UK sterotypes in USA

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

i was watching an old episode of er which had some shots in london very typical R.P accents etc however it was how nurses were protrayed that intrested me the dress and cap. Does any nhs or private hospital in the last ten years still use caps? and why is americans sterotypes all british as posh english.

[ShifraPuah]

i was watching an old episode of er which had some shots in london very typical R.P accents etc however it was how nurses were protrayed that intrested me the dress and cap. Does any nhs or private hospital in the last ten years still use caps? and why is americans sterotypes all british as posh english.

I think it comes from all the BBC shows we watch on PBS (Are You Being Served?, Fawlty Towers, and whatever Charles Dickens/Jane Austen/Bronte redoing is shown). Plus, whether or not it's been a good 230 years since the Revolution, we still have somewhat of an inferiority complex towards England, as if in some ways we still haven't proved ourselves since then.

As for the 'posh english' stereotype, to wit: the English are proper and sip their tea with pinkies held aloft in quiet sitting rooms; we Americans gulp our Starbucks and honk the horn while zooming down the freeway at 90 MPH.

[RGN1]

I think it comes from all the BBC shows we watch on PBS (Are You Being Served?, Fawlty Towers, and whatever Charles Dickens/Jane Austen/Bronte redoing is shown). Plus, whether or not it's been a good 230 years since the Revolution, we still have somewhat of an inferiority complex towards England, as if in some ways we still haven't proved ourselves since then.

As for the 'posh english' stereotype, to wit: the English are proper and sip their tea with pinkies held aloft in quiet sitting rooms; we Americans gulp our Starbucks and honk the horn while zooming down the freeway at 90 MPH.

Pass me the Starbucks I'm on my way!!

Oh & BTW no cap or cape for me! However, I do love Jane Austen!!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I don't know that all English are portrayed as "posh." Do you know the difference between RP and normal London? I mean, we can all tell broad Cockney or Geordie but basically we think anyone with an English (or Australian, even) accent is posh.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I think the stereotypes come from ignorance of the culture, not wanton disregard. I know when I lived overseas, the ordinary citizens that I came into contact with were surprized that my husband and I were so "normal." So...I think that if you have no contact with people from another culture, you don't really "know" them.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

I would agree with Trauma we all have ideas about people from different cultures that are stereotypical.

ALthough I live in the UK and am British I most definately do not have an English accent as I am Welsh - I haven't worn a nursing cap since 1996 and that was in a very old fasioned hospital in the depth of west wales. I do have a nursing cape but it is the one that I had as a student that we had to wear over to the nursing homes - wouldn'g dream of wearing it now

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I do think a cape would be kinda cool - however, I'm such a klutz that I would probably close it in the car door!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

I still have my nursing cape from when I was a nursing student and although I would not wear it now would never get rid of it. Have not worn nursing caps for nearly 10 years

[Noahm]

I'm an American living in the UK. The stereotypes and ignorance that some Brits have regarding America are absolutely crazy. I think the British stereotypes of Americans are much more ridiculous than vice versa i.e. American stereotypes of the British.

[RGN1]

Stereotypes are always going to be ridiculous. Personally I don't think ours are any worse.

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

I'm an American living in the UK. The stereotypes and ignorance that some Brits have regarding America are absolutely crazy. I think the British stereotypes of Americans are much more ridiculous than vice versa i.e. American stereotypes of the British.

Do expand since we have such a high inport of usa films and television what do they not portray about the usa that creats such sterotypes in UK.

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

i suppose in comparison with the USA the UK is a small place, however so densly populated that we have wide rantging accents and even nationalities(sp). For instance i'm irish, good chance i speak to fast for most americans might need subtitles. However i'm a student nurse in manchester and spend fair amounts of w/e in the south, london in particular and have an idea about what a london compared to an RP or BBC english accent is. Glad no one has seen caps even in the privat sector no chance i keep on my head.