Who is a British?

"Who is a British?" is a basic question about British identity and considerations of British self-identification. The question pertains to ideas about the personhood of those living in the Commonwealth, which have cultural, linguistic, political, genealogical, and personal dimensions. Since the late 20th century, the exploration and proliferation of Britishness became directly associated with a desire to define, sustain or restore a homogeneous British identity or allegiance to the realms, prompting debate. Sociologists claim that the ethnic groups of Great Britain began to assume a "layered" identity—to think of themselves as simultaneously British but also Scottish, Australian, Kiwi, Canadian, Maltese, English, and/or Welsh. Nevertheless, it remains a highly controversial topic, as there are many ethnic groups who generally feel excluded from the British identity, those being the Scottish, Maltese, Welsh and Cornish.