Cultural Diversity in London
The phrase “British culture” is often used carelessly, as if it completely and comprehensively defines all of the 63 million people living in Great Britain as well as their culture. People who use terms such as this either willingly or unconsciously forget the fact that Great Britain is a culturally diverse country, the biggest representative of this being its largest and most populated city – London.
In order to understand things better, we should take a few steps backwards and attempt to define these two important terms – (1) culture and (2) cultural diversity.
According to “Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English”, culture is primarily defined as “the beliefs, way of life, art, and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a particular society”. If we take into consideration that the “particular society” here is the city of London, because it is, after all, the topic of this assignment, we immediately run into the need to expand on this definition. This is where cultural diversity comes in – a term which can be identified as “the existence of multiple cultures and cultural differences within a society”. This term is almost synonymous with London, which is, aside from Los Angeles, New York and perhaps a handful of other cities in the United States, the most culturally diverse city on the planet, and has been so longest of all.
The main reason for this is the simple fact that London’s ethnic, religious and linguistic structure is so exceedingly varied and colorful. These three factors (nationality, religion and language) are undoubtedly the most prominent features of any culture.
LONDON DEMOGRAPHICS
The official population of London is 8,173,194, according to the Office for National Statistics. This non-ministerial government department conducts a national census every ten years, the latest of which was in 2011.
When it comes to ethnicity in London, a huge variety is present, based on the results of the 2011 Census – 59.8 per cent (or
In order to understand things better, we should take a few steps backwards and attempt to define these two important terms – (1) culture and (2) cultural diversity.
According to “Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English”, culture is primarily defined as “the beliefs, way of life, art, and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a particular society”. If we take into consideration that the “particular society” here is the city of London, because it is, after all, the topic of this assignment, we immediately run into the need to expand on this definition. This is where cultural diversity comes in – a term which can be identified as “the existence of multiple cultures and cultural differences within a society”. This term is almost synonymous with London, which is, aside from Los Angeles, New York and perhaps a handful of other cities in the United States, the most culturally diverse city on the planet, and has been so longest of all.
The main reason for this is the simple fact that London’s ethnic, religious and linguistic structure is so exceedingly varied and colorful. These three factors (nationality, religion and language) are undoubtedly the most prominent features of any culture.
LONDON DEMOGRAPHICS
The official population of London is 8,173,194, according to the Office for National Statistics. This non-ministerial government department conducts a national census every ten years, the latest of which was in 2011.
When it comes to ethnicity in London, a huge variety is present, based on the results of the 2011 Census – 59.8 per cent (or