Idea of Progress: modernity and tradition in Britain

Idea of progress

The notion I’m going to deal with is “The idea of progress”. The subject of my oral presentation will be “Modernity and Tradition in Britain”.

In my first part, I’m going to underline the contrast between tradition and modernity; then, I’ll see if traditions are an obstacle to change.

1. Underline the contrast between tradition and modernity in Britain

Firstly, Britain still has a heritage of their history

The public is still attached to the monarch as head of state, indeed, in a 2011 study, 78% of the British population is in favour of keeping the monarchy. Moreover, 70% of the young people also agreed on keeping a monarchy.

Protestant tradition and the Church of England are closely linked nowadays. Henry VIII, king of England during the 16th century, broke off all ties with the Catholic Church in order to get his first marriage annulled and have a male heir, then established England as a Protestant country.

Moreover, traditions are important in everyday life. Indeed, it is popular that sporting events dating back to the nineteenth century are still happening yearly. For instance, the Boat Race is a rowing race launched in 1829 between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge taking place on the Thames.

However, in Britain there is also a modern nation.

New buildings are appearing all over London. For instance, The London Eye is a point of modernity mixed with old buildings like Big Ben on the other side of the Thames.

The British are becoming more open-minded and tolerant. So, the biggest South Asian festival in Europe is taking place in London. Called London Mela, it not only gathers music but also food, dances and circus acts.

1. Are traditions an obstacle to change?

Many things have changed in recent history.

Since the 1960’s society has changed, indeed, Black Britons do not undergo segregation anymore on the contrary to their ancestors in the sixties. Today, they feel British first and foremost and not Black. In fact, it should be easier to blend in because there has never been an ethnical identity in Britain, this society has always been multicultural.

Furthermore, around a third of Scotland voters believe that Scotland should leave the UK in order to become independent. Believing Scotland’s economy, they think that it will have much greater autonomy. So, the Kingdom is beginning to be disunited and things could change in the years coming.

However, some traditions are an obstacle to change.

For instance, a great number of people are still attached to the monarchy but also to his pomp and pageantry. That is why, very few of them want to see Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, crowned Queen.

There also still is a class divide in education. In fact, less than 5% of students from poor neighbourhoods study at one of the top 20 universities. By not attending public schools because of their price, they do not have great grades and their chances are that way diminished.

To conclude, the notion The Idea of Progress need to be taken into account to analyse the link between modernity and tradition in Britain. The way Britain has evolved over the years is closely linked to its history and tradition. In fact, the identity of today’s Britain is based on a balance between its long-standing traditions and its ability to modernize and adapt to the challenges it has to face in the changing world.

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