The well-behaved, asexual, uncomplaining subject

"I recall being uneasy as a student when teacher after teacher explained that therapy was pointless or operation unnecessary because the patient was old, had had his time, could not expect miracles, and so on. Some moved the age of expendability far forward: at fifty five or sixty the genital system became expendable (“he or she won’t need it now”); at sixty-five further therapy was to be limited to encouragement. 

The image of later life was that of the well-behaved, asexual, uncomplaining subject, patiently awaiting the next world, to be kept as a pet if cheeringly vigorous, if not, to be jollied and avoided."

Alex Comfort, 1980 (1920-2000)

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photograph by Tony Ray-Jones via

Macnamara: Origin and Character of the British People (1900)

Macnamara justified British superiority over Germans by pointing out the heritage of ethnic mixture: so-called Teutonic (Nordic), Iberian (Mediterranean), Mongolian (Alpine) qualities, a mix that made sure the Anglo-Saxons were flexible and avoided any religious or socio-political extremism ... things that might be difficult to achieve by the pure Teuton, he said (Bertolette, 2004). Here some stereotypical features of the "Iberian", "Mongoloid", and "Teutonic"..

Iberian: chivalrous, courteous, patriotic, impulsive, ostentatious, proud, musical, cruel, passionate, revengeful, unreliable

Mongoloid: religious, peace-loving, imaginative, sensitive, artistic, hosptable, indolent, unstable, lacking individuality

Teutonic: self-reliant, self-respecting, reliable, patriotic, ordely, freedom-loving, laborious, slow, persevering, courageous, warlike, enterprising, domineering

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- Bertolette, W. F. (2004). German stereotypes in British magazines prior to World War I. Master's Thesis: Louisiana State University, link
- Macnamara, N. C. (1900). Origin and Character of the British People. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- photograph by Tony Ray-Jones (May Day celebrations, 1967) via

When pushing, hitting, beating, taking money from bank account are not seen as elder abuse

The pandemic is making vulnerable people more vulnerable acting like a "pressure cooker" since due to the lockdown they are "unable to speak out" and lack "the safeguards of day-to-day contact with neighbours, friends and the outside world". The abuse of older people is, according to a poll, at "unprecedented levels". In the UK, one in five aged over 65 have been abused, i.e., approximately 2.7 million people.



It gets even worse. The survey reveals conflicting views about what is elder abuse. More than a third do not believe that "inappropriate sexual acts directed at older people" or "pushing, hitting, or beating an older person" or taking money from their bank account without permission count as abuse (via).

"Our polling shows that while people know that abuse of older people is a problem in the UK today, there’s a complete disconnect between awareness of the issue and a true understanding of the role we all play in preventing abuse."
Richard Robinson

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photograph by Tony Ray-Jones via

Only in England

Tony Ray-Jones (1941-1972) was an English photographer, or rather, "a social anthropologist with a camera". He photographed English rituals of Eton boarding school, beauty contests, pop festivals, the street, and the seaside (via).

Intrigued by the eccentricities of English social customs, Tony Ray-Jones spent the latter half of the 1960s travelling across England, photographing what he saw as a disappearing way of life.
Science Media Museum

"My aim is to communicate something of the spirit and the mentality of the English, their habits and their way of life, the ironies that exist in the way they do things, partly through their traditions and partly through the nature of their environment and their mentality. For me there is something very special about the English 'way of life' and I wish to record it from my particular point of view before it becomes Americanised and disappears."
Tony Ray-Jones




"In his photographs, the recent English past does indeed seem like another country, but one that, for all the strangeness he captures, remains oddly familiar."
Martin Parr




- photographs via and via and via and via and via and via
- more photographs: LINK

Beef & Country of Origin Effect

The country of origin effect refers to consumers' bias against imports due to ethnocentrism ("tendency of giving the superior value to things from one's own group and rejecting those of the outgroups") or patriotism tendency. The bias, however, can also be reversed and refer to a favourable image improving the evaluation and increasing the acceptance of foreign imports. Country of origin image, i.e., consumers' perception about a country's people, development standards and the general quality of products can enhance preferences for imports.
The country of origin label is a very particular label that implies more than just the information where the product comes from. It can also provide information on food safety as regulations differ from country to country (British consumers, for instance, prefer beef not treated with hormones and may be reluctant to buy beef from countries where cattle is given growth hormones). For ethnocentric, patriotic consumers with national pride, the label symbolises "the appropriateness, indeed morality, of purchasing foreign-made products". The country of origin label has a strong effect on highly patriotic consumers which is also the reason why the label is sometimes discussed as a "barrier to trade" (Meas, 2014).



According to various studies, consumers prefer domestic beef across EU member states and are willing to pay higher prices. The UK is one of the largest beef importing countries in the EU and British consumers show a clear preference for domestic versus imported beef - in general. In particular, stronger preference against imports is found among consumers with patriotic sentiment toward their home country. And, the better the country of origin image, the more likely consumers are to choose imported beef (Meas, 2014).



- Meas, T. (2014). The effects of country of origin image and patriotism on consumer preference for domestic versus imported beef. Kentucky: Thesis
- photographs (Glyndebourne, 1967 and A Day at Richmond Park, 1967) by Tony Ray-Jones (1941-1972) via and via

"For me there is something very special and rather humorous about the English way of life and I wish to record it from my particular point of view before it becomes more Americanised". Tony Ray-Jones