American Perceptions of British Society
Kara Pavliga
Since I have never had the opportunity to travel to London before, my assumptions and expectations about what it means to be British are almost entirely made up of things I have seen in the media, read in books, or heard from friends. From watching popular British TV shows such as “Sherlock”, “The Crown”, and “The Night Manager”, I have learned that British television audiences are typically more patient than their American counterparts. This is seen through the fact that British TV shows typically have a steady culmination of tension and conflict until a peak point towards the end of the series, while American shows get to the most suspenseful or important scenes more quickly in an effort to keep the audience engaged. This demonstrates that British people are more likely to be patient and do not mind taking their time, while Americans tend to take quicker action. I have always pictured British people as being polite and willing to wait. Through popular media, I have also formed the assumption that a large part of British culture is made up of tradition surrounding the monarchy. Especially the last few years with all of the events the British royal family has been through, American media has been obsessed with showing every detail of the extensive traditions that revolve around the monarchy. Having a monarchy and a royal family is, in my mind, one of the biggest differences between the American and British experience, and I am interested to see if it impacts daily life as much as I assume that it does.
The second thing that has influenced my perception of what it means to be British is what I have read and studied in literature. Throughout high school and college, I have studied the works of famous British authors and playwrights such as Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and, of course, William Shakespeare. Since these works are not exactly modern, I think they make it easy to picture London and the UK as a whole as a very old-fashioned and out-of-date place. While reading the novels and plays, I picture the events in my head, and so I have always pictured London as being full of old brick roads and small cottages, set against a darkened sky from the coal that burns to power the city. While I know that this is not true today and that British citizens enjoy all the luxuries of the modern world, I am still interested to see the intersection between what I have read and what I see on our excursions. I know that while London is a very modern city, there are parts of the city and the surrounding area that still stick to their traditional roots, so I am excited to see the blend between old and new as we explore different parts of the city.
The third and final of the largest influences on my assumptions leading up to this study abroad experience is what I have heard from friends and family who have studied or lived in London. Specifically, one of my best friends since grade school spent last summer interning in London with a local social media company. She gave me a lot of good advice and travel tips, but one of the things that stood out to me the most was how she described British culture to be very “on-the-go”. She talked a lot about how Londoners are very focused on getting where they need to be as quickly and efficiently as possible, whether it be work, lunch or and evening theater performance. My friend is very trustworthy, and therefore I can safely assume that I will experience similar things as she did, including the “on-the-go” culture she frequently mentioned. Regardless, I am looking forward to comparing what we saw and did once I return from this program.
In conclusion, my perceptions of what it means to be British have been influenced by a variety of my experiences. I have come to assume that Brits are patient and polite, strong in their traditions, and enjoy a country that is a perfect blend of the old and the new. I am excited to experience the day to day life of a British citizen and see just how accurate my assumptions are.
