Layer Example Explanation + reason for choosing this example
Symbols Coat of Arms Explanation: The coat of arms is a shield that is consisted of four quadrants of the royal emblems of the United Kingdom. The first and fourth quadrant contains the guardant lions of England. The second quadrant contains the lion of a rampant lion of Scotland. And the third quadrant contains a harp symbolizing Nothern Ireland. The four quadrants are surrounded by the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense, meaning evil to him who evil thinks, printed on a garter. The quadrants are supported by the Scottish unicorn of the right side and the English lion on the left side. Above the quadrants is the royal crown and below the quadrants states the Sovereign motto: Dieu et mon droit, meaning God at my right. (The Royal Family, 2020)
Reason for choosing this example: The reason I chose this example is that the coat of arms is the shield that represents the United Kingdom. It is a visualization that directly comes to mind when the United Kingdom is mentioned. Furthermore, I was interested in what the symbols stand to represent.
National Anthem Explanation: The British National Anthem is originated in the eighteenth century. The nationalistic song “God Save our King” was first performed in London in 1745. But it only officially became the national anthem at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The words sung today are the same as in 1745 however, the word ‘Queen’ has been substituted for ‘King’. (Berry, 2016)
Reason for choosing this example: The reason I chose this example is that it is an iconic national anthem that is known worldwide.
Buckingham Palace Explanation: In 1791 George III bought Buckingham House for his wife Queen Charlotte to have a comfortable home near St. James’ Palace. In 1820 George IV decided to reconstruct the house into a pied-à-terre. However, in 1826 the King changed his mind and wanted to build the house into a palace. He hired John Nash to design the palace. By 1829 the costs of the reconstruction had almost reached half a million pounds, which enormously exceeded the budget the Parlement agreed to give. This cost Nash’s job and in 1830 George IV passed away. His younger brother William IV hired Edward Blore to finish the reconstruction. However, the King never lived in the palace. In 1834 the Houses of Parliament were burned down by a fire, the King offered the parliament the Palace as their new home. Unfortunately, this offer was denied. In July 1837 Queen Victoria was the first to take residence in the Palace. Therefore since 1837, Buckingham Palace has been the residence of the UK’s Sovereign. The palace consists of a total of 775 rooms, including staterooms, royal, and guest bedrooms, staff bedrooms, offices, and bathrooms. Today the palace is used as a working building and a symbol of the UK’s constitutional monarchy. (Goodey, 2015)
Reason for choosing this example: I have chosen Buckingham Palace as a symbol of the United Kingdom as the Place is the heart of the Sovereign. Thousands of tourists visit the Place every year, in the hope of seeing the Queen.
Heroes William Shakespeare Explanation: William Shakespeare on the 26th of April 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare is “the greatest English-speaking writer in history and known as England’s national poet”. (History.com, 2019) Shakespeare passed away on the 23rd of April 1616, aged 52. In total, he wrote 32 different plays about the following three different themes: history, comedy, and tragedy. Besides, Shakespeare has come up with over 1700 English words. (BBC, 2015)
Reason for choosing this example: During middle school and high school, I was obligated to read Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. Besides, we studied several of Shakespeare’s poetry. Shakespeare was a large part of my English education, this due to the important influence he has had on the English language.
Isaac Newton Explanation: Sir Isaac Newton was born on the 25th of December 1642. Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician and was a known historical scientific figure from the seventeenth century. Newton is famous for his discovery of white light composition, calculus, and his interpretation of the three laws of motion. Due to this formulation, the three laws of motion resulted in the law of universal gravitation. His motions first appeared in the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687) (Westfall, 2020)
Reason for choosing this example: In middle school Physics I remember learning about Isaac Newton’s law of motion as this is seen as the core of physics. Many other theories are supported by the ideas presented by Newton. Likewise, to his discovery of calculus. Isaac Newton is a historical figure for the world, but I believe that due to British heritage, the country is proud of his discoveries.
