Unit 3 Area of Study 2Australian Cultural Communities

“The meaning and potential of national culture”

A nation is an independent country that operates with its own set of laws

National culture is constructed by laws and history e.g. a shared culture with previous generations, or a

cultural heritage A British Anglo-Saxon heritage has shaped our

national culture for a long time Why is Ned Kelly still an icon of Australian national

culture? Pretend you’re backpacking around the world. How

would you describe Australia’s national culture to strangers during your travels? Refer to the ‘Booze and the larrikin: an ugly mix’ article if you

get stuck.

People identify as members of a nation This is their national identity

National identity is a way members of a nation separate themselves from other nations

◦ Not at a conscious level (e.g. state system – laws) but it’s in the peoples unique history as they recognise it as being important

Australia has a “soft” national identity as we are not totally politically independent

◦ We are slowly getting rid of our dependence on Britain, but are we replacing it with dependence on the USA?

Symbols of Australian national identity include the beach, thongs, “g’day”, etc◦ What do these symbols represent?

Australian national values are thought to include democracy, individualism, tolerance, capitalism, welfare state, mutual obligation, secularism, personal achievement, egalitarianism, mateship (symbolic from WWI and WWII), private property, and a ‘fair go’ (opportunities and support for early settlers)◦ What do all these things mean? Can you think of

examples of each?

Rank the values on the previous slide in order of importance to you

Identify other important values that may be missing◦ Refer to the ‘Shared civic values can unite

cultures’ handout if you get stuck

An AC Neilson/Age poll on October 10, 2006 identified the most important Australian values as: 27% - Freedom of Speech 25% - Tolerance of different religions and cultures 21% - A ‘fair go’ 17% - Respect for democracy and parliament 08% - Mateship

A 2006 Roy Morgan survey found that 91% of respondents thought a ‘fair go’ was an important Australian value.

◦ Read the ‘A Fair Australia’ handout then argue whether you think a ‘fair go’ is a true reflection of Australian identity.

What does this ad suggest about what it means to be Australian?

Now look at the political cartoons What do they suggest about Australia? Annotate them to identify the literal and

figurative meanings

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia which is celebrated annually on the 26th of January.

It commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, the hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia.◦ It does not represent the Federation of Australia which

occurred on the 1st of January 1901 (when the Constitution of Australia came into force and the colonies collectively became states of the Commonwealth of Australia)

How should Australia Day be celebrated?◦ Storyboard a 30-second Australia Day ad that

includes references to:◦ Material culture: physical artifacts and objects◦ Non-material culture: abstract creations◦ The “Australian way of life” according to the

government’s ‘Values Statement’, ‘Pledge of Commitment’.

What do the official Australia Day ads suggest about Australian national culture?

Now consider the views of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples towards January 26 1788 as Day of Mourning (1938), Invasion Day (1988) and Survival Day◦ For background information refer to the articles

‘Tough year ahead will test what it means to be Australian’, ‘A better future starts with knowledge about indigenous history’ and ‘Look to the future for an Australian Day date’

How does the media represent Australian national culture?

Complete the ‘Advertising’ handout to explore how the media can construct images in particular ways to convey meaning

Assimilation◦ The process in which a minority group adopts the

values and patterns of behaviour of a dominant group, ultimately becoming absorbed by the dominant group

◦ The assimilated culture is a homogenous group◦ It is more difficult where visible signs (eg, clear-cut

distinctions of ‘colour’) form the basis of the original division

Integration◦ Similar to assimilation but recognises individual

cultures and languages and aims to blend the different cultures into the mainstream

◦ However, the national culture is changed subtly in the process

Does Australia have a single national culture?◦ In groups or on your own, use the graphic

organiser to explore arguments for and against whether you think Australia has a single national culture◦ Where possible try to use quotes, statistics or other

evidence including sociological theory

‘Single’ is interpreted as mono, meaning monoculture, and there is more than one cultural group in Australia

If the whole nation accepts and adheres to multiculturalism then multiculturalism is the ‘single’ national culture But this is not currently supported by government policy, as the

last multicultural policy expired in 2006 Additionally, the Howard government changed the citizenship

test to be taken in English-language only Christian beliefs are entrenched in parliament, courts of

law and schools, however citizens are free to practice any religious belief But we don’t actually run cultures parallel; they are an ‘overlay’

to a single set of values – democracy, equality, English as the national language, etc

Write definitions of the following terms in your glossary:◦ Australian national values◦ National culture◦ National identity