Australian National Identity

Identity is often constructed based on affiliations with particular groups. When one identifies with a group, one mimics the perceived qualities of that group (Swann, Jetten, Gomez, Whitehouse & Bastian, 2012). For Indigenous Australians, they may conform to the above negative stereotypes partly because of how they are represented in the dominant culture. Forrest notes that dominant cultural perspectives bombard Indigenous Australians (Forrest, n.d.). Therefore, prevailing negative stereotypes and conformity with those stereotypes can be attributed to the dominant culture.

Given the diversity of Australia and the increase in multiculturalism, the definition of the true Australian identity has changed over time. However, I believe the two main characteristics

Sport in Australia has grown increasingly important from 1945 to the present day as more traditional sports soon expanded into a wider variety of sports with many factors contributing to this change. As a result of the war, many men wanted membership opportunities to sporting clubs to reinforce the bonding of mateship they gained during the war. As well as Australian men getting more involved in sports, migrants from European countries started arriving in Australia, they also brought with them an interest in sports and in particular soccer. As the growing popularity of soccer was introduced it increased interest in more cultures to build clubs originating from their own country impacting on Australia’s multicultural upbringing. From the 1970s

The concept of being a ‘nation of immigrants’ is at the center of Australian identity.

How a country is designed and subsequently populated will have an indelible impression on the joint psychology of that country's population. The people's understanding of themselves as a country will also affect how that nation presents itself to the rest of the world. Much of this will have to do with the country's concepts of nation, nationalism, and community. A nation is a socially-constructed concept dealing with the country itself as well as the population in the lands of that country. Nationalism, on the other hand, is a political principle which deals with the joint consciousness of that nation, including their shared targets of antagonism and satisfaction (Gelner 2006). All countries are affected by their concepts of nation and nationalism, and also by their sense of constancy and community. The history of any given nation will have an indelible impact on the way that the nation constructs itself and develops in the present and also into the future. This is particularly true of a nation which has a history filled with negative perception and has tried to evolve from that primary function. Every nation will invariably develop a unique culture which will be born of the ethnicity and religion of the people who inhabit a given community. Australia has become linked to the concept of an imagined community. Social critic Benedict Anderson coined this phrase by defining an imagined community as one in which there is not innate sense of

The Australian of the Year Award is still a relevant representation of the 21st century Australian. Each year our nation celebrates the achievement and contribution of eminent Australians through the Australian of the Year Awards by profiling leading citizens who are role models for us all. They inspire us through their achievements and challenge us to make our own contribution to creating a better Australia. In this essay, I argue that the Australian of the Year Award is bound up with our sense of nationhood and presents the best of Australian qualities, there is no such thing as a ‘real’ Australian and the Australian image is still relevant, nobody is marginalised through the Australian of the Year Award, it is so much more than just a pat on the back, and most

Since British arrival, Aboriginal people have experienced marginalisation and extreme disadvantage within Australian society. Urban-based Aboriginal people, even more than those living in remote communities, have been subject to the impact of racism and discrimination on self-identity. Nonetheless, many urban-based Aboriginal people proudly identify with their Aboriginality, asserting their identity. In this case study, I will examine the identity of Aboriginal Australian’s, comparing this construction from the time period of colonisation in Australia to the current time period in Australia. Perhaps the most salient features of this construction are the impact of Australian colonisation, along with the effects of the Stolen Generation.

The Australian identity is progressively constructed through political and societal ideologies that have shaped views on morality, race, character, values and religion (Cousins, 2005). The genesis of an Australian identity dates back to the white settlement, where culture was dominantly influenced and controlled by an Anglo-Saxon heritage and harsh circumstances due to terrain and climate (Moran, 2011). Thus, physical rigorousness, mateship and the capability to endure hardship were foundational in the development of identity (Baum & Butler, 2014). Mono-racialism in mainstream media has become a paramount realisation amongst minority groups in society (Aquilia, 2001). ABC program, ‘The Drum’, demonstrated the lack of non Anglo-Saxon actors

A sense of national identity was a vision that was need for the creation of the Australian nation. The vision of a national identity created a sense of belonging to a group of people and sharing values and other characteristics such as language. The growth in national pride developed through groups in Australian society such as the Heidelberg School and the Bulletin magazine. Art and literature were giving the Colonists an identity, united by Australian motifs and

(Our Sunshine P90)further has an effect on how other nations see us and how we see ourselves.

Good morning/afternoon ladies and gentlemen today I’m going to be informing you all about how migrants have contributed to Australia’s identity and culture since the post war period. Shaping Australia, each one of us could define ourselves with multiple of diverse identities. These identities can be seen as outlining us, as people, and may be cultural, ethnic, religious, gendered, or ideological. Throwing it back to the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Australian government committed to a strong and sustained immigration program. The purpose of this ambitious program was to encounter Labour shortages, look after Australia from outside danger and create prosperity.

Australian national identity is a changing view, shaped by the attitudes and values of its citizens, its relationships through trade and alliances with neighbouring countries, the composition of Australia’s society and the rights and freedoms of all Australians. Through Australia’s history during the federation and through to current times our national identity has evolved quite significantly and has come to appreciate what once was frowned upon.

Today, the idea of diversity and Superdiversity have challenged what is known as ‘identity’. Bloomaert argues there is a “transition from “diversity” to “superdiversity,” a diversification of diversity due to changes in migration patterns worldwide. People from more places now migrate to more places, causing unprecedented forms of social and cultural diversity especially in the large urban centers of the world (for an early appraisal” (Bloomaert. J p.1, 2013). This challenges the notion of the ‘Australian identity’. With many new or ‘other’ cultures now calling Australia home, it has changed what is meant to be Australian. As mentioned above, 50 years ago Australia was known as a White Caucasian populace. The 2003 census found that more than

focus on the history of white Australians and the constant presence of this white Australianness

You might disagree with this, as the majority of Australian’s describe our identity as compassionate and true mateship. Although, really the media portrays our national identity as a multicultural mix-mash of the British, frequently racist and low class stereotypes. The media has always done this as they only show on screen drug scandals, racism, violence and stereotypical baloney which apparently describes us Australians. We don’t just see this, the whole world does. I don’t think we all want to live in a country that represents us as bigots, do you?