Winston Churchill Explanation: Winston Leonard Spencer- Churchill was born on the 30th of November 1874 in Blenheim Palace. Churchill was a conservative Prime Minister during WW2. His speeches were inspiring. One of his famous speeches included the following statement:
“We have before us many, many long months of struggle and suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalog of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” (History.com, 2019) Throughout the war, Winston Churchill formed the Allied strategy in the war. In the later stages of the second world war, Winston Churchill warned the West on the expansion of the Soviet Union. He led his country to victory. (Nicholas, 2020)
Reason for choosing this example: During middle school, WW2 was an important topic discussed in history. I remember learning about several influential figures throughout the second world war. One of which Winston Churchill, thus I chose him as a hero for the United Kingdom.
Rituals Afternoon Tea Explanation: Afternoon tea is a social event that takes place between 14:00 and 16:00. Traditional afternoon tea consists of several teas, scones, triangle sandwiches, and small cakes. The scones are always served with clotted cream and fruit jams. Afternoon tea was first initialized by Anna Russel (7th Duchess of Bedford) in 1840 as she requested a small snack between lunch and dinner. (Johnson, 2020a)
Reason for choosing this example: When I lived in Australia, we had friends that had immigrated from the UK to Australia. Even though they had quickly adapted to the Australian culture, some of the rituals that they had been raised with remained. After school, we were often invited for afternoon tea. A ritual that I was unaware of prior to their invitation.
Pub’s Explanation: A pub is an abbreviation for public houses. It is a location that can sell alcoholic beverages including beer, and cider. A pub is located in the center of a village or community, where people can come together for a drink. (Johnson, 2020b) Today, it is popular for students to get a drink in a pub. You order your drinks at the bar. When you go with a group of friends make sure to “get your round” which means that you buy all of your friends a round of drinks. Later, you will receive around back from others. (GBMag, 2018)
Reason for choosing this example: Every large city that I have visited life has an English pub. The reason I chose this ritual is that I was interested in finding out what makes it so iconic.
Boxing Day Explanation: Boxing Day is held on the 26th of December, it is a day held for the less fortunate. During the Victorian era, servants were allowed a free day to celebrate Christmas because on the 25th of December they needed to help their employers. (Trammell, 2019)
Reason for choosing this example: The reason I chose this ritual is that in the Netherlands we do not celebrate Boxing Day nor is it a public holiday. I remember when I lived in Australia that people also celebrated boxing day, but I never understood the purpose of the celebration.
Values Humour Explanation: In the UK, people use jokes as a form of communicating. Jokes are a communicating tool used to lighten the mood or a way to approach difficult subjects. Sarcasm and understatements are mostly used in the UK. They are often used subtly, making it difficult to know whether someone is serious or joking. (Cultural Atlas, 2020)
Reason for choosing this example: I have often heard that a British person’s humour is difficult to understand especially in a business environment. I was interested in finding out how people use humour to communicate.
Politeness Explanation: Being polite is socially expected in the UK. To avoid conflict, British people remain polite in any discussion. One way of being polite is indirect communication. By indirectly communicating a person can vaguely communicate a message without hurting someone’s feelings. In addition, the British are polite listeners who rarely interrupt others when they are speaking. Phrases such as “please”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome” are heard frequently as they indicate a person’s appreciation. (Cultural Atlas, 2020)
Reason for choosing this example: The reason I chose this example is that at my high school, I had several students from the UK who were extremely polite. They had a difficult time adapting to the directness of Dutch people. I wanted to learn more about polite gestures that are socially expected in the UK.
Fair Play Explanation: The British believe that everyone should receive the same opportunities despite their cultural background. In addition, part of fair play is how the British do not appreciate when people cheat the system. For example, when queuing people must wait their turn. (Cultural Atlas, 2020)
Reason for choosing this example: I used to go to an International School which also had a Dutch section. I remember my British friends complaining about Dutch people cutting ques when waiting at the cafeteria. I chose this example as I wanted to understand the origin of this thought.