Some will no doubt read this and try to jump in and say that I back the policy of Multiculturalism. Well I don't... and that would be disingenuous of them to do so. Mutliculturalism encourages cultural diversity, I prefer encouraging cultural unity. A nation should be united... not divided. Division does not strengthen a society.

No doubt, when I remark on our "Anglo" roots, and that is inevitable, those same people will again jump in and say that proves we have no "Australian" culture... and that it is in fact another distortion of the truth.

One would not say that American culture is English culture, yet the US like Australia had primarily British heritage as it roots. America is not that much older than Australia either so that old flawed argument about us being a young country and having no culture... also holds no water. In fact, no country in the "Anglosphere" has an identical culture. (The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking nations which share historical, political, and ethnocultural characteristics rooted in or attributed to the historical experience of the British people. Primarily; Australia, Britain, Canada, the United States, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.)

Is Australian culture Indian? Canadian? American? South African? etc.... The answer is clearly no. Yet we all share similarities and people from these cultures would find it easier to "fit in" to each others societies because of that sharing.

This brings us to the oft avoided... what is culture?

For the purpose of this piece, I consider the dictionary definition (below) completely appropriate.

cul·ture ( P ) Pronunciation Key (klchr)
n.
a. The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.
b. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population: Edwardian culture; Japanese culture; the culture of poverty.
c. These patterns, traits, and products considered with respect to a particular category, such as a field, subject, or mode of expression: religious culture in the Middle Ages; musical culture; oral culture.
d. The predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the functioning of a group or organization.

Australian culture then would be those aspects and characteristics that have developed on the Australian continent and those in a form readily distinguishable from other National cultures. It would also therefore be the dominant culture of Australia and also be recognised in various "Australian" stereotypes.

I personally look at Australia as being Bi-Cultural..

We have Australia's "Indigenous" culture and Australia's "Western" culture.

Both are recognised by the majority of Australians as being... Australian. Recognition of this fact ...was displayed to the world at the 2000 Sydney Olympic, opening and closing ceremonies. The dominant culture though, the one seen and recognised world wide as being our national identity would be the Australian "Western" Culture,

Australia's national culture has obviously developed over time... and continues to develop as all cultures do. Australia's Indigenous culture comes primarily from the Aborigines and it's Western culture primarily from the British. Both cultures have over the last 200 years impacted on and shaped each other. Australia's physical lanscape and climate have also impacted on our nation's cultural development

During its formative years, "Australia" was basically a penal colony for British Convicts. These Convicts and many of those that came with them, became the first urban Australians and they subsequently laid todays cultural foundations. They shaped Australia's cultural evolution. For those suffering Anglophobia, and or cultural cringe, there is a stigma attached to our history,one which seems to inspire an obsession with foreign cultures and multiculturalism. They even attempt to deny the past, some high-moral-grounders, and cultural/social snobs, seeing it as a cultural "stain."

In fact our 'umble beginnings, IMO, have had a bigger impact on our culture than many recognise or realise. The Australian culture has historically been one, forged on the hardship of early settlers and later on the heroism of the Australian soldiers. "Mateship", or loyal fraternity, has been a central tenet. Traditionally, Australians have viewed themselves as having an egalitarian society, our obsession with the "fair go" is a direct reaction to the treatment handed handed out to our convict founders, by their "motherland."

The oft cited "tall poppy syndrome" and our disdain for the pompous, egotistical and authoritarian, is also a throwback to our past. Ever wonder why Australians nearly always barrack for the under-dog and not the most favoured?

To some people, the land Downunder, seems indeed to have things completely upside-down.

Australians being Australians, aren't usually aware of the achievements of their academics.... yet they will recognise; sportsmen, dead horses and bushrangers.
They favour humility and show disdain for braggards, here they favour the "quiet achiever"...

Australians aren't that big on ostentatious displays of patriotism, it's usually considered embarassing. They forget the words of their national anthem..... yet it would be wrong to say they are not patriotic.

These are just a few things that people from other cultures find odd and perplexing, but to Australians are completely understandable. Even to those Australians that like to distance themselves from their fellow Australians

Well said.

Dear T800
very well argued mate... I'm on the same page so its a bit hard to say much until the 'multi-cultural nutters' :) jump in and try to slice and dice your reasoned argument.

Not many of us consciously think about the rules of grammer when we speak, but boy oh boy those rules are there, and if we don't use them we are likely to be considered a moron.

Just so is culture. We don't think before we shake hands with a stranger we are introduced to "Ah..stranger...introduction... page 1, chapter 1 of Aussie culture manual."..*SHAKE HANDS*.....

Nope..we just 'live' it. Deconstructing all our learned social ques and listing them is quite a business, as we learnt them by imitation.

I totally welcome this debate and rejoice that more and more people are beginning to participate.
Cheers

Let's start a horrifyingly idiotic thread in celebration of Facism.

"We must strengthen our society!"

But why? Do you feel powerless and weak?

"We must unite!"

Against who? To what end?

"Strenght through unity!" You might chant.

"You espouse a sick and twisted ideology" I will say as I'm hauled away to be murdered by the State.