Who Cares about Britishness?

An examination of national and cultural identity that goes beyond top-down domestic agendas, this study explores the views of people who have recently emigrated to Britain or who live in countries once colonized by Britain. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Ireland, and Kenya-five countries that were once part of Britain's empire-are included in the discussion. The text underlines the importance of talking about national identity and investigates the seldom-heard perspectives of a younger...
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An examination of national and cultural identity that goes beyond top-down domestic agendas, this study explores the views of people who have recently emigrated to Britain or who live in countries once colonized by Britain. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Ireland, and Kenya-five countries that were once part of Britain's empire-are included in the discussion. The text underlines the importance of talking about national identity and investigates the seldom-heard perspectives of a younger generation of women and men as they ponder questions of identity, diversity, and democracy. Exploring how other plural societies manage their debates about what it means to belong to and identify with the nation, the importance of national identity in a world where people claim allegiance to more than one country, and the effects of young people discovering new shared identities as they increasingly communicate across national borders are some of the relevant topics addressed.