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| 'Polite' Britons died on Titanic | 'Polite' Britons died on Titanic |
| (1 day later) | |
| More British passengers died on the Titanic because they queued politely for lifeboats, researchers believe. | More British passengers died on the Titanic because they queued politely for lifeboats, researchers believe. |
| A behavioural economist says data suggests Britons in that era were more inclined to be "gentlemanly" while Americans were more "individualist". | A behavioural economist says data suggests Britons in that era were more inclined to be "gentlemanly" while Americans were more "individualist". |
| Women with children had a 70% better chance of survival than men in such an environment, he told the BBC. | Women with children had a 70% better chance of survival than men in such an environment, he told the BBC. |
| The Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, with the loss of 1,500 lives. | The Titanic sank during its maiden voyage in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, with the loss of 1,500 lives. |
| David Savage, from Queensland University of Technology, studied the disaster to look at how people react in life and death situations. | |
| He said that in testimonies from inquiries in America and Britain just after the event, there were a lot of statements from women saying their husbands put them on lifeboats. The American culture was... a more individualist culture and the British culture was more about the gentlemanly behaviour David Savage,Queensland University of Technology | He said that in testimonies from inquiries in America and Britain just after the event, there were a lot of statements from women saying their husbands put them on lifeboats. The American culture was... a more individualist culture and the British culture was more about the gentlemanly behaviour David Savage,Queensland University of Technology |
| They then "went to the back of the boat to have a cigar, to stand around and be chummy, while basically the boat went down". | They then "went to the back of the boat to have a cigar, to stand around and be chummy, while basically the boat went down". |
| Mr Savage said: "There was one gentleman who was rather wealthy... who went back downstairs after he put his wife on the [life] boat... put on his tuxedo...went back upstairs and smoked... with the idea that if I am going die, I may as well die as a gentleman and well-dressed." | Mr Savage said: "There was one gentleman who was rather wealthy... who went back downstairs after he put his wife on the [life] boat... put on his tuxedo...went back upstairs and smoked... with the idea that if I am going die, I may as well die as a gentleman and well-dressed." |
| 'Peak of society' | 'Peak of society' |
| The "unsinkable" ocean liner went down in freezing Atlantic waters during its voyage from Southampton to New York. As it sank, the captain, Edward John Smith, shouted: "Be British, boys, be British," according to witnesses. FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service | The "unsinkable" ocean liner went down in freezing Atlantic waters during its voyage from Southampton to New York. As it sank, the captain, Edward John Smith, shouted: "Be British, boys, be British," according to witnesses. FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service |
| "The American culture was set up to be a more individualist culture and the British culture was more about the gentlemanly behaviour," Mr Savage says. | "The American culture was set up to be a more individualist culture and the British culture was more about the gentlemanly behaviour," Mr Savage says. |
| "You've got to remember that this is the Edwardian period when to be a gentleman was the peak of society." | "You've got to remember that this is the Edwardian period when to be a gentleman was the peak of society." |
| Mr Savage also concludes that social norms such as "women and children first" were very strong in British culture and survived in such an environment. | Mr Savage also concludes that social norms such as "women and children first" were very strong in British culture and survived in such an environment. |