Marissa Levine

After spending almost three weeks in the United Kingdom, I have noticed several cultural and social differences between the United States and here.  I have started noticing things that I never would have observed if I was only here for a few days. These things I have noticed range from fashion to food and all play an important part in making up British culture.

One big thing I have noticed is the pub culture.  People really love the pubs here and it is very common for people to go almost everyday.  Unlike the United States, pubs seem to be on almost every street. People also seem to drink more alcohol here, but at a much slower pace.  While drinking on the daily ??? is quite normal, most people here are not drinking to get drunk. In the United States most people are not drinking on daily basis, but instead binge drinking on the weekends. Explore this observation further. Why do you think these differences exist? What social functions do pubs perform?

Another thing I have noticed is that men’s fashion is much more refined and stylish here.  In the United States most boys are dressing in basketball shorts, tshirts and tennis shoes on a daily basis.  British boys tend to not wear tshirts unless done on purpose and definitely not basketball shorts. Wearing athletic clothing ouside of working out is much more common in Americans and in the United States than it is in the United Kingdom.

Reading the actual newspaper is much more common here as well.  In the United States reading the news is done mainly through our phones and it seems to be here that people still like print papers instead.  People are commonly seen doing this on the tube. How is this observation related to your next point about eco-friendliness?  Try to connect your observations.

The United Kingdom is also incredibly more eco-friendly that the United States is.  The toilets use less water, the outlets can be switched on/off, recylcing is heavily emphasized and the cutlery is sometimes made from wood.  The United States is definitely slacking when it comes to planet conservation. I believe the UK is overall more “liberal” than the US currently.  In the United Kingdom everyone has the right to an abortion, free healthcare, the banning of guns and the abolishment of the death penalty.

Currently in the US, many states are arguing over abortion access right now and overall women’s rights.  Gun violence is also a huge issue for Americans right now. Several shootings have occurred in schools in the US and that is just something that wouldn’t happen in the UK.  Interestingly enough the UK has also abolished the death penalty. The US has not and will not.

Overall I find British culture absolutely wonderful and can’t wait to see what else is in store during our last week here.