Questioning the myth that Britain consists of a homogeneous people, this collection of essays explores a wide range of critical debates on cultural identity in Britain. With analysis of ways of teaching, as well as reading British culture, this lively and provocative collection is an ideal introduction to this contentious area. Essays cover key issues, such as terminological distinctions between British Studies and British Cultural Studies, the complexities of national cultures and identity in contemporary Britain, models for studying the history and development of conceptions of "Britishness," as well as the study of contemporary Britain in other countries. The contributors to this volume have all been instrumental in establishing British Studies internationally and share the idea of culture as a plurality of discourses, rather than a fixed, unitary concept.