For this assignment I interviewed Beth Jones, 23 year old associate publisher of "This is London" magazine, also one of my bosses for my internship. She is Julie Jones' daughter, the editor in chief of the magazine, who I also work under. I've gotten to know Beth as a work mentor and friend throughout the semester. I decided to interview her for this assignment because I am genuinely interested in her opinions and insights into British culture. I asked her a few questions from each of the eight categories as follows.
Family
Her immediate family consists of her and her brother David, both living at their home in Essex with her two married parents. Her non-immediate family isn't very big, but her aunt and uncle come over every Sunday, and her gran every six weeks. When I asked if more people are single or living alone than in the past, she said that she thinks more people are living with their friends than moving in with a significant other. She talked about the pressures placed on children in the UK as being centered around education. Children are expected to begin performing to impress Universities at a young age. She added that teens and young people are expected to be able to sustain themselves financially at a younger age than before.
Faith
Beth said that faith is still important in British life, not as big as it used to be. She compared it to a rock or foundation that holds people together. She is a member of the Church of England, although she doesn't attend church.
Remembrance
As a young woman I was interested to see how the August riots of 2011 impacted her. She said, "The riots didn't impact me emotionally, but since we live by Tottenham Court Road (where some of the riots occurred) my dad wasn't able to go to work."
Identity
Beth is very proud to be British, she loves it. She defined British attitudes as polite with a very unique sense of humor and wit. She believes that the UK's strengths lie in their quality of work, "You can tell that when we do things we do them right, they are well executed." Some famous living Brits that she admires are: Richard Branson, Kate Middleton, The Queen and the royals, and Vivienne Westwood. Above all was Richard Branson, who she admires for making his mark like no one else has. When asked about her views on the USA she responded, "It feels like a whole other world away, like it's on a different planet. It's obviously a crucial valuable international relationship to have."
Politics
Beth defined her political views as conservative, so she is glad the current government is conservative rather than laborer. Although she thinks the current system works, it takes a long time to accomplish anything. She thinks that the UK is the cornerstone of Europe and the EU, and it couldn't function without it. Going along with that, she does not think that the UK should join the Euro, especially not now when the value of the pound is rising. She thinks that it's the UK's responsibility to help Greece in its debt crisis as well as supporting Ireland. It was obvious after her saying Kate and the royal family are some of the people she admires most that she is a fan of the monarchy. She loves it, and believes that as a British institution it is intricate to their identity, "If you go out on the street, 90% of people will agree with me. Even though there are a few 'Queen haters' most Brits love it and would go crazy if the Queen were removed as head of state."
Multiculturalism
Beth thinks that the UK is very culturally diverse, but that racism still exists in some areas and in some people. Being from Essex (the London equivalent of Jersey Shore) she says that sometimes people stereotype her like the people from the show.
Leisure
In her spare time Beth likes to go to the gym, she goes almost every day. She enjoys being around kids, which she hopes to have two of someday. She has a love for skiing, so it's no surprise that one of her favorite holiday destination is Courchevel France, where she can ski and visit her boyfriend Ben. If she's not away, her weekends consist of going to the gym, laundry, movies, shopping, and spending time with her mom. "I used to be so cool! Ha ha, now I spend weekends recovering from work with my mom, who I work with anyways. We spend a lot of time together!" Her favorite places and spaces in London include 'The Vault' (club), and loads of different restaurants.
Overall, this interview with Beth gave me a deeper insight into British culture and what it means to her to be British.
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