"I think now most people do it, a process aided by online source comparisons." Chris. And you think this was a good thing Chris?

This is an example of how a great & unique culture has been destroyed by being asked to accept far too many migrants, far too quickly, swamping what had developed to the best of all cultures ever.

There is no longer such a thing as an Ozzie identity, & we are much poorer for that.

Chris,

The Coles Gift Card is valued at $24.99 so you will miss out if you hold out for $25.

Hang in there, your chance will come one day.

We used to have standardised assimilationist views
of what it meant to be "Australian". Today that's
contested with the acceptance of diversity and choice
over all aspects of lifestyle, culture, and religion.
Multiculturalism as an official government policy has
led to the imagining of a multiplicity of identities
in Australia.

Anyone of us could describe ourselves with a multitude
of different identities. Those identities may be
cultural, ethnic, religious, gendered, class-oriented or
ideological. They are as varied as our imagination.
Yes there is a prominent language and the political and
cultural institutions that govern Australia
are absolutely critical to keeping harmony
and tolerance.

Within an institutional framework that preserves tolerance
and protects order we can celebrate and enjoy diversity in
food, in music, in religion, in language and culture.
But we could not do that without the framework which
guarantees to enjoy diversity.
In today's Australia - the religious,
cultural, and ethnic complexity of our
society is particularly diverse.

In the midst of this diversity - there is an elusive
"national identity" Can it still be described from
an Anglo-Celtic male viewpoint? Most of us would say no.
Sure we have our national symbols and national cultural
stereotypes - that we all recognise as being "Australian".
But a "national identity"? as such is probably an invention.

Foxy,

We are all Asian now.

Any overseas visitors to Australia will tell you that. If you cannot see it, they can tell you.

We are now all the product of the great Asianisation program (aka Multiculturalism) of the past four decades.

Dear Jack,

One suggestion for you.

Instead of having interviews via SKYPE - why not
have it via ordinary telephone instead, where the
identity of the person remains anonymous. After
all what you want is only answers to your questions.
You'd get a better response from people most of
whom would probably
prefer to remain anonymous.

Just a thought.

Jack,

What field are you doing your research in? Sociology? Anthropology?