Its usually a reflection of their upbringing. My parents were both British Army. We were posted all over the place. Apparently that makes me a TCK. My mum and dad came from traditional Leicestershire and East London backgrounds. My mum's dad was in the Home Guard, wasn't allowed to join up, and I think had a more insular background, and genuinely hadn't really met anyone from outside his county, let alone his country, during his formative years. In old age, he would use fairly shocking language, but would think nothing of it. In contrast, my Dad's dad was from East London, which has always been a melting pot. But he was also in the army, and spent 3 years as a FEPOW. Never had a bad word for anyone. I'm not sure how much of that was due to a different upbringing in London; Eastenders very much take people as they come, or because of his army service, where, in his unit, he mixed with people from up and down the country, as well as, in Singapore/Formosa, mixing with Indians, Malay, Aussies, Kiwis and the odd American. I suspect, on reflection, its your formative years (upto, say, age 20) that sets in stone your social attitudes. If someone thought it normal in the mid-70s to call someone a "Gollywog", I suppose its because he came from a family that used such language everyday, and he genuinely doesn't think it caused offence. I'm with you. I called my friends by their name. I was at school 1973-87. I can't believe social attitudes changed that quickly. Because I was an army kid, I wasn't in any particular school for that long, and so my attitudes couldn't have come from teachers brainwashing me. It was all from within the home.
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