andrew) Education,
songs, Burns suppers, religion
dances,… with
bagpipes Symbols of
Scottishness:
Traditional dress: Thistle,..
kilt (dress for men) Traditional food,
drink: haggis,
whisky
Tourism and sentimental attachment
 Welsh identity (weak loyalties)
Language: nearly 20% speaking Welsh
as mother tongue (newspapers, TV,
public signs/notices in Welsh), Cornish

Castles
Welsh Assembly
Owen Glendower,
national hero (revolt)
Scottish Mines

Loyalty to England (public life

similar to that of England)
Dragon & Leek
(symbol of flag &
plant)
Lovespoon
Eisteddfod (festival
Bala Lake, Yew Tree
of literature, music
performance...)
 English identity
Language: RP (BBC/Queen
accent) >< Cockney

Stereotype & Tourism

change (bowler hat,
big breakfast, tea...)

England
(St. George) Sport (football...)
Monarchy, royal
ceremonies
Anglican
Church....
National Anthem
Food & drink (tea...)
God save the Queen

Not clear distinction between Englishness & Britishness

 Northern Irish identity
Language: English + Irish Gaelic

Ship-building
St. Patrick
(March 17)

Northern Religion (Catholic &

Ireland Protestant) due to
Traditional different ancestors:
festivals, lowland Scotland or
story telling... England >< native Irish
(children mix more now)

Plant: Agriculture (fresh

Shamrock meat, fish, drink...)
 The identity of the native British
Race Ancestor Language Religion Identity & Lifestyle
English Germanic English (Germanic Anglican (Church Tea, sports,
(Anglo Saxon) origin) of England) aristocracy,...
Scottish Scottish Gaelic, Presbyterian Haggis , kilt, whisky,
English with (Church of Burns‘ night, music
dialects, Scotland) and poems
distintive accent
Welsh Celtic Welsh (spoken by Methodist, Eisteddfod
20% of population) Anglican, Kirk (poems & songs)
English with accent Protestants
Non-conformist
Irish Irish Gaelic Catholic Ship-building, Story-
English telling (stories,
legends & myths),
coffee

2001 Census: “46% ticked “British”< 51% ticked Ënglish (p.55)

75% proud to be British, though not bother with national flag
Ethnic minorities in Britain (2001)
Ethnic group Proportion
Indian 1.8%
Pakistani 1.3%
Black Caribbean 1.0%
Black African 0.8%
Bangladeshi 0.5%
Chinese 0.4%
Other Asian 0.4%
Black (others) 0.2%
Other 0.4%
 The identity of the immigrants in the UK
(usu. from former colonies of the UK)
Races Ancestors/ Time of arrival/ Languages Religion Identity &
Origin reason form Lifestyle
coming
Asian Indian, Chinese Native Hindu, Hybrid, Food,
(Hongkong, Taiwan, 1950- 1970 (Cantonese, Sikhs Chinatown,
Singapore, China) (business, Hindi, Bengali, Buddhism confucianism
Vietnamese, refugees, Vietnamese) + (family ties),
Phillipines... English music, dress
African Carribean, shortage of Native + Evangelical Groceries,
South Africa, workforce (1948) English (with Christian & Notting Hill,
Kongo, Somalia, since 1997: accent) non- sports, music
Kenya, Uganda... marriages religious (reggae...)
Middle- Bangladesh, Economic, religious Muslim Religion,
east Pakistan (Islam) hybrid, music
bhanggra
Other Greek, Italian, Political economic Mother Jewish, Clothing,
Europ- Spanish, Polish (after WWII) / Free tongues + Catholic, food, ...
ean Hungarian , movement of labor English (usu. Protestant
Turkish, Jews... (1956...) less accent)
 Caribbean / West Indies
(Slaves arrived from West Africa: 1500-1800)
 Tendencies
• Mixed marriages, multi-racial partnerships
• New multiracial identity & multiracial homes
• Mixed cultural background: problems
• Social contacts: pubs, clubs, work but are
reduced due to widespread use of Internet
today
• Neither politics nor religion is an important
part of a person‘s social identity (rarely a major
cause of objection to proposed marriage)
 British family
• Weak family identity (not large gatherings at
family events-weddings, births, funerals, few
beyond household units)
• Nuclear Family (Christmas gatherings)
• Higher divorce rate:
- Children born ouside marriage (>40% of births)
- One-parent family, partners> husband/wife
- Fewer Church weddings, fewer Family visitting/
holidays, rare gatherings beyond household units
- People over the age of 65 living alone (65%)
 British families (cont.)
• Nowadays small families
delays having children
• Changing attitudes towards
marriage - “partner”/
cohabitation
• Longer life expectancy
• Generation gap (changed in
2002, teenagers get on
better with parents, stay
with parents more)
 Geographical identity:
Northerners & Southerners
Northerners stereotypes Southerners stereotypes
• Tougher • Soft
• More honest & warmer- • Hypocritical
hearted
• Unfriendly
• Ignorant, uncultured
• Beer-drinking
- Britishness: 75% proud to be British, but not normally actively
patriotic (except being threatened from the outside: Brexit!)
- Personal identity: 2 qualities highly prized (bravery in the face
of misfortune & modesty, sense of humour connects the two)
NOTE: People are more mobile today!
-City identity: Liverpudlians (sport), Geordies (Newcastle),
Mancunians (Manchester), Glaswegians (Glasgow),...
 British social class
(Britain in Close-up)
Super-class: aristocrats

