The average British family has classically been understood as a

Do's and Don'ts

Communication

Other Considerations

Other Considerations

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  British and English are not the same thing. ‘British’ refers to all people from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, whilst ‘English’ refers to people only from England. The same applies to ‘Scottish’, ‘Welsh’ and ‘Northern Irish’.
  
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  When it comes to sports, the British are often openly impassioned fans. People may openly boast and taunt those who support opposing teams. However, players themselves are still expected to be slightly self-deprecating
  
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  Language Spoken at Home
  
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  English (97.8%)
  
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  Other (1.9%)
  
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  Of those who speak a language other than English at home, 96.0% speak English fluently.
  
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  [Census, 2016
  

Core concepts

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  Privacy
  
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  Humour
  
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  Common sense
  
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  Honesty
  
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  Consideration
  
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  Fair play
  
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  Informality
  
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  Diligence
  

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or UK) is a country including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of these constituent nations have distinct national identities. However, they are united under the same monarch, parliament and government. People new to the United Kingdom often struggle to distinguish the cultural differences between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. By all appearances, it is accent that divides them, as people across the UK speak the same language, use the same currency, have similar laws and policies, share media outlets and are subjects of the same Royal Family. Nevertheless, some customs and social expectations may vary between nations. Cultural differences are most visible in each country’s individual history and heritage.

Social differences are evident in how people from these countries perceive their identities. Scottish, Welsh and Irish people tend to be more aware of a dual identity (e.g. being both Scottish and British). English people, on the other hand, do not feel the same need to distinguish their origin, as ‘British’ is often (incorrectly) assumed to be synonymous with ‘English’. England is also significantly more populous, with approximately 84% of the UK’s population living there. The Scottish, Welsh and Irish can sometimes find England's predominance condescending and may slightly resent the English because of it. All four countries are influenced by the size, immensity, popularity and power of London. It is easily the hub of the UK. Thus, English cultural leadership is somewhat inevitable. Much of the decision-making that affects the UK occurs in England and, with more arts opportunities located in England, English-based media and pop culture is pervasive.
The British can quickly detect which county a person is from by their accent alone, and may sometimes be able to pinpoint their town of upbringing just from their speech. This easy identification of people’s backgrounds can cause the British to pigeonhole and stereotype each other quite quickly, sometimes hindering social mobility. This is especially true for those with accents that acutely reflect a class stereotype. For example, ‘posh’ pronunciations can reveal that a person was raised in a wealthy family and went to a private school, whilst a cockney accents and other regional accents are often associated with the working-class.
The British class system has historically been a powerful point of stratification in the social, economic and political spheres of life. Though society has become less class conscious, the class system remains integral and continues to shape the people’s sense of belonging. Differentiation between the working class and middle class was once largely defined by the occupations people had (e.g. blue collar workers vs. white collar workers). However, today it has more to do with one’s schooling, social orientations and upbringing.
Many British wear their working class status as a badge of honour. They can view the upper classes with suspicion and may have little desire to join their ranks. The majority of the UK is now considered to be ‘middle class’, a distinction often expanded to include all that live relatively comfortably and have a secondary or tertiary education. The elite or aristocracy of British society are usually inheritors of old money or land.
Bragging and boasting about one’s status is not appreciated in the United Kingdom (a phenomenon commonly known as tall poppy syndrome) and the practice is usually ridiculed. Thus, people from the upper classes will usually refrain from talking of their privilege in overt ways. Furthermore, despite social stratifications between classes, the British are quite egalitarian in their beliefs. They strongly value fair play, believing everyone should have equal opportunity to better their circumstances regardless of their background. Fair play also translates into a respect for order. The British do not like those who cheat or circumvent the system. People are expected to wait their turn and put in the ‘hard yards’ necessary to gain reward. 
The daily grind of the working and middle classes engenders a sense of belonging and solidarity in the UK. Where Australians can celebrate being the ‘lucky country’, the British feel pride that their nation and society is built upon generations of hard work and social progress. People pride themselves on a capacity to ‘grin and bear it’ whilst being diligent and respectable. The British have earned a reputation for remaining stoic through tough times (keeping a ‘stiff upper lip’), rarely letting their emotions show, though they might complain in private. Britons celebrate the fortitude that their population showed during the Second World War and post-war period. As the slogan goes, “keep calm and carry on.”
The British are generally quite reserved. Speaking out, complaining or making a fuss is seen to cause unnecessary problems. Negative opinions or impressions are usually only aired in private company or are politely delivered. This can make the British seem quite reserved in public, though quite vocal in demonstrations and other major public events. People often try to avoid ‘rocking the boat’. Instead, you are encouraged to quietly mind your own business. To an Australian, this can seem overly sensitive, bureaucratic and slow.
Humour is used as a way of being more pointed and direct. It can establish rapport and informality, relax a room, bring people together over differences, introduce risky ideas and even present criticism in an acceptable way. Most topics can be lightened with good humour and the British poke fun at almost everything: themselves, their queen, politicians, religion, class, society and you. British sarcasm and understatement can be very subtle and nuanced. It can sometimes be difficult for Australians to detect whether they are joking or not. Try to avoid getting riled up over jokes; this will likely make you more of a target for teasing. However, while their humour may seem harsh at times, overall the British are reasonable, sensible and considerate people.
Significant cultural differences in the UK can often be found between those who live in the major cities and those who live in the countryside. More recently, the younger generation is also distinguishing itself as being very individualistic and strident in manners. British sociologists argue a 'me' culture is being perpetuated amongst young people and draw unfavourable comparisons to the previous generations who became more community-focused due to the effects of the world wars.
The make-up of the dominant mainstream British culture is shifting as immigration increases. The UK is becoming more and more multicultural. There are large populations of migrants in almost every city – particularly migrants and their children from former British colonies (such as India, Pakistan, Jamaica). In 2014, approximately 13.6 million people living in the UK were either born abroad or had a non-British nationality – roughly 20% of the population. London alone had 3 million foreign-born residents. Many alternative cultures, customs and traditions have arrived with this migration. In globalised and progressive areas, these have been especially embraced. Even in the less internationally oriented towns, a pub menu will give a choice between the traditional ‘bangers and mash’ or a house-made curry.

Religion

According to the 2011 British Census, 25.67% of the British population does not affiliate with any religion. Of those who are religious, 59.49% are Christian, 4.41% are Muslim and 1.5% are Hindu. Other religions make up 1.94% and 7.17% did not give an answer. Each country within the United Kingdom has its own Church (e.g. The Church of England).
Interestingly, despite the fact that almost 70% of the population claim a religion in the national Census, other recent polls have strongly indicated that less than half of the total population believes in God. For example, in the British Social Attitudes survey of 2012, the proportion of non-religious people almost doubled from the Census statistic. In a Gallup Poll that asked the question “Is religion important in your daily life?”, 73% of British respondents answered no.
Devotion to faith has also shifted between generations as figures show that today, only a quarter of youths aged between 18 and 24 believe in God. Furthermore, of those who do profess a religion, most are largely inactive in its practice. For example, Christian church attendance has significantly dropped since the 1950s. However, a 2014 poll found that Muslims are becoming the most actively religious group in British society.