Cultural identity

In a rare treat yesterday, we managed to secure a babysitter for the night and went to the cinema together for the first time in months. We decided to go and see Lincoln as it had good reviews, and to be fair for a Friday night date night film, it was enjoyable. However, the director was obviously dealing with the fact that the movie would be released worldwide, not just in America, so there were times when he had to make it overtly obvious who someone was and what their role was within the abolition of slavery.

After the film, my wife was talking about how she wanted them to add a disclaimer at the start or the end of the movie saying that this was back in the day when the Republicans were the more liberal party and the Democrats were the crazy conservatives. I had picked this up somewhere along the line (from my wife, possibly!) but it started a discussion on cultural identity. For example, for my wife, all of the events and characters were people that she had studied in school and the whole history of America is something that most Americans I've met are well read up on. Likewise, I have a good grounding of English and European history, with a general idea of the story of life across the pond. These cultural references shape who we are and how we see the world.

I wanted to write this because, as most of our private conversations do, we started to talk about which set of  stories and legends Jake would inherit. The obvious answer is the American ones as he'll go to school there and become seeped in the culture and values of American society. It makes me pause for thought to think that my child will have a greater knowledge of the presidents and American literature than me. However, with me as his father, I want him to be aware of his European roots and values at the same time.

What I want him to be aware of is tricky. My wife asked the question "what parts of Englishness do you want him to have?". It's a big question and I'm not sure what my exact answer is. I'm not a huge fan of most of the traits traditionally associated with English people, such as the stiff upper lip, martyring oneself for no good reason and a general sense of understatement. I'm not sure I care too much if he knows about the kings and queens of England (I know I don't!) or how England came to be as a country.

I think part of it is the world view that comes from living on the edge of a multi-cultural continent and to have an appreciation for European culture (more than just as a fun place to go on holiday). I think I want him to have a sense of a longer time scale stretching back to Norman castles and Stonehenge. I think I want him to have an understanding of British culture: films, TV shows, music, books (most of which will come from my personal favourite selections). Above all, I think I want him to see England as somewhere else that is also home, rather than just where his dad comes from.

How I achieve these things and what other answers I come up with to my wife's question are big unknowns, but ones that I will take great pleasure in working out as the years go by.