Watching the English
by Kate Fox · first published 2001
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6HN commenters
2009–2026first – last mentioned
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…and as a consequence there is less binge drinking and fewer drunken brawls. Here is a report on this: http://www.sirc.org/publik/drinking7.html, or, for a less technical explanation, see Kate Fox's Watching the English
on “German Police Used Only 85 Bullets Against People in 2011” ↗"Watching the English" by Kate Fox [0] was a revelation. I grew up in the UK, and agreed with every word. Especially the bit about social contact and drinking. When travelling in other cultures, I still find it insanely difficult…
on “What Oxford taught me about posh people” ↗…bias one way or the other. I can't offer much on the "British" as we're diverse countries with not so much in common. But for the one I feel qualified to speak on, England, try Kate Fox's excellent "Watching the English." It's a bit cosy, so don't read it if you want to see us eviscerated, but it's well observed for all that.
on “The Great British Reading List” ↗Actually, as a Brit (and so an expert in these matters), it seemed a fairly good definition for me. It's similar to how class is represented in Downton Abbey and in books like "Watching the English" (Kate Fox). As far as I know, there are no formal and universal definitions of the class system. Certainly in Britain, class has almost nothing to do with your income or bank balance. A lot of the upper…
on “Everybody Thinks They're Middle-Class” ↗…system required me to scan the chip in my passport to link it to the system. In general, the UK retains its mildly chaotic character - the 'disorderly order' that Kate Fox frequently mentions in her book Watching the English - but the immigration system is very much being tightened up due to political sentiment. As problematic as it is to need a contractual relationship with a US company to interact with the UK Government,…
on “You Want to Visit the UK? You Better Have a Google Play or App Store Account” ↗The queue jumping sounds like Kate Fox, she talks about it in _Watching the English_ but I wouldn't be surprised to see it written up elsewhere too. http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2004/5/3/53732.html is the best link I could find quickly.
on “Professor Studies Social Customs in Video Games - Becomes Most Hated Player” ↗In Watching the English, Kate Fox gives a thorough explanation of how much she can pin down someone's social class by what they buy at Marks and Spencers (which is a department store that's branched out into groceries). I forget…
on “World conker champion found with steel chestnut, cleared of cheating” ↗…Oblige[0] Mostly about vocabulary, and very outdated (1950s) * The English Gentleman[1] Only about aristocratic men, and comedic in style * Class: A View from Middle England (Jilly Cooper) Very 1970s * Watching the English[2] Not specifically about social class, but class comes up a lot. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noblesse_Oblige_(book) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_English_Gentleman [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watching_the_English
on “World conker champion found with steel chestnut, cleared of cheating” ↗