Harnessing the Best of British Culture

The man with the bowler hat

Every national culture has a unique set of stereotypes that has been formed and reinforced throughout the years and the UK is no exception. Even in some of the best guides, Britain and its population are presented in a way that confirms what many consider as typical British peculiarities. Anyone considering or new to living and working in the UK, however, should be aware that many of these cultural stereotypes are not always true in every situation.

Think about the UK just for a second. What are the images that pop through your mind? For sure a red bus, together with a cuppa and a man with a bowler hat holding a black umbrella are included.

The UK does not always have a very good reputation abroad. Brits are often seen as overweight people with a terrible sense of humour and the inability to cook good food. You might believe that Brits never miss their sacred afternoon tea ritual, which is usually followed by a traditional dinner such as fish and chips or a greasy meat pie. These meals are, of course, usually eaten in local pubs, accompanied by a pint of beer.

But how far are these images and stereotypes based on truth? Do men with bowler hats, black umbrellas and newspapers under their arm still walk around the streets of London?

Fair enough?

Brits are well known for their British values of fair play and keeping calm in the face of adversity. These attitudes of honesty, equality and calmness are typically British. Fair play is one of the values that guide British behaviours. Playing fairly implies that everyone should be given equal opportunities, behave honestly and honourably. Respect for the law is extremely valued and breaking the rules is usually frowned upon. Fair play is reflected in various social behaviours, among which the British ability to queue.

Brits are well known for their ability and need to queue, whatever the situation. The need to respect and master this art of queuing is considered so important in British society that understanding how to queue properly has been included in the new citizenship tests (see https://www.gov.uk/life-in-the-uk-test ) immigrants have to take.

Most Britons, even if late for an appointment (which rarely happens!) or in a hurry, would still queue and “grin and bear it”, without openly showing their emotions. The term “stiff upper lip” is often used to describe the traditionally British image of reserve and restraint when faced with difficult situations. In fact, open displays of emotions are carefully avoided in British culture.

______British Culture © Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

Close physical contact is generally avoided in greetings too. Despite the gradual change in the way people greet each other nowadays, which involves more and more contact (kissing is becoming popular among young people), most Britons still just tend to shake hands when greeting.

Would you mind?

British people pride themselves on their sense of humour, their fair play and, last but not least, their extreme politeness. The latter is reflected in their very indirect way of asking for a favour, giving instructions and orders or even paying compliments. Understanding how British people talk is central to effective communication when living and working in the UK and it can help you to establish good relationships with your British colleagues.

Britons are famous for their indirectness. They will never ask you for a favour without using their beloved “Would you mind…?” or “Could you…”? “Please” is omnipresent and thanking is also important. British indirectness has the main function of avoiding situations which could be embarrassing and unpleasant.

Part of British indirectness also lies in small talk. The most common topics include weather and health. “How are you?” always follows a greeting and doesn’t necessarily need to be answered. This demonstration of concern can be interpreted as a real interest in the other person; however, it is often simply part of what the intercultural expert Juliane House calls “etiquette of simulation”. This refers to the British feigned interest when meeting someone and their simulated display of concern.

If you are an expatriate living in the UK you will have undoubtedly felt, at least once during your stay, that you haven’t really understood what your British friends or colleagues meant. Other times you might have felt frustrated because you came across as rude and impolite, while from your point of view you were just being honest and spontaneous.

Don’t we speak the same language?

Do you say eggplant or aubergine? Zucchini or courgettes? Jumper or sweater? Trousers or pants? Exactly - English is not as universal as many people think. American, British, Australian, Canadian and other varieties of English all have their own peculiarities. American English in particular differs from British English for a number of reasons.

Some words are spelled differently: o American –er, British –re (e.g. center, centre) o American –yze, British –yse (e.g. analyze, analyse) o American -led, British –lled (traveled, travelled) The same word has different meanings: o American chips= British crisps and British chips= American french fries

______British Culture © Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

The same concept is expressed by two totally different words (e.g. British = Autumn vs American = fall).

It is maybe due to these linguistic as well as cultural differences that Oscar Wilde once said: “America and England are a single country divided by a common language”. Australian English seems to be closer to British English, although in the middle of the 20th Century the influence of American words on the Australian language started to grow.

Australian, like Canadian English, borrows words both from American and British English, but it is still closer to the latter.

Friends are for life

One of the biggest challenges of moving to a new country is building an active social life. Making friends and networking can however be a long and difficult process. If you had thought that making British friends was easy because you share the same language, you might now be having doubts after having read the previous paragraph.

Cultural experts have compared British people to coconuts and Americans to peaches. Yes, that’s right, coconuts and peaches, and no, we are not about to give you a fruit salad recipe!

The coconut’s hard shell covers a softer inside full of milk. In contrast, the soft and juicy outside of the peach protects a hard stone in the middle. The peach type person might perceive the coconut type person as rather cold, reserved and unfriendly, but might then be surprised to find out that beneath the hard exterior there is an unexpectedly warm centre. The peach person is more extroverted and open and makes “friends” more quickly and easily and could experience problems adapting to the more reserved coconut, who tends to put more social distance and separate the private and the public spheres of their lives. In other words it takes time and effort to penetrate the hard shell of a Brit and make him or her your friend, but once that hard shell is broken and the soft centre is reached, then the friendship is close, long-lasting and honest.

The British love of privacy is also reflected in the way Britons view their homes. Have you ever heard the saying “an Englishman’s home is his castle”? A Brit’s house embodies his desire for privacy. This can be observed both in the way houses are built (very close to each other but each with its own garden and fences) and it is also reflected in the fact that Britons like to spend more time than you might expect in the privacy of their homes.

