British Identity… at pilotgcseradicalgeography.co.uk

Welcome Miss Fallows to the Pilot gang! Shame I had to show some teeth today , hard work defines success etc…. I had no sleep last night, so this will be short and sweet. Make sure your homework is completed for tomorrow, see work set.

Today we started to look at British identity. We discussed some images associated with Britain, such as pubs and the white cliffs of Dover, gathered by a Google Image Search. We discussed how these images were

Mainly English.
Showed only the good parts/aspects of British life, hence bias.
Were mainly traditional.
Ignored the different groups that make up British society.

Using some alternative images, we discussed that the concept of Britishness, may be different depending on the perspective of the individual. A British Muslim, may have a different perspective, to a Welsh farmer, of course they could have similar perspectives.

We then discussed how we can define Britishness by space, i.e. living within a particular landmass, or by heritage, a linkage with past Imperial ambitions. Hence, even if a person does not live in Britain, they may feel a strong sense of Britishness. We therefore started to realise that identity is a layered concept for some people, they may have multiple identities.

We then took a slimline version of the new British citizenship test, based on the book, ‘Life in the U.K.’ .After not doing very well , we concluded that

The test my be difficult and challenging for potential immigrants.
But, that it should be, to encourage study.
Citizenship should not be a cheap prize.
That the test is slightly ‘random’ in the knowledge required.
But new immigrants to the country must have a basic understanding of British culture, in order to participate in society.

From the test, we deemed that British people value