Do Australians consider their culture closer to Britain's or America's?

This is an interesting question. I have worked with quite a few Australians, I have made about a half dozen trips there, but I have never lived there for more than a month at a time. There is a lot about Australia that is still culturally British, but there is a great deal about Australia as well that is very American in a way. There is a lot about Australia that is reflective of the 'new world', 'the European migration' which in some respects makes Australian and American cultures seem similar. Although most Australians perhaps don't want to admit it, but there is also a large American influence, just like there is all over the world. But, for the most part, Australians have there own unique culture; there are things about Australia and Australians that don't exist anywhere else. Except for Canada, the average Americans will adjust to Australian living easier than perhaps any other place including England.

Karma Police wrote:

Sydneysider wrote:

Some examples that come to mind: we don't celebrate Halloween.

Not sure what part of Sydney you're from, but I've seen kids trick or treating in every part of Sydney I've lived.

maybe he's talking about that unique brand of stupidity that is american adults dressing up in costumes to get drunk on 10/31. it is bizarre. congrats to Australian adults if you don't do this.

mothinter wrote:

Given what I know about Aussies I suspect they would hate to say they're closer to either, but I'm wondering if we have any Aussies here who would like to chime in. ???

California is about halfway Australianised, but the rest of the Seppos still have a way to go. For instance, that annoying Valley girl inflection comes from Australia. Also, Californian bushfires are because of eucalypts Aussie diggers introduced 160 years ago. By the time the percentage of young American males in prison reaches 100%, the U.S. will be appropriately terra-australis-formed and ready for the Trans-Pacific Migration.

Based on their folk music and how they pronounce "arse", I think Newfoundland is also pretty well Australianised, or at least they never got corrupted. It's basically a strategy of encirclement from the southwest and northeast. Russell Crowe's being mates with the bloke from Great Big Sea is part of the grand conspiracy, y'know.

Britain plays football mostly with its feet.

America plays football mostly with its hands.

Australia plays football about equally with hands and feet. You can run with the ball, but then some cryptic rule forces you to dribble it like a basketball or kick it, and then if a teammate catches your kick you get a free kick. It is a schizoid mashup of soccer and football that summarizes Australians themselves perfectly. Neither here nor there, weird, different, funny accent, say "mate" way too much.

sunloong wrote:

Russell Crowe's being mates with the bloke from Great Big Sea is part of the grand conspiracy, y'know.

Russell Crowe isn't Australian.

Why aussies are like brits:

1) they have a terrible speech impediment

2) they drive on the wrong side of the road

why aussies are like Americans and Canadians:

1) not every aussie has a gob full of rotten gnashers

2) not every aussie male is gay

3) they like cookouts

Did Crocodile Dundee marry a Brit or an American?

Some examples that come to mind: we don't celebrate Halloween. [/quote]

Not sure what part of Sydney you're from, but I've seen kids trick or treating in every part of Sydney I've lived.[/quote]

Well you clearly have never experienced an American Halloween!! I went to college in the USA so I know how the Americans celebrate Halloween. Yes there are some Australians that go around trick or treating but it is not considered a cultural norm here in Australia. Speak to the majority of Aussies and they will say "we don't celebrate Halloween that's American." In America you come home with a stash of treats, people decorate their houses and gardens. Shops get decorated too- this does not happen in Australia.

I live in Point Piper. I have no idea the areas you have lived/live in, but pretty much all the people I speak to see it as trying to get free lollies.

You have Target and that is pretty much the same thing as Walmart.[/quote]

NO IT IS NOT!!!!

The Australian Target is no where near the size of the American one!!! Firstly, no Aussie Targets have pharmacies in their stores. The range is so much more limited, like, there is not a furniture range like the American Targets. Unless you have been to an Aussie Target store, you cannot seriously say it is pretty much the same as Walmart, because it isn't even close.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Britain plays football mostly with its feet.

America plays football mostly with its hands.

Australia plays football about equally with hands and feet. You can run with the ball, but then some cryptic rule forces you to dribble it like a basketball or kick it, and then if a teammate catches your kick you get a free kick. It is a schizoid mashup of soccer and football that summarizes Australians themselves perfectly. Neither here nor there, weird, different, funny accent, say "mate" way too much.

One of the most popular sports in Australia is rugby league. Britain is virtually the only other country in the world that plays it.

Cricket and rugby union are also very popular in both countries.

Aussie rules is, if anything, closest to gaelic football if that is worth anything.

Australia has great food and wine, just like America.

Australians are closer to the chimpanzee.

