Respect, Identity and Multiple Identities in the UK
Who are we? Explore identity and the idea that everyone holds several identities at once, and learn why mutual respect holds a diverse society together.
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Who are we?
The UK is a diverse society, home to people of many backgrounds, faiths and cultures, and two big citizenship ideas help us live together well. Start with the words:
Hold them together
A person's identity is how they see themselves and the groups they feel they _____ to. Nobody has just one: people hold _____ identities at the same time. That is why describing someone by a _____ label misses most of who they are, and why two people who share one identity can still differ in every _____.
Match each type of identity to an example
- National identity
- Religious identity
- Regional identity
- Cultural identity
- Feeling British, English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish
- Belonging to a faith such as Christianity, Islam or Judaism
- Feeling connected to a local area, like being a Londoner
- Shared customs, food, language and traditions
Ways to define identity
Select the THREE things that can be part of a person's identity.
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Nationality
- Integration
- Community cohesion
- Discrimination
A diverse United Kingdom
The UK is a multi-ethnic and multi-faith society, made up of four nations: England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Its population varies in age, ethnicity, religion and disability. This diversity is why living together well takes effort and understanding.
Mutual respect
Mutual respect means treating other people, and their beliefs and rights, with consideration, even when you disagree with them. In a diverse society it is essential: it lets people with very different lives and views live together peacefully.
Respect in practice
Two students in the same class hold opposite views on a local planning decision, and the argument is getting personal. Explain what mutual respect would look like here, and why it does not mean either of them giving up their view.
- Say what each student should still be able to do
- Say what respect rules out, and be specific about behaviour rather than feelings
- Finish with why a diverse society needs this even when people never agree
Discrimination and the law
Sometimes people are treated unfairly because of a characteristic such as race, religion, sex, disability or age. This is discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 is a UK law that protects people from discrimination and makes it illegal in areas such as work and education.
The Equality Act 2010
What does the Equality Act 2010 do?
- Protects people from discrimination and makes it illegal
- Bans people of different faiths from working together
- Sets the rate of income tax
- Decides who can vote in elections
Diversity, integration, cohesion
Three linked ideas underpin living together, and the exam expects them told apart:
Identity terms
- Diversity
- Integration
- Community cohesion
- Tolerance
- The variety of people, cultures and beliefs in society
- Different groups mixing and taking part together
- A shared sense of belonging where groups get on
- Accepting views and lifestyles different from your own
Build a stronger community
A town wants to build respect and cohesion between people of different backgrounds. Choose the best approach at each step.
- How can a school build respect between students of different backgrounds?
- A worker is treated unfairly because of their religion. This is...
- A cohesive community is one where...
Living together summary
A person can hold _____ identities at once, defined by things like ethnicity, religion and nationality. The UK is a diverse, multi-_____ society. Living together well needs mutual _____, and the Equality Act 2010 protects people from _____.