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Originally Posted by swimmer
Of course all cultures are similar to an extent no matter where you are on earth you sleep eat and drink. Differences are often small but many small differences can mean large cultural differences. Your choices were a bit boring perhaps you should have asked
'how it differs to Japanese, Saudi Arabian and Swaziland Culture and then we can talk about it' Put in this context you can see our island culture is as different to them as them to us.
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You still haven't defined "British culture", even if it is only in comparison to others. You are also assuming that Japan and Saudi Arabia have single "cultures" as well. Is this really the case?
The dictionary defines it as:
"the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group".
Well, I would say that the social forms of these groups in Britain would be very distinct:
City business types
Farmers
Internet nerds
Upper classes
Working class
Students
Single parents
The collective "culture" of today is very different to what it was just ten years ago, let alone pre-war. Cultures, traditions, ideas and beliefs all change with the times.
The cultures of the past are no where near as important as how we want the future to be.
Your grandad may think things were better back then, but he wasn't a woman, black, gay or disabled was he? I think that things have moved on for the better in many many ways.
What he probably feels is lacking is social cohesion - the sense of belonging. Big wars tend to bring people together in a collective effort, which our generation has never witnessed.