Principles & Values in British Society (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

Principles in British society

• British society is shaped by a set of core principles and shared values

• These guide how people live together, how laws are created and how rights are protected

Introduction to British principles

• A society’s principles develop over time

• In the UK, they are influenced by:

  • historic events (e.g. Magna Carta, post-war reforms)

  • long-standing cultural traditions

  • religious and philosophical ideas

  • the diversity of today’s population

• After the Second World War, the United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948)

  • This sets out basic rights that apply to everyone, everywhere

  • The UK helped create it and continues to support its principles

Values in British society

• British values is often used to describe both cultural attitudes and legal rights

• These values connect to international agreements that the UK follows, such as:

  • the UDHR

  • the European Convention on Human Rights (through the Council of Europe)

  • the Human Rights Act 1998

• Public discussion about British values has increased in recent years because of

  • concerns about terrorism

  • debates about migration

  • discussions about multiculturalism

  • economic changes linked to globalisation

  • questions about national identity, highlighted during the 2016 EU Referendum (Brexit)

British values today

• Since 2014, the UK Government has required all schools to actively promote British values

1. Democracy

• Democracy means people have a say in how the country is run

• Citizens choose representatives through free and fair elections

  • In general elections, every eligible voter can choose their Member of Parliament (MP)

  • In local elections, residents elect councillors who make decisions about services such as parks, housing, and waste collection

• They can also get involved through petitions, contacting MPs, demonstrations, or joining political parties

  • Online petitions on the UK Parliament website can trigger debates if they reach 100,000 signatures.

2. The rule of law

• The law applies equally to everyone, including those in power

• Laws protect people’s rights, keep society safe and help prevent discrimination and injustice

  • In independent courts, judges make decisions based on evidence, not government pressure

  • Police can stop and search people, but only under lawful conditions

  • Actions such as theft, assault, and fraud are crimes no matter who commits them

    • Politicians or celebrities charged with offences are tried like anyone else, showing that no one is above the law

3. Individual liberty

• People are free to make choices about their own lives

  • They can express their opinions, choose their religion, lifestyle, education and career, provided their choices do not harm others or break the law

    • For example, people can share opinions online or in public, within laws on hate speech

    • Students can select GCSE options, apprenticeships or A-levels based on their interests

    • People can follow any faith or none

• Individuals also have a right to privacy - their personal information is protected under data protection laws

4. Mutual respect and tolerance

• People should show respect and understanding towards others, even when their beliefs, backgrounds or lifestyles differ

  • This helps communities live together peacefully

• Examples include

  • Schools of different religions often share events or facilities

  • Schools and workplaces must protect people from discrimination or harassment

  • Events like Pride, Black History Month, Diwali or Eid celebrations are widely recognised in the UK

  • Local councils may support projects that bring different groups together, such as youth clubs or neighbourhood festivals