______British Culture © Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

A pint, please?

Bonding with a Briton can be tricky and so you need to consider where the best place to boost your social life in the UK is. Where do the first meetings happen?

The pub is arguably one of the best places to meet new people and socialise. It is of central importance to British culture and it is representative of every bit of society: men and women from working to upper class, from builders to businessmen, from youngsters to the elderly gather in pubs to eat or simply have a few drinks.

Why is the pub the best place to socialise? Because in the pub, especially at the bar, the social barriers are weakened and it is considered socially acceptable to approach and talk to a stranger. The absence of waiter service in pubs forces the people to gather around the counter and provides good opportunities for social contact.

We cannot deny that alcohol plays a big role in making the British forget their “privacy rules” and adopting a more relaxed and open approach. The pub transforms Britons from coconuts into peaches, but don’t be deceived by this; the transformation doesn’t last long. The British attitude to alcohol might differ from the one in your country, and it is often used as a way of losing inhibitions. Walk around any British city centre on Friday and Saturday night and you will be likely to encounter scenes of public drunkenness outside pubs.

What is socially acceptable and what isn’t?

Do: • Accept invitations - especially the first one • Take a token gift (wine, chocolates or flowers) when going to someone else’s house • Arrive within 10-15 minutes after the stated time • Follow the event with a ‘thank you’ call or email • ‘Return the favour’ at a later date • When complimented, accept modestly and say “thank you‟ • Give praise when due, but keep it low key • Be polite and courteous - say please, thank you and excuse me • Queue

Don’t: • Talk about money or pay • Make fun of the Royal Family • Laugh at strange customs • Draw attention to yourself • Complain or boast • Dispute the fact that British TV is the best in the world and the British weather is the most interesting in the world

______British Culture © Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

• Refuse a cup of tea in times of crisis • Underestimate the importance of cricket and football

Be careful: there is no such thing as British

Are you a bit confused when understanding the terms British and English? You are not alone. Many people confuse them and many people don’t realise that the English are only from England, which makes up about half of the UK territory, but whose population accounts for 84% of the total. Further confusion arises when talking about the United Kingdom and Great Britain. Great Britain refers only to England, Scotland, Wales and excludes Northern Island. The United Kingdom is not a homogeneous and uniform country. People in the UK would probably not define themselves as UK nationals but as English, Scottish or Welsh. Try telling a Scot he is British and he may well get offended and remind you he is Scottish. The same would probably happen with someone from Wales.

Not only is the UK divided geographically and politically, but also culturally and linguistically. Wales has increasing numbers of Welsh speakers with smaller percentages of the population speaking Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Scottish and Welsh culture are both quite different from English. Traditional food is among the most visible differences. Have you ever tasted fried Mars bars? You probably haven’t if you have never visited Scotland. They are typical of the modern Scottish diet, which also includes haggis and tatties, bannock, Scotch Broth and Iron Bru and whiskey among its drinks.

Scotland, England and Wales are not only divided by culinary differences, but most of all by history and traditions. Welsh and Scottish people have a very strong sense of national identity and many of them strive for political independence.

The UK is a very culturally diverse country, not only because it is a “collage of nations”, but also because of immigration. London is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe and in the world. Around 300 different languages are spoken in London and around 30% of its population is of non-white origin.

Let’s get down to business

If you are planning to work in the UK, you might find it useful to know a bit more about how culture impacts the way business is done here and what the best way of establishing a good relationship with colleagues is.

Nowadays companies in the UK tend to have quite “flat” organisational hierarchies. The main divide is between senior managers and lower ranks, however good relationships between all different levels of the company are fostered. First names are used almost always among colleagues and work and social events often tend to overlap. Drinks and dinners among colleagues are not unusual and are a great opportunity to fit into the company and slowly and get to know your colleagues.

Only important decisions are made at the very top of the organisation. However, decisions are usually open and flexible. These take place during meetings, which usually have a rigid and inflexible structure, which is in contrast to their quite informal nature. In fact, social conversation often opens and ends them and humour is also omnipresent.

Brits do not leave their humour at home when they go to work. British humour is not always easy to understand as it is very implicit and often takes the form of irony and self- deprecation.

At work: dos and don’ts

Here are some Dos and Don’ts to make the most of your time working in the UK: • DO respect personal space. The British value their space and keeping an acceptable distance is advised. • DO remember to shake hands on first meetings. It is considered polite to do so. • DO make direct eye-contact with your British counterpart, however remember to keep it to a minimum or it could be considered impolite or rude. • DO exchange business cards. • DO be punctual. Punctuality is essential at any business meeting or social event. • DO make business appointments several days in advance.

• DON’T ask personal questions regarding your British counterpart’s background, occupation or income. • DON’T underestimate the importance of humour in all aspect of business in the UK. • DON’T forget that instructions are often disguised as polite requests. • DON’T turn down invitations to social events with your work colleagues. • DON’T ignore tone of voice and facial expression, as this may be an indication of what is really meant. • DON’T enquire about an individual’s profession and salary during an initial meeting in the UK.

Enjoy your stay

Having said all of this, please take it all with a pinch of salt, as our generalisations may not be completely accurate in the town where you live or the organisation you work with. Perhaps we should question the very existence of Britishness. National culture as well as personality and other factors all contribute to make us who we are today. Try not to get trapped into making stereotypes but take each new experience as it comes and last but not least enjoy your stay in the UK and make the most of it!

Written by: Veronica Santini, Communicaid E: [email protected] W: www.communicaid.com