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Britishness is the state or quality of being British,〔 or of embodying British characteristics,〔 and is used to refer to that which binds and distinguishes the British people and forms the basis of their unity and identity,〔.〕 or else to explain expressions of British culture—such as habits, behaviours, or symbols—that have a common, familiar or iconic quality readily identifiable with the United Kingdom. Dialogue about the legitimacy and authenticity of Britishness is intrinsically tied with power relations and politics; in terms of nationhood and belonging, expressing or recognising one's Britishness provokes a range of responses and attitudes, such as advocacy, indifference, or rejection.〔 Britishness "sprung into political and academic prominence" in the late 20th century,〔.〕 but its origins lie with the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. Although Britishness was used to refer to Britons collectively as early as 1682, historian Linda Colley asserts that it was after the Acts of Union 1707 that the citizens of Great Britain began to assume a "layered" identity—to think of themselves as simultaneously British but also Scottish, English, and/or Welsh.〔.〕 In this formative period, Britishness was "closely bound up with Protestantism".〔.〕 The ''Oxford English Dictionary Online'' dates the first known use of the term Britishness to refer to the state of being British to a June 1857 issue of ''Putnam's Monthly Magazine''.〔 Since the late 20th century, the exploration and proliferation of Britishness became directly associated with a desire to define, sustain or restore a homogeneous British identity or allegiance to Britain, prompting debate. For instance, the Life in the United Kingdom test—reported as a test of one's Britishness—has been described as controversial.〔(What is Britishness anyway? ) BBC News, 10 September 2002〕 The UK Independence Party have asserted that Britishness is tied with inclusive civic nationalism,〔()〕 whereas the Commission for Racial Equality reported that Scots, Welsh, Irish and ethnic minorities may feel quite divorced from Britishness because of white English dominance; Gwynfor Evans, a Welsh nationalist politician, said that "Britishness is a political synonym for Englishness which extends English culture over the Scots, Welsh, and the Irish". Historians Graham Macphee and Prem Poddar state that Britishness and Englishness are invariably conflated as they are both tied to the identity of the British Empire and UK; slippage between the two words is common. With regards to a proposed oath of allegiance for school leavers, historian David Starkey argued that it is impossible to teach Britishness because "a British nation doesn't exist".〔(Can pupils learn 'Britishness'? ) BBC News, 12 October 2007〕 ==Government perspective== Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, made a speech in 2006 to promote Britishness.〔(Brown speech promotes Britishness ) BBC News, 14 January 2006.〕 Brown's speech to the Fabian Society's Britishness Conference proposed that British values demand a new constitutional settlement and symbols to represent a modern patriotism, including a new youth community service scheme and a 'British Day' to celebrate.〔(The future of Britishness ) Fabian Society, 14 January 2006〕 One of the central issues identified at the Fabian Society conference was how the English identity fits within the framework of a devolved UK. Does England require a new constitutional settlement for instance?〔(New Britishness must resolve the English question ) Fabian Society, 14 January 2006〕 Her Majesty's Government has sought to promote Britishness with the inaugural Veterans' Day (now called Armed Forces Day), first held on 27 June 2006. As well as celebrating the achievements of members of the armed forces, at the first event for the celebration Brown said: Scots and people from the rest of the UK share the purpose—that Britain has something to say to the rest of the world about the values of freedom, democracy, and the dignity of the people that you stand up for. So at a time when people can talk about football and devolution and money, it is important that we also remember the values that we share in common.〔 〕 Critics have argued that Brown's sudden interest in the subject had more to do with countering English opposition to a Scottish Member of Parliament becoming Prime Minister. In November 2007 ''The Times'' newspaper's ''Comment Central'' asked readers to define Britishness in five little words. The winning suggestion was "No motto please, we're British". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Britishness」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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