Regional, National and Cultural Identity!

[Dazey]

Okay so I appear to have started something of a debate in Arnold's drink thread so I'll start a new one here.

How do you define yourself as regards cultural identity? As a Brit I don't think of myself as remotely European and that seems to be the case as far as my experience of most people in this country goes.

In Europe itself I'm not sure how that works though clearly you have factions like the Basques and Catalans in Spain wanting independence from their parent country and in the US Texas isn't too happy as part of the Union.

How does this shit work where you are? Are you English, French, Spanish, European? Scots/Irish/German/Californian or just plain American?

What defines you as a distinct identity?

Edited June 28, 2012 by Dazey

[PappyTron]

Dazey, you live in the frozen north. That is not English. In fact, that is barely human.

[Dazey]

Dazey, you live in the frozen north. That is not English. In fact, that is barely human.

Piss off fucknut, grownups talking!

[The Sandman]

I define as English, and would always prefer to put that on forms. I recognise that I am British, but I don't really see myself as European... I guess that is being separate from the mainland?

[Dazey]

I define as English, and would always prefer to put that on forms. I recognise that I am British, but I don't really see myself as European... I guess that is being separate from the mainland?

Actually I'd say English too but there wasn't an appropriate abbreviation that would have lent itself to the wording of my first post so i said Brit.

That said I think it's interesting how the bigger the area you get the more people tend to find some consensus.

Back home it's Geordies, Mackems and Smoggies but get a Manc involved and we're from the north east. Get a Cockney and he's a soft southern shite and we're with the Mancs. Get a Jock in the mix and we're all English brothers in arms against those Scotch cunts etc etc.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Dazey

[AxlisOld]

Washington State (not fucking Seattle) USA. I am not a hipster, I hate Nirvana, and Starbucks is ass.

[Zint]

Dazey, you live in the frozen north. That is not English. In fact, that is barely human.

Piss off fucknut, grownups talking!

Well this is off to a flying start!

[OkCalculator]

American, and I like Pie

Regionally? I identify as 'MURIKAN! YEEHAW

Edited June 28, 2012 by OkCalculator

[Dazey]

Dazey, you live in the frozen north. That is not English. In fact, that is barely human.

Piss off fucknut, grownups talking!

Well this is off to a flying start!

Pappy's big and ugly enough to take a bit of banter! Definitely ugly enough!

[PappyTron]

Dazey, you live in the frozen north. That is not English. In fact, that is barely human.

Piss off fucknut, grownups talking!

Well this is off to a flying start!

Pappy's big and ugly enough to take a bit of banter! Definitely ugly enough!

It's true. I once won a northern gurning competition by just standing in the crowd.

[AxlisOld]

At least your sissy little country is only like 40 miles long Dazey, so you could go fight him if need be.

[Dazey]

At least your sissy little country is only like 40 miles long Dazey, so you could go fight him if need be.

Would if he didn't live in Connecticut!

[izzygirl]

How do you define yourself as regards cultural identity? As a Brit I don't think of myself as remotely European and that seems to be the case as far as my experience of most people in this country goes.

In Europe itself I'm not sure how that works though clearly you have factions like the Basques and Catalans in Spain wanting independence from their parent country and in the US Texas isn't too happy as part of the Union.:

I define myself as Galician and Spanish. As the Basque Country and Cataluña/Catalonia, Galicia (where I am from) has its own language, history and culture. However, unlike the other 2, most people here don't want independence. I feel both, Galician and Spanish equally.

I think it's difficult to have an European identity because Europe is formed by completely different countries and people, but I'm proud of being from here because it's the place where culture, science, philosophy, art, etc. were born. The mediterranean area was the centre of the world during centuries and it's awesome to be surrounded by so much history and art.

[Graeme]

I feel I come from a place which isn't so much a nation made up of states, like the USA, but a state made up of nations... Every time I hear Britain referred to as a "country" it makes me cringe somewhat, because I definitely don't think of it as a country, there are far too many divides and it's too messy for that. I think if it was a truly equal partnership, like a federal union between the four member states where all had the same standing regardless of size then I could be comfortable with being both Scottish and British, but as it is England projects far too much of its own national identity into "Britishness" and then just expects the rest of the Union to share in this because England is the biggest and most assimilationist piece in the puzzle. Because they never really have to worry about their national identity being eclipsed by something else, they never really think about it. They never have to make compromises with their national identity to appear at one with the rest of us, yet take for granted that we do.

