The Path of Evolution of the London Culture - Research Paper Example

Cultural change in London Culture is defined as the ways of man. It describes how people behave and go about their daily activities. Every human society is described according to its culture. Cultural change is defined as the process through which cultures evolve over time. As times change, new activities, behaviours and practices are adapted by societies leading to cultural change. Cultural change has been observed to crop up from changes in technology, climate change, government policy and regulation and cultural integration. Cultural change is a gradual process that must be observed keenly. The urban culture in London is an example of a culture that has been undergoing evolution since time immemorial. From the ancient agrarian culture to the modern urban and civilized culture, there is more than enough evidence to show the path of evolution of the London culture (Manley, 2005:56). Introduction London is among the world’s biggest cities, both demographically and geographically. It is a metropolitan city with coverage of 1,579 square kilometers. The city has a population approximated at over 8 million people. The city is divided into 32 boroughs. Being the largest city in Great Britain, London serves as the capital city of the United Kingdom (Gillett, 2005:197). It has been labeled as one of the top global cities that are a harbour for commerce, art, entertainment, fashion, healthcare, tourism and education. These are a few of the many factors which have contributed to the culture changes (Gillett, 2005:174). In terms of population demographics, close to 60% of the city inhabitants are whites. When this figure is narrowed down, 44% are white British, 3% are Irish Whites while the rest are classified as other whites. Asians form close 21% of the London population. These are composed of 6% Indians, 1.5% Chinese while 8% are classified as other Asians (Conway, 2007:192). Blacks form 16% of the London population. Research discloses that there are over 300 languages spoken by the London dwellers. Most of these languages are indigenous while others are as a result of cultural integration between the city inhabitants. These languages exist despite the fact that English is the most communal and formal language in this city. Most of the city residents are Christians. There are also Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews (Conway, 2007:245). As evident, there are various aspects of cultural interaction that is likely to lead to cultural change in London. The original inhabitants of London were the British whites and the Irish Whites. Immigration is among the factors that have contributed to multicultural dwelling in London city. The cultures of these communities have grown over time, adapting new cultural practices, modifying the existing practices and dropping some aspects of their culture due to various factors. This paper seeks to study cultural change in the London communities due to modernization and globalization factors (Manley, 2005: 98). Research questions 1. What factors have contributed to culture changes among the study communities? 2. What does cultural change entail? 3. What are the effects of cultural change among the affected communities? 4. Are there any established patterns in culture change in the study communities? 5. What are the future aspects of cultural changes with respect to the findings of this research? Objectives of the study 1. This research was designed to establish the factors that contributed to cultural changes among the London communities. This could explain the basis of cultural change. 2. This research sought to investigate and determine the contents of cultural change. This research could seek to explain what cultural change entails. 3. The research sought to investigate and report on the effects of cultural change on both the affected cultures and the city at large. 4. This study would report on any established patterns in the changes observed. 5. This study could outline any anticipated future aspect of cultural change based on the findings of this report. Research design Since the study population was too big to be covered by this research, sampling was deemed necessary. To select a representative sample, proper sampling techniques were used and in an effective manner. Random sampling was best for this research. Since the city is characterized by multi-cultural dwelling, the major cultures; a culture that is practiced by majority, was selected. Since the timeframe for this research is limited, a single culture was used to establish the answers to the research questions. In this case, the British culture was used. As indicated earlier, the White British form the majority of the city’s ethnic dwellers. A sample representative of the chosen culture was used for this research. The sample involved the closest people to the researcher’s location. The sample contained 50 White British Residents. The 50 participants were chosen selectively and randomly, considering factors such as age, gender and length of time they have stayed in London. First, the elderly people that have lived in the city were identified. These were those that have retired from active employment. They were then subjected a random selection where 20 of them were selected for participation in the research. The next group included the middle aged people; those between 30 to 60 years; a sample of 15 people from this bracket were used in this research. Lastly, people from ages 18-30 were identified. Another sample of 15 people from this age group was used in the research. To clearly identify the required research sample without sampling errors and wrong inclusion, prior surveys was done. The surveys employed questionnaires that were used to categorize the chosen culture into the three categories. The research was carried out in a span of 1 month, where data collection was the main event. This was because this was a qualitative research that required accuracy on data collection. Therefore, more time was dedicated to data collection. Participation in this research was voluntary. No participant was compelled to take part in this study or provide information required in this research. Participant ware made aware of their rights during the study so that conflicts could avoided. The researcher could work to ensure the right of the participants, as outlined by the research ethics, were upheld at all times. On this note, all secondary sources were properly referenced. Permission was sought prior to the use of other people’s research works. The government institutions and museums management were informed of the data collection activities prior to the commencement of this research (Aitken & Valentine, 2006:82). Data collection techniques To obtain the required information needed for this research, facts were gathered with the assistance of research assistants. Human geography is a field whose research must be undertaken with high level of keenness to avoid