Abstract
The issue of identity has been widely discussed both in recent social science and in the public sphere; race, ethnicity, gender and nation have all been extensively discussed. A common thread has been the rejection of essentialist arguments that attempt to fix identities in extra-social phenomena in favour of an appreciation of their thoroughgoing social constructedness. Given these sophisticated understandings, how are we to account for the unexpected and seemingly atavistic reassertion of the enduring value of ‘Britishness’ among sections of the United Kingdom elite? Recent public discussion suggests that the Whitehall/Westminster elite have become uneasy about the burgeoning political-cultural diversity of the United Kingdom. However, an elite-specified identity is unlikely to have any purchase among a diverse sophisticated population.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.