I realise this may sound like I'm being "anti-English" or have a chip on my shoulder, but that's probably par for the course when you're made to feel inferior all the time, and in actual fact I would love for the English to be more proud of their own nationality within themselves because then "Englishness" could be to England what Scottishness and Welshness are to their various people and Britishness could be something else that we all share. At the moment, the situation singularly fails to capture that, leading to a distinctly "Disunited Kingdom"

I, for my part, grudgingly accept "Britishness" as the current administrative state of affairs but given that national identity is at the end of the day a purely imagined construct made concrete through shared infrastructure and responsibility (law, language, art, education) I feel that the majority of those tenets which impact upon my life are purely Scottish. I feel no affinity for London, I would never recognise it as my capital... I feel that the divide in culture has become only more stark in recent years with Scotland adopting a far more left-leaning and Nordic stance on politics than the Neoliberalism which is continually pursued by Westminster whether under Labour or the ConDem coalition, and being tied to this Union is creating a perpetually undemocratic stagnation. The current mess in Westminster and the major embodiment of "Britishness" coming through the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics hasn't helped give me any affinity either, every time I see the Union Jack now, all I think is "get that shite out of the middle of my flag, please."

[bran]

im from the USA most notably new england. it feels up here its our own little country in some ways we have a culture that goes back along time. when i tell people im a new englander they usually know what we are about lol

[Zint]

As good a place as any to ask I guess...How do the Brits feel about Big Ben being renamed?

Seems kinda weird.

[Georgy Zhukov]

I consider myself an American, a New Englander and I guess I have some pride being from Connecticut. The only thing that sucks about being from Connecticut is being surrounded by the most obnoxious people in the country. New Yorkers to the West. Massachusetts to the North, Road Island to the East, Long Island to the south. Surrounded by assholes, smelly people and bad drivers. I live about 20 minutes from NY so I see them all the time, they come to Connecticut for two reasons, work and shopping since our taxes are lower. My god they are obnoxious and don't even follow our driving laws like you can make a right turn on a red light (unless there is a sign stating otherwise).

If anyone asks, New Hampshire is the best state.

[The Sandman]

As good a place as any to ask I guess...How do the Brits feel about Big Ben being renamed?

Seems kinda weird.

Agreed - but given the historic chimes are the work of a German anyway... isn't exactly quintessentially English

[bran]

I consider myself an American, a New Englander and I guess I have some pride being from Connecticut. The only thing that sucks about being from Connecticut is being surrounded by the most obnoxious people in the country. New Yorkers to the West. Massachusetts to the North, Road Island to the East, Long Island to the south. Surrounded by assholes, smelly people and bad drivers. I live about 20 minutes from NY so I see them all the time, they come to Connecticut for two reasons, work and shopping since our taxes are lower. My god they are obnoxious and don't even follow our driving laws like you can make a right turn on a red light (unless there is a sign stating otherwise).

If anyone asks, New Hampshire is the best state.

another fellow new englander, im from the state of new hampshire ive been to connecticut many times mostly hartford and danbury i wish NH could just put a fence on the NH/Mass border

[luciusfunk]

Okay so I appear to have started something of a debate in Arnold's drink thread so I'll start a new one here.

How do you define yourself as regards cultural identity? As a Brit I don't think of myself as remotely European and that seems to be the case as far as my experience of most people in this country goes.

In Europe itself I'm not sure how that works though clearly you have factions like the Basques and Catalans in Spain wanting independence from their parent country and in the US Texas isn't too happy as part of the Union.

How does this shit work where you are? Are you English, French, Spanish, European? Scots/Irish/German/Californian or just plain American?

What defines you as a distinct identity?

It's just the rednecks that are wanting independence. They don't speak for all of us Texans. Though I don't care for Obama.

[Dazey]

As good a place as any to ask I guess...How do the Brits feel about Big Ben being renamed?

Seems kinda weird.

It isn't being renamed as far as I understand it. Big Ben is the name of the bell at the top of the tower and they're only renaming the tower itself.

[WillieC]

Identity?

I've been trying to contact this embassy of this certain country recently to renounce my citizenship but they stopped responding to my e-mails. They refuse to help me. I don't know why.

[Georgy Zhukov]

As good a place as any to ask I guess...How do the Brits feel about Big Ben being renamed?

Seems kinda weird.

It isn't being renamed as far as I understand it. Big Ben is the name of the bell at the top of the tower and they're only renaming the tower itself.

I don't know what the Queen has done to deserve such an honor. Knight Mick Jagger?

[Zint]

As good a place as any to ask I guess...How do the Brits feel about Big Ben being renamed?

Seems kinda weird.

It isn't being renamed as far as I understand it. Big Ben is the name of the bell at the top of the tower and they're only renaming the tower itself.

Ah cheers...ok,no biggie then.

[DirtyDeeds]

I identify myself by approximately equal parts American and diasporic Irish. America is where I was born and raised, I love baseball, the space program, and some other American identities. But all my blood is Irish, much of who I am is shaped by an Irish identity and heritage, and my direct ancestors were some very big people in the fighting for the Irish Republic. It's hard for those sorts of identities to slip from you, in my experience.