Upper-class: senior civil

“Underclass ”: servants/management,
jobless, professional
homeless
Social
class Upper middle class:
Working class: Middle managerial
unskilled or semi-
skilled
Middle middle class:
junior managerial/
Working class: clerical
skilled Lower middle class:
Non-manual workers

Most do not approve of clear class differences today!

Different classes mix more readily
 Class systems and change
• Conscious of class differences (different sets of
attitudes, different daily habits and values: eating,
topics of interests, sports & pastimes...)
- Wealth, clothes
- Language (grammar, vocabulary): standard RP accent
(upper, upper-middle class) >< non-standard, Cockney
(working class)
• More middle-class adults than working class ones
• Snobbish, posh, pretendous >< Working class (more
honest), not taking elocution to sound upper class,
middle class try to adopt working-class values, habits
 Social class system (looser now):
• Feudalism: Upper Class People with inherited wealth,
oldest families, titled aristocrats
• Middle Class majority of the population: industrialists,
professionals, business people and shop owners (Rise of
upper middle class during Victorian times)
• Lower/Working Class: agricultural, mine/factory workers
• Some people in the UK still refer to themselves as
"working-class", "lower-middle" or "upper-middle“, some
think of themselves as the "elite" class)
• The majority of the British don't seem to find the social
class matter much these days: Survey 2006, large majority
of the wealthiest 20% regard themselves as working class,
many of 20% poorest regard themselves as middle class
 Well known British people – Past and Present

William Shakespeare Oliver Cromwell Sir Isaac Newton

James Darwin Charles Dickens

Winston Churchill
Some famous British Women
 Men & Women
• Illegal to discriminate on basis of sex (still few women
in politics and management in spite of 1st female PM)
• Unconsciously expect a lot of differences in everyday
behaviors, habits, domestic roles (acceptable for men
to look untidy & women to display emotions but
differences is reduced: women drink, play football...)
• Women still do more domestic chores and men‘s
financial responsibility is assumed; expected men do
household chores now (higher egalitarianism)
• Public roles: One in 5 MPs is a woman, 1 in 9 University
heads is a woman, <5% female executive directors...
 Review of chapter 4: Identity
• Ethnic groups (Natives & Non-natives): ethnic
groups with different languages & cultures
• Family: nuclear family (majority), single parents,
old people living alone, co-habitation, illegitimate
children/ born outside marriage,…
• Geography: mobility, east & west of London,
northerners & southerners
• Class: upper, middle & low (wealth, education, language)
• Gender: behavior & domestic roles, part-time jobs
• Politics & religion: no longer important now
• Personal identity: sense of humor, make a joke
 Chapter 5: Attitudes
1. Stereotypes & change: less inclined to follow
traditions
2. English vs. British: Suspicion of intelligence,
education, high culture (anti-intellectualism)
3. Multicultural society: Multiculturalism
4. Conservatism: like symbols of tradition & stability
5. Individualism: proud to be different
6. Love of nature and animals
7. Public-spiritedness & amateurism
8. Formality & informality
9. Privacy & Sex: Respect for privacy
Typical English Breakfast?

Most English breakfast are much smaller portions!

