Family Dynamics

One thing that really caught my interest when visiting London was the family dynamics of the English people. The family dynamics I observed in U.K. differed from the family dynamics here in the U.S. I saw children as young as nine walking to school in the mornings. The amount of independence they allow their children seems to be much more than that of Americans. Seeing young children alone in a large city is rarely seen in the United States due to our cultures fear that our children will be harmed by others; that they may be abducted. The fact that English children are allowed more independence at an earlier age may be the cause for their experimentation and curiosity with alcohol beginning at an earlier age as well. Despite the lower drinking age in England than in the U.S., the British drink alcohol among their families with their meals while growing up. This is less common in the U.S., American’s tend to believe in the social stigma that drinking is bad and causes deviant behavior. However, drinking alcohol is considered more acceptable within the British culture, especially drinking among family members. It can be assumed that this is caused by the fact that alcohol, such as beer, has always been a part of the British culture. England’s water supply was contaminated to the point that the only sterile beverage available was beer and wine. Therefore, alcohol was never considered to be a sinful or deviant action because the entire population participated in its consumption.