Yes you sir! wrote:

The nearest thing to an American biscuit in the English speaking former colonies that were granted independence, is a scone.

Thanks. I was about to ask what a biscuit is to Americans. Also, in Kenya, we use british words like "boot" for the rear compartment of a car, which seems to tickle my American boss. It also took me going to America the first time to discover "chips" are what people in Britain and it's former colonies call "crisps". But American TV is so influential, more and more people are starting to say (french)"fries" especially in American franchises like KFC. I'd assume American TV is making it's own impact in Australia?

Sydneysider wrote:

Some examples that come to mind: we don't celebrate Halloween.

Not sure what part of Sydney you're from, but I've seen kids trick or treating in every part of Sydney I've lived.[/quote]

Well you clearly have never experienced an American Halloween!! I went to college in the USA so I know how the Americans celebrate Halloween. Yes there are some Australians that go around trick or treating but it is not considered a cultural norm here in Australia. Speak to the majority of Aussies and they will say "we don't celebrate Halloween that's American." In America you come home with a stash of treats, people decorate their houses and gardens. Shops get decorated too- this does not happen in Australia.

I live in Point Piper. I have no idea the areas you have lived/live in, but pretty much all the people I speak to see it as trying to get free lollies.[/quote]

East and inner west. Kids dress up and trick or treat. Normally, they only go to houses who have put up balloons or have decorated their houses. Yes, I'd say about 1 in 5-10 do it, and in some streets with lots of kids (say in Bondi) it's a higher percentage.

But it's only that - kids dressed up, and adults only there to acompany the kids.

Point Piper is hardly representative of Sydney living.

You must have missed the reference in your social-studies classes to the British Commonwealth.

The answer is a bit of both. Aussies don't like to admit they're being Americanised, though (and note the "s" in Americanised).

Aussies speak British English, and spell colour with a u. Few play baseball and hardly anyone plays American football.

Australian Rules football is the biggest winter sport in all of Australia except NSW and Queensland, where it's rugby league then rugby union. Soccer/football is played everywhere and is becoming or has become by far the biggest winter sport for girls, few of whom play the other three winter football codes. In summer the biggest sport is cricket by a big margin, depending on where you put swimming and swimmming lessons.

With the higher immigration comes a decreased affiliation with England. There's a push to change the flag, to remove the Union Jack.

American TV is massive - the CSIs, Law & Order, and of course the Dunphies and Pritchetts just visited.

American music is big, even if most of it's garbage compared to British music (Beatles, Stones, Led Zep, Queen, Radiohead, the Who, Coldplay, U2, Pink Floyd etc, no contest).

The bigger cities are extremely multicultural. Sydney and Melbourne have strong links with Italy, Greece, Vietnam, China and many other countries.

30 years ago it would have been compltely different. In another 30, Australia will be a lot less British again than it is now.

Australia is aware that it's part of the world, like England is aware it's part of Europe. The rest of the world often isn't a factor for Americans - I mean, who would run competitive 2 mile races when no one else in the world does? Why would you run 800, but then a mile at championships? I've drifted off topic...

So Australia is becoming less English, but not necessarily more American. More Australian, if anything.

agip wrote:

mothinter wrote:

Thank you! And howdy from the States. No offense at all, and I think the resistance to Americanization is great. Personally I hate to see my own culture flood the world and drown out everyone's native culture. I think Aussies are generally very well liked here in America. We think you're great! Thanks again, mate!

hey, someone try to write a more patronizing paragraph - it'll be like a contest.

I'm ducking out - I don't have the skillz for that kind of high level creative writing.

I agree. Almost hurled my brecky reading that piece of tripe. "I think the resistance to Americanization is great!" Bully!

parochial boy wrote:

Aussie rules is, if anything, closest to gaelic football if that is worth anything.

No, it's not worth anything.

Karma Police summed things up nicely.I will add that I think Australians don't like America (as in the role they play in the world, insular attitude) ie the government, but don't mind or even like Americans. When I have traveled around Europe I have preferred Americans to the English. Americans are more friendly and positive. Some may be surprised to hear this but the English complain every now and then. Actually, I'll coin a phrase here "the whinging pom". Now there's something that may surprise a few.I think except for very rare exceptions, eg the cronulla riots, Australia is far more peaceful than both America and England.To summarise though, I think we know the English better, more links, more of them over here. Australia does not really know America, it's more we know of America. I think Australians would feel more comfortable in London than New York at least initially due to the familiarity. I'd say our culture is uniquely Australian , but is becoming more American than English if I had to say between the two.