 Stereotype & change
Stereotypes Changes (in modern life)
• Land of tradition (political • Fewer old-age customs/ local
continuity, ceremonies) parades/ processions/proverbs
now (individualistic for these)
• Londoner: bowler hats • No more bowler hats (city gent)
• Large breakfast (‘fry-up’) • Small breakfast (cereal, tea, toast)
• Tea-drinkers (afternoon with • Drink coffee, retired upper-middle
biscuit, cakes, sandwiches) class people (tea shops in resorts)
• Love of queuing, patient • Not enjoy it, less patient (“queue
rage”- abusive, violent) 8 mins
• Read newspapers at breakfast • Not always
But still keep the color of red
buses in London! (tourist trips)
 English vs. British culture
English culture
• Dominant (similar everyday
habits, attitudes, values in 4 •
nations)
• Anti-intellectualism, (suspicion •
of education & “high culture”,
not address “Professor”)
• Decreased lack of enthusiasm
for education nowadays but still
unusual to spend extra private •
tuition for children (effeminate)
• Vocab: Swots (too academic),
teacher’s pets, clever, intellectual
(negative connotations)
British culture
Not identical in 4 nations, different
characteristics
Anti-intellectualism in all 4 nations,
but well-educated people
everywhere, love quizzes (TV
programs, Quiz nights) than
abstract thinking & scholarship
Scottish place high value on
education for all classes...! Irish
place high value on being quick
with words, Welsh export teachers
 Multiculturalism & Conservatism
Multiculturalism
• Immigrants (Indian way of life
predominates in some areas
of London: shops, clothes...)
• Different communities
(sometimes clashes of values
but fewer divergences
compared with the USA)
• Festivals, attitudes, ... of the
“new British” make
contributions to the UK (eg.
More informal in behavior)
• Importance of mutual
understanding + Britishness
Conservatism
• The British do not like changes
in spite of having few living folk
traditions (too individualistic)
• May not behave in traditional
ways but like symbols of
traditions, values
- Traditional family value for
getting support (in spite of
untraditional attitudes/ habits
with regards to family)
- Value of continuity (attached to
old houses, old-looking pubs),
Christmas cards,...
Individualism, being different, privacy
• Conservatism + Individualism: Proud of being different (drive
on the left-hand side, 1 hr behind CET, start of financial year
on 1 April, systems of measurement (Fahrenheit, pounds,
ounces, pints, inch, yard...), many still give equivalent in
pounds, set up Metric Martyrs Fund but British law stipulates
draught beer sold in pint (hatred of conformist regulations)
• Emphasize “independence” and “self-reliance” goals and
desires (oppose external interference upon one ‘s choices,
oppose to collectivism)
• Love for privacy (keep personal information private), asking
personal questions is rude (silence is also rude: weather topic)
• Privacy for sexual activity >< national security (abuse power)
• Sex is treated as a private matter (not bad but embarassing)
 Some equivalents
• 1 inch = 2.53cm
• 12 inches = 1 foot = 30.48cm
• 1 yard = 0.92 m
• 1760 yards = 1 mile = 1.6km
• 1 pound (lb) = 0.456kg
• 14 lbs = 1 stone = 6.38 kg
• 1 pint = 473.176 ml
 Love of nature & animals,
public-spiritedness, amateurism
• Nature (Nature Conservancy 1949, World Wildlife Fund 1961
– Worldwide Fund for Nature today)
• Countryside = peace, quiet, beauty, health, no crime, stability
(prestige), no rail link near them (conservativism), large areas
of countryside = “national parks”, no building is allowed
(maps to mark routes of public footpaths)
• Youth Hostel: teach the young to love, care for countryside
• Gardening as a popular hobby (programs on TV...)
• Animals (domestic pets, birds watchers,...), animal
cemeteries, Wildlife programs (Foxhunting debate)
• Privacy >< Public spirit, Oxfam, SCF, amateurs in charity work
(Neighborhood Watch Scheme, Self-help), raise money
 Formality & Informality
• Formal ceremonies but in everyday life:
 Public roles: Formal clothes at work/ on duty (politicians,
bank clerks,…), obey strict rules
 Informal clothes: can be very informal outside work
(Scruffy, jeans with holes in them,…), no rules, tolerant
of strange clothing (privacy: your own business)
 Friends: not addressing by titles/shaking hands/saying
“please”….(ignore rules) after a long time (not rude)
• “Help yourself” at parties, buffet-type meals (hospitality)
• Being polite > open friendly, hostile (anti-social behavior)
• “stiff upper lip” but back to more emotional, kiss a friend
 Quiz for review
• British culture quiz – The London School of
English
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!