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Multiculturalism: here we go again

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    What downsides would that be? That not everybody is Christian? That not everybody likes tea? What exactly is 'at risk' from people from other cultures having their own identity and roots?
    You are being disingenious in the extreme. I somehow doubt that Dominic Grieve was having a rant against Muslims when he wrote this - if Call Me Dave even suspected that, Grieve would have been sacked within minutes of making these comments.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There's no such thing as culture

    I tend to disagree with that, and with regards to the rest of your post I think that different cultures can be compatible with the same laws, but the heart of any culture is the heritage of expression, of belief, and things like that. I mean if you think of British culture, we don't have any british dance, we don't have any british music, british art etc. and in 500 years time people will look back like we can now look back at paintings of DWM and such and appreciate how it's shaped our country.

    Although some cultures remain strong in parts (the Indian culture in Leicester is pretty healthy) I think it's part of the wider trend of globalisation that cultures merge. In the 20th century much of our popular culture was influenced by the United States and in turn this popular culture has spread to Asia.

    I think it is difficult for an average brit to relate to their own cultural identity though and I think that's an important point to bring up as much as I despise the tories. I'm not sure it's for the reasons he says, I think it's possible to be involved with more than one distinct culture easily.

    I think currently the staples of British culture are queuing and making good tea.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    I tend to disagree with that,

    :yes: And I agree with you there, but I disagree that Britain does not have a culture of its own. The reason many of us don't RECOGNISE British culture is because it has become 'skewed' (and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way) by the influence of the cultures of others - but its still there. Culture generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. So everything from fish and chips through to the Proms, is part of our culture.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    Namaste wrote: »
    And?

    They are still ruining 'British culture' and our high streets.

    British Culture is being riuned by big buisness? Are you serious?
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    I mean if you think of British culture, we don't have any british dance, we don't have any british music, british art etc.


    Elgar? Vaughan Williams? Beatles? Hogarth? Blake? Rossetti? Millais? Morris dancing?

    I remember Margaret Hodge coming in for a lot of stick a while back for stating the bleeding obvious in that the BBC Proms doesn't attract many non-white folks. Rather than trying to find out why that was everybody, including the Prime Minister, thought it would be a lot easier just to attack her for 'attacking the Proms'.

    Use music lessons to introduce children to classical music and composition, explaining the fact that it is historically part of a British and wider European culture? Nooooooooo!

    Still, the Chinese seem to love it even if we don't anymore.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I like classical music... but I think that's because Picard became somewhat of a role model for me during my teens. :D
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    I mean if you think of British culture, we don't have any british dance, we don't have any british music, british art etc. and in 500 years time people will look back like we can now look back at paintings of DWM and such and appreciate how it's shaped our country.

    We have British music and art.
    Some of it is quite underground but it's there.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Skive wrote: »
    British Culture is being riuned by big buisness? Are you serious?
    'British Culture' is being diluted by our patterns in consumption, I believe.

    Our high streets are becoming homogonised and I think that this is as much of a risk to our 'culture' than any johnny foreigner.

    It is a creeping Americanisation... But then that is globalisation I guess. But my view is that if we wish to retain any real identity, surely we should be looking to support local businesses more amd eschewing the Starbucks before we go pointing fingers.

    Where I currently am in greater London, there are at least 4 different Starbucks within walking distance. How ugly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    'British Culture' is being diluted by our patterns in consumption, I believe.

    Our high streets are becoming homogonised and I think that this is as much of a risk to our 'culture' than any johnny foreigner.

    It is a creeping Americanisation... But then that is globalisation I guess. But my view is that if we wish to retain any real identity, surely we should be looking to support local businesses more amd eschewing the Starbucks before we go pointing fingers.

    Where I currently am in greater London, there are at least 4 different Starbucks within walking distance. How ugly.

    They'll also be lots of UK companies - Boot based in Nottingham, ASDA originally a Northern Dairy farmers co-operative, WHSmiths who started out as a railway booksellers.

    Not that having Starbucks does mean anything about culture which is much, much deeper than where you buy coffee...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They'll also be lots of UK companies - Boot based in Nottingham, ASDA originally a Northern Dairy farmers co-operative, WHSmiths who started out as a railway booksellers.

    Not that having Starbucks does mean anything about culture which is much, much deeper than where you buy coffee...
    I think that it does have something to say about our culture, or how it is changing.

    We are moving to a phase where we are desperate for convenience foods and this is erroding what 'used to be'.

    We work so many hours, we want what is quick and convenient... hence we grab a burger, of coffee... We are drinking at Wetherspoons which is affecting the traditional pub trade, we are changing our lifestyles and with it, are creating clone towns.

    Sorry... I have gone on a tangent. And by 'diluting British culture' I kind of mean what we used to have, as culture is subject to its environment.

    I don't believe in the whole Christian horseshit either.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    I think that it does have something to say about our culture, or how it is changing.

    We are moving to a phase where we are desperate for convenience foods and this is erroding what 'used to be'.

    We work so many hours, we want what is quick and convenient... hence we grab a burger, of coffee... We are drinking at Wetherspoons which is affecting the traditional pub trade, we are changing our lifestyles and with it, are creating clone towns.

    Sorry... I have gone on a tangent. And by 'diluting British culture' I kind of mean what we used to have, as culture is subject to its environment.

    I don't believe in the whole Christian horseshit either.

    of course culture changes We used to burn witches... And of course some of that change is from outside - the British have lots of words and slang taken from Arabic and Indian due to the Empire. That doesn't mean we don't have a culture... the fact everyone knows what a Wetherspoons is, is proof of that.

    Bear in mind also that America was massively influenced by British culture (and a bit of German), from the the Bill of Rights to the Beatles. And when you talk of creeping Americanisation, to me with an American wife and half-American kids, that sounds scaringly xenophobic.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I dont think we are being Americanized at all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Runnymede wrote: »
    Beatles?

    So British, they sang with American accents. ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So British, they sang with American accents. ;)

    Not singing like a scouser is the price of success. (No offence to scousers - capital of culture and all that...)
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