Print Page | Close Window

does Australia have a culture

Printed From: STIR
Category: + News, Current Affairs & Events
Forum Name: World News & Media Room
Forum Discription: Current affairs stirring the world and the media!
URL: http://stir.org.au/stir/blender/forum_posts.asp?TID=682
Printed Date: 03 September 2010 at 7:34am


Topic: does Australia have a culture
Posted By: outwide
Subject: does Australia have a culture
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 11:55am
what do you guys think does aus. have a culture?


Replies:
Posted By: Jemmaw
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 12:39pm

According to dictionary.com, culture is:

  1. The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.

I think it is impossible for anywhere not to have a culture. Living in Australia, no matter what your background is, you will be influenced by capitalism, fashions, educational institutions.

Multiculturalism is a policy that impacts upon a society's values, and by living in australia you will be influenced by the other cultures, as they are influenced by you. therefore, as a whole, i think we do have one culture, with many subcultures in between.

All 'cultures' have subcultures, there is no one characteristic that you can apply to everyone. there are different cultures within different age groups; eg. people in high school will have a different set of beliefs, behaviour patterns, etc. than someone in a nursing home.

So basically a summary of that is that i think, yes, australia does have a distinctive culture, however there is not one stereotypical individual that can be applied to everyone within this culture.

Does that make sense? sorry if im just blabbing  

Posted By: whiteshadow
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 6:23pm

lol, no that was good and i pretty much argee....

wow, that was really worth writing...

Posted By: Sheyla
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 7:25pm
Sums it up perfectly Jemma!!

Posted By: ames
Date Posted: 16 March 2006 at 12:32am

YES,

Australia does have a culture!!! You did a great job in summing that up Jemmaw.

I am a canadian and I have only been immersed in AUSSIE Culture now for a year and a half. Let me tell you, it is distinct and amazing!! Of course it looks different everywhere in some regard because of all the cultures mixed up.
i am here with a friend(american) and we were chatting about this question. NOW, this ofcourse does not come close to even describing half of what Australia culture is but some of the biggest things we see are
 - business casual, you take care of business but you are very relational.
 - you believe in the underdag and the outcast, "give em a go"
there are many more thing one could say
 
Hmm... let it be encouraging to Aussies, we love it here!!

Posted By: mazzman
Date Posted: 16 March 2006 at 2:09pm
What does everyone think about this whole move to get rid of multiculturalism in australia? personally i think it is COMPLETELY acceptable for australia to demmand that anyone living in this country adheres to its laws and does not do anything to encourage racial violence. It's not like we're asking them to get rid of their culture or dillute it with ours - if they want to stay just the way they are then thats fine but they must live by australian laws. 

Posted By: aidan
Date Posted: 16 March 2006 at 3:41pm

we do, but we've also got an overblown stereotype - kangaroos hopping through the city streets, the whole "gday mate chuck a shrimp on the barbie" thing.

but yes, we've got a culture, albeit one which borrows from many others.

Posted By: butterfly
Date Posted: 16 March 2006 at 5:06pm
as far as the multicultualism thing, soon after that comment was made, i did an interview with a man who was recently released from baxter after fleeing iran. after the interview, i ate my lunch of apricot chicken and rice and flat  bread with a spoon and fork while sitting on the floor. for my friend, it was completely normal. i definately don't think that he should eat at a table because he's in australia now.
besides, if multiculturism was removed totally from australia, we would all have to wear very little and eat goanna that the men had hunted while dancing around, then i'd have to swap my guitar for a digde!

Posted By: Sheyla
Date Posted: 16 March 2006 at 6:54pm

ooooh overblown stereotypes!! GOTTA LOVE EM MATE!!

A girl a grew up with in Croatia now lives in America (and I conveniently came to Australia...)... And when I talk to her or some of her friends, its always a "gday mate" "crickey how you been" hows ur pet kangaroo"... I cant help but laugh and play along...

So far theyre come to realise i DONT have a pet kangaroo... but they still think we all go around talking like Steve Irwin... lol

Posted By: don't_shut_it
Date Posted: 23 March 2006 at 6:17pm
i think taht multicultrulism should still be kept alive! i mean, yea, people comin gto aus should abide bby our laws for sure but that shouldn't mean they have to forget al about thehir past and cultures.
loz

Posted By: sophster
Date Posted: 28 March 2006 at 4:50pm

australia has a culture just like everyplace in the world

i love australia i love the way i feel safe walking around by myself, the way that i can say gnight or gday to ppl on the street and expect a smile in return, the way kids and adults alike can be seen 24/7 playing sport in the park or onthe beach, the way most people are so kind, the way there are so many different nationalities and people all adding something to the beautiful and diverse mix of australia's cuture

i love australia and its cuture


Posted By: jsuam
Date Posted: 28 March 2006 at 5:06pm
sophster i couldnt have said it better!!!!
i LOVE australia and the fact that alot of the stuff we do/say, only aussies will understand!!! have any of you seen the movie priscilla queen of the desert?? that is one of my all time favourite movies coz it SO aussie! im not saying being a crossdresser it typically aussie...lol. but i love that movie to bits!!!
theres a melbourne band called de jah groove and in their songs they sing about all the things i LOVE about australia...the cat empire do the same thing :)
the only thing that makes me ashamed to be an aussie is the govt but not everythings perfect right??

Posted By: sophster
Date Posted: 28 March 2006 at 5:11pm

you should never ever be ashamed of being australian because that is who you are. never ever ever ever ever

you can disagree with the government that is NOTHING to do with being australian

dont ever be ashamed.. k?

Posted By: jsuam
Date Posted: 28 March 2006 at 5:21pm

maybe ashamed was the wrong word....but the govt is usually what a country gets its reputation from and i dont wana be judged because of our govt.

i love being an aussie...i really do. i just hate the govt.

Posted By: Joely
Date Posted: 24 June 2009 at 11:14am
I think one of the most exciting things about Australia is it's unique blend of cultures.
I moved over here from the uk when I was ten, and the culture is so different! i mean the uk is pretty multicultural, but in a really different way. as a really old country, england has a really traditional culture and any other influences come and go and while they might add to the existing culture, the traditional anglo saxon vibe definitely remains the predominant culture. In australia the culture is so ecclectic, and while there are inevitably some clashes, the huge mish-mash makes australia the amazing and exciting place it is!

Posted By: greenscene
Date Posted: 24 June 2009 at 1:04pm
Agreed


Print Page | Close Window