Representation of Britishness

Collective Identity:
- How groups are represented or represent themselves in the media, the way reality is mediated to us. - The individual's sense of belonging to a group.

"Collective identity refers to the shared definition of a group that derives from its members’ common interests, experiences, and solidarities. Collective identity is neither fixed nor innate, but rather emerges through struggle as different political actors, including the movement, interact and react to each other." Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology

Stereotypes of Britishness:
- posh,
- snobby,
- polite,
- well mannered,
- tea,
- flag,
- antique,
- nature,
- fish and chips

Downton Abbey:
is a period drama that tells the story of the aristocratic Crawley family, their friends and servants. The programme has been sold to 220 countries and the show has an estimated global audience of 120 million people.

In 2011, Amazon reported that Downton had become the best-selling box-set of all time. At home, key episodes have attracted an audience of over 9 million viewers, and references to Downton Abbey are everywhere. The New Yorker magazine recently described the UK election campaign as having ‘more story lines than Downton’.