Society

Britain is recognised worldwide for its unique character as well as its social blend of cultures and different nationalities.

Society and culture, however, is not a static concept and has developed alongside other issues such as political and economical climate. Even at any given moment in time there are disparities across any society and arguably nowhere is this contrast more evident than in Britain. The United Kingdom is a society built on several different cultures, religions and backgrounds making it a diverse and interesting social mix.

At the very root of British and Western culture, in general, is the Roman Empire. Starting with the Roman conquest of Greece in the first century and lasting at least five hundred years, Roman culture dominated. However, with the advent of Christianity, the westernised culture and society that we see today was born.

This is not to say that western culture has been entirely stable for the last 15 centuries! Political anarchy and several wars across Europe resulted in considerable periods of unrest. The impact on British society was inevitable; each event helping to shape the social structure of the United Kingdom, over the ages. Throughout all these changes and even in times of political unrest, Christianity has remained a huge and dominant influence in Britain, until fairly recent times. The church was one of the main sources of information relating to education, literature, law and politics during the early years. Evidence of the influence of religion can still be seen today with the numerous universities, cathedrals and monasteries that provide education and are church founded.

Britain Today

Despite the differences across society, Britain today is governed by one central set of laws. Freedom and democracy are at the cornerstone of modern secular society and this is clearly evident in the welter of choices available to the members of society.

Modern British culture allows a much more autonomous way of life. More and more people are working part time, flexible hours or even working from home. Families no longer live within a few miles of each other and a much greater reliance is placed on friendship groups and self reliance within the immediate family unit.

Marriage is at all time low and more people are waiting until their 30s before settling down and living as a couple. Single sex partnerships are now recognised in law. Those applying for IVF no longer need to have a male partner. Society is more flexible, not simply in the nature of defining the family unit but also in the way that those who fall outside the norm are treated.

A great deal of importance is placed on equality of treatment with many legal provisions in place to ensure that all individuals are treated uniformly, in Britain. The state offers assistance to families suffering from economic depravation and the number of families living in poverty is steadily reducing.

British society is an interesting mix of cultures, religion and political affiliation living in one democracy with one set of rules. Culture is dynamic, constantly shifting. As environments change so must British society shape its own future.