A Cultural Snapshot of the UK

A cultural snapshot of the UK Last updated July 2014 Overview The impact of the economic recession has left behind a permanent change in With a referendum on Scottish independence and membership to the EU, the Brits’ spending habits. Many are searching far and wide for a bargain, fuelling UK is at a crossroads. Britain could emerge from this as a smaller, more the popularity of discount stores such as Aldi and Lidl. And even with luxury inward-looking nation, with less influence in the world. But with the rise of purchases, people are seeking products that will retain their value. anti-immigration posturing from parties like UKIP and the Conservatives, and a British public that’s opposed to intervening abroad, are people in the UK As technology becomes a part of everyday life, people are using contactless happy to step back from the world stage? payment cards more often, educational courses are moving online, and innovative technological systems are enhancing in-store experiences. While London may have become a truly globalised city – reflected in its cultural make-up, with less than half of the capital’s population defining While social media is as popular as ever, its appeal is changing. Networks are themselves as ‘white British’ – the rest of the UK is largely culturally increasingly used for customer service and recruitment, and privacy concerns unchanged. And just as people are opting for a more discreet projection of the have led to the rise of private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Backchat.! UK abroad, they’re taking a quieter pride in their British identity. © Canvas8 2014 CONTENTS Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors • Cultural characteristics • Eating and drinking • Fact and fiction • Health and beauty • Country pride • Getting around • What’s pop? • Money • Where’s hot? • Home life • Communicating • Shopping • Leisure • Luxury • Media and entertainment • Technology © Canvas8 2014 SECTION 1: Economic Overview Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors • " Cultural characteristics • " Eating and drinking • " Fact and fiction • " Health and beauty • " Country pride • " Getting around • " What’s pop? • " Money • " Where’s hot? • " Home life • " Communicating • " Shopping • " Leisure • " Luxury • " Media and entertainment • " Technology © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors Economic Overview After a gloomy few years following a deep recession, Britain’s economy as a whole is finally moving again. It grew by 1.9% in 2013 – the fastest annual growth since the financial crisis. Consumer spending has been the main driver of the recovery, supported by a resurgent housing market, and the unemployment rate dropping to 7.1%. Yet the recovery has done little to alleviate the economic divide between London and the rest of the UK. Since the crash of 2007, London and the South East has been responsible for 48% of the UK’s economic growth. Every other nation and region (except Scotland) has suffered relative decline over the same period. Demonstrating the gulf between capital and regions, the unemployment rate in the North East increased to 10.3% in 2013. And while the economic outlook might seem bright, there are signs that people have adapted to a recession mindset for the long term. © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ The UK’s economy is expected to grow 2.9% in 2014 Economic overview Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors Thrifty mindset After a double dip recession and the government reigning in its spending, people have had to adapt to a very different climate. The pressure on household budgets has brought about a new cultural mindset. The spend- thrift habits during the economic downturn, which saw people cut items out of budgets and downgrade to cheaper versions of the same product, have become even more pronounced in the last year. Discount grocers Aldi and Lidl both enjoyed record trading over Christmas 2013, putting pressure on Britain’s 'big four' supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – to shift their strategy. But it’s not just careful budgeting. British shoppers have become professional bargain hunters, using a combination of price comparison sites to make their money go further. Smart companies are recognising the value of rewarding loyalty, with EDF’s Blue Price Promise letting people know if they can get cheaper tariffs with its competitors. Great Britain or Little England? Britain’s place in the world is less certain than it has been for decades, with Scotland voting on independence in September 2014 and a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU by the end of 2017. If Scotland were to become independent, Britain would become one-third smaller – and its influence in the world could be reduced. A country that cannot hold itself together is hardly in a position to lecture others on how to manage their affairs. And with the rise of anti-immigration parties like UKIP, the country is at risk of becoming more isolated and insular. © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ Half of the UK population shops at discount retailers SECTION 2: Cultural Character Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors • " Cultural characteristics • " Eating and drinking • " Fact and fiction • " Health and beauty • " Country pride • " Getting around • " What’s pop? • " Money • " Where’s hot? • " Home life • " Communicating • " Shopping • " Leisure • " Luxury • " Media and entertainment • " Technology © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors Cultural Character While some people believe Britishness is about shared values of tolerance, respect and fair play, others define Britain’s cultural character through its association with the country’s institutions – such as the NHS and BBC. But whether it’s pubs or the monarchy, Britishness, like all identities, is evolving and adapting to today’s globalised world. And with a population that’s shifting ethnically, Britain’s cultural characteristics have been impacted by the growing number of people who come to live there. Yet there’s a big cultural difference between London and the rest of the UK. The capital absorbs more than half of all immigrants to the nation. And in the 2011 census, 80% of all Britons defined themselves as 'white British', but less than half (45%) did so in London. Demonstrating the cultural divide, there are more black and Asian people in the London borough of Newham than in the whole of Scotland. © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ The UK is becoming an increasingly culturally diverse nation Cultural characteristics Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors Culturally diverse While the government may be restricting the flow of immigration, the UK continues to become more ethnically diverse. Ethnic whites have decreased from 91.3% of the population in 2001 to 86% in 2011, with Indians still the biggest non-white group. But it’s not just new arrivals that are changing the country’s cultural landscape; those of mixed ethnic origin have increased to 12% of the proportion of households in the UK. And with the 2012 Olympics representing a triumph for British multiculturalism, it seems most people in the UK are proud of their ethnically rich society. A liberal youth? From the mods and rockers of the 1960s to the hipsters and indie kids of today, Britain has one of the world’s most unique and vibrant youth cultures. Experimenting with new technologies, fashions and ideas, young Brits are classical liberals. They have long tweaked established social institutions and prized social freedom. Yet, according to the British Social Attitudes survey, Generation Y’s support for the Tories has doubled to 20% since 2003. Festival culture From Glastonbury to Wilderness, music festivals are now an established part of British culture, defining most people’s summertime. In the last ten years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of music festivals across the UK, rising from around 100 in 2004 to more than 700 in 2013. Festival wristbands, from the refined Latitude to the grimy Reading, can be an indicator of a person’s identity, and shown to friends or colleagues. But while festivals used to be about leaving behind social snobberies and jumping enthusiastically into the mud and madness, some people are choosing to go ‘glamping’ – and paying extra for a luxury tipi with a shower. © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ The UK hosts some of the world’s biggest open air festivals, including Glastonbury Fact and fiction Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors Fiction: All British people have a stiff upper lip Fiction: British people are all royalists Fact: The UK is known as a nation of self-restrained people who don’t show Fact: Despite celebrations of the marriage of the potential future king, the their emotions, but British stoicism may be ebbing. The death of Princess Queen’s Jubilee and the birth of a prince, the monarchy isn’t for everyone. Diana is often cited as the turning point when the British public openly Just 39% of Britons want Prince Charles to succeed to the throne, as there’s a expressed their grief and looked to the Queen to show a similar emotion. perception that he will play a more active role as monarch than his mother. Today, contestants on the X Factor and The Great British Bake Off cry not only And while many young people still support the royal family, popularity is if they don’t get chosen, but also if they do. ebbing, with royalist expressions most likely to come from older generations. © Canvas8 2014 JUMP TO CONTENTS ⬆ ️ Country pride Economic Overview Cultural Character Sectors A quieter British Patriotism! Following two years of national celebration from the Olympics to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the birth of Prince George, the UK has been flooded with national sentiments. Yet, according to the 2013 British Social Attitudes survey, most people take a quiet pride in their British identity.

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