errors in data collection that may lead to wrong research findings. It is for this reason that research assistants were employed to help in data collection. They would not only ease the process of data collection but also save on time. They received the necessary skills and training required to capture the required information. The following methods were used in collecting data: Direct observation The researcher and the assistants directly interacted with the study sample and tried to ascertain the behavior of their study subjects. A record of notes was kept by the research personnel of all the events, conversations and any observation relevant to this research. Direct observation also included participant observation where the researcher would be involved in the daily activities of the study subject while making behavior deductions. Participant observation worked best as it allowed the researcher to observe first hand behaviour contrary to when the observer asks the study subject questions. Questionnaires Since the research was investigating human behaviour and its changes, questions were designed to guide the investigation. Questionnaires were prepared in advance so that the researcher and the assistants were able to familiarize themselves with the procedure and details. To be able to ascertain past cultural activities and practices that have since changed, questionnaires were used to guide the researcher. Questionnaires were used to capture demographic factors such as age, gender, occupation, ethnical affiliation among other features of the study subjects. The questionnaires were filled and used for analysis of the findings (Aitken & Valentine, 2006: 283). Interviews At some point of the research, the research participants were subjected to interviews. The interviews were question guided by predetermined set of question that sought to establish changes, their causes and the effect of cultural change. The interviews focused on both past and present cultural activities and practices in the study culture. The finding and answers from the interviews were recorded and presented for analysis and presentation. Secondary sources of data This research was not limited to primary data. Existing research works, scholarly and peer reviewed articles were used as sources of information in answering the research questions. Information was obtained from museums and cultural centers. Museums were of great importance to this research as they document evidence of past cultures. Data from research organizations and government institutions was obtained and used in this research. Data analysis Once all the facts were gathered, it was subjected to thorough analysis. The analysis focused on answering the formulated research questions. Since this was expected to be a qualitative research, data analysis will was not based on numeric values but rather on descriptions. A few quantitative techniques were used in data analysis though owing to the facts that the research involved a representative sample. For instance, in trying to establish how many of the study sample depicted a behaviour change, percentages were used. Also in presenting the findings of the research some quantitative techniques were used (Aitken & Valentine, 2006: 47). Presentation of findings Findings were presented using various qualitative techniques. These included: Network diagrams: these were used to show the relationship between various research variables and their connection to behaviour change as established in the research. Networks were used to establish the process of culture change and the future patterns expected in cultural change. Relationship diagrams: these demonstrated the cause effect relationships established from the data collected and analyzed. These were helpful in answering the research question regarding the effects of culture change observed. Personal reflection The research on human geography required a more attention compared to the other fields of geography. Prior to the research, no resistance was expected from some of the research subject. Some subject turned to be hostile, something that was least expected. It seemed that they never want to participate in the research. Alternatives had to be sough owing to the fact that the hostiles had been selected. From the research, I learned that different people have different perceptions to issues. Some of the participants expected to be paid for participating in research. Others were not willing to let the researcher access information. This required the researchers to be persuasive and convincing in explaining to the participants the essence of this research. Strengths of this research This research sought to investigate a topic in human geography; which is qualitative in nature. The researcher was conducting the research where the cultural issues were understood to him. This made data collection quite easy. This is because issues such as language barrier and biased information were minimal. The researcher experience little hostility from the host community evident in other researches due to familiarity with the research location. Weaknesses of this study This research sought to explain cultural changes among the White British. It was less likely that required observations would be made within the stipulated timeline. This was because of the intricate nature of the involved culture. Some of the participants provided misguiding information. Participants may have pretended during the data collection process thereby distorting the data collected. To overcome the obstacles experienced in this research, it will be essential for researchers to undertake awareness campaigns prior to any future research works. The researchers will also have to change their approach to participants; be persuasive and treat each participant according to their perception. References List AITKEN, S. C., & VALENTINE, G. (2006). Approaches to human geography. London, SAGE. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10218185. ARNOLD, D. (2013). The spaces of the hospital: spatiality and urban change in London, 1680-1820. BROWNELL, J. (2011). The collapse of Rhodesia population demographics and the politics of race. London, I.B. Tauris. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=688268. CONWAY, D. (2007). A nation of immigrants?: a brief demographic history of Britain. London, Civitas/The Institute for the Study of Civil Society. GILLETT, J. (2005). Population. London, Hodder Murray. HUMPHREYS, R. (2011). London. London, Rough Guides. MANLEY, L. (2005). Literature and culture in early modern London. Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press. MIRZOEFF, N. (2002). The visual culture reader. London, Routledge. MOLE, J. (2003). Mind your manners managing business cultures in the new global Europe. London, Nicholas Brealey Pub. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=78701. SAVAGE, J. (2007). Teenage: the creation of youth culture. New York, Viking. (2009). London. London, Time Out. Read More