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What is the Australian 'culture'? (2 Viewers)

Will Shakespear

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This.
Any culture we do possess appears to just be a bastardised/mutated version of pommy culture.
pretty much

that's nothing to be ashamed of though; we're lucky our legal system and government is based on the british one, rather than some other system
 

Raven3333

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Ok we're always talking about how we should deport all Muslims and immigrants who don't assimilate into our society and culture, however, what can we define our culture as?

What IS the Australian culture?

Discuss.

Hard question below are some things I think australian culture encompases:

-Beach culture
-Sports
-Relaxed persona as a nation
-Food (BBQ, corn on the cob etc)
-Teenage binge drinking (Don't shoot me it's true)
-Fucking retards in state government

After saying all that I have to add Australian culture borrows the culture from many other countries and mashes it into something unique.
 

alexp01

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-Beach
-Laid back attitude
-Willing to give everyone a fair chance if they're willing to take it, integrate and become an 'aussie' *
-Beaches
-Cold Beers
-Mateship
-Equality
-Kangaroos, Koalas etc
-The Outback
-Sports
-Taking the piss out of poms as a hobby

..If I was asked to name a country from just looking at that list, Australia would come straight to mind, because there's no other place on earth that has all that. So yes, Australia does have its own unique culture;)


Similarities with British culture are

-Love of Beer
-Good Pubs. No one else in the world has the same concept apart from maybe New Zealand etc.
-Sporting rivalry with Cricket and Rugby.
-Same language
-Same legal system
-Same history
-Loads of Britons have family in Oz and vice versa

Both cultures are quite similar but at the same time just so different.
 
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-Beach
-Laid back attitude
-Willing to give everyone a fair chance if they're willing to take it
-Beaches
-Cold Beers
-Mateship
-Equality
-Kangaroos, Koalas etc
-The Outback
-Sports

..If I was asked to name a country from just looking at that list, Australia would come straight to mind, because there's no other place on earth that has all that. So yes, Australia does have its own unique culture;)
this
 

SashatheMan

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Reminds me of a joke.

Q)What is the difference between Australia and yogurt?



A) The yogurt has culture.
 

loquasagacious

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Ok we're always talking about how we should deport all Muslims and immigrants who don't assimilate into our society and culture, however, what can we define our culture as?

What IS the Australian culture?

Discuss.
HSC Society and Culture project? Or a different course? I forget what you crazy kids study these days....
 

Iron

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Our most unique quality is egalitarianism, or mateship; the notion that we're all equal and entitled to a decent, relatively classless life. It is spawned from our blokey convict (and, it must be said, Catholic) beginnings and sharpened through various struggles against a hostile land, whether it be the wild bush, arid interior, death-infested beach, nearby orientals, Gallipoli cove or the Kokoda track.

This foundational pillar has been challenged by our attitudes to race, or more specifically the policy of multiculturalism. Previously, the White Australia Policy made egalitarianism possible - ie, we will exclude cheap foreign labour so that we can afford to pay everyone a fair and minimum 'living wage'. It was basically the Labor Party who gained the political backing to channel these values, upon federation. Although the need to alter the racist assumptions behind this soon became clear enough, what we failed to do was ensure that immigrants assimilated to this culture, with its unique community closeness.

By giving up on attempts to make migrants fit the culture of 'sameness', the very foundation of egalitarianism was eroded. Now we dont have a clear understanding of sameness, but an assumption of differentness. This cultural division has been given endless support from gutless governments. If I know that youre very different from me, not just because you look different, but because you think and act very different too, perhaps even to the point where you would be 'honoured' to exterminate my family and I (or at the very least, steal my job), then how can I consider you a real mate? What interest do I have to help you? I dont even know you. You just come here, arrogantly import all you fucking customs, stink up the street with your dirty ways, bring over the family, the extended family, the friends of the extended family and build yourself a nice little ghetto. You destroy everything my ancestors worked so hard for once they gained their freedom, and you couldnt care less. It's all take, take, take. Youre not mates, youre dirty, greedy, wrecking fucking bastards

We're not bound together in a common struggle anymore. The land is tamed, the cities are untamable, the future is bleak
 
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alexp01

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Our most unique quality is egalitarianism, or mateship; the notion that we're all equal and entitled to a decent, relatively classless life. It is spawned from our blokey convict (and, it must be said, Catholic) beginnings and sharpened through various struggles against a hostile land, whether it be the wild bush, arid interior, death-infested beach, nearby orientals, Gallipoli cove or the Kokoda track.

This foundational pillar has been challenged by our attitudes to race, or more specifically the policy of multiculturalism. Previously, the White Australia Policy made egalitarianism possible - ie, we will exclude cheap foreign labour so that we can afford to pay everyone a fair and minimum 'living wage'. It was basically the Labor Party who gained the political backing to channel these values, upon federation. Although the need to alter the racist assumptions behind this soon became clear enough, what we failed to do was ensure that immigrants assimilated to this culture, with its unique community closeness.

By giving up on attempts to make migrants fit the culture of 'sameness', the very foundation of egalitarianism was eroded. Now we dont have a clear understanding of sameness, but an assumption of differentness. This cultural division has been given endless support from gutless governments. If I know that youre very different from me, not just because you look different, but because you think and act very different too, perhaps even to the point where you would be 'honoured' to exterminate my family and I (or at the very least, steal my job), then how can I consider you a real mate? What interest do I have to help you? I dont even know you. You just come here, arrogantly import all you fucking customs, stink up the street with your dirty ways, bring over the family, the extended family, the friends of the extended family and build yourself a nice little ghetto. You destroy everything my ancestors worked so hard for once they gained their freedom, and you couldnt care less. It's all take, take, take. Youre not mates, youre dirty, greedy, wrecking fucking bastards

We're not bound together in a common struggle anymore. The land is tamed, the cities are untamable, the future is bleak
Getting shipped half-way around the world, away from your family, into the unkown, and to what was then a completely inhospitible land has surely moulded Australian culture into what it is today. I'm not sure about the whole Catholic thing, I'd say Protestantism from the UK, whose foundations are based on the idea of equality, as opposed to Catholocism, has had a bigger impact but yeah, it's not that important.

I do agree that immigration; especially from countries with whom Australia has no historical ties and hence whose culture is based upon contrasting values as ours; seems to have eroded the idea of equality and mateship. The idea of working together towards a common goal, and the idea of belonging is very important I think.

Like Iron said, why would you feel a common connection, a sense of belonging or the idea of working together with someone who couldn't speak English or someone who has no intention of integrating into Australian society, but someone who is just here because it's wealthy and you can get free education/healthcare.

I think that wherever you're from, if you move to Australia, you NEED to integrate and generally become an 'Aussie' like I said before. Whatever that may entail, and that means leaving your old cultural baggage/ideas/percerptions at the door. Which I understand is far easier said than done.

I think it's sad that there are so many problems with some people failing to integrate, but I'd say that it was pretty obvious there was going to be problems when you have two contrasting cultures/ideologies living side by side. It was never going to be plain sailing, but hopefully it will get better, hopefully.
 
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