Pingpongpom

What is it, and why is it exclusive to Australians?

According to David Koch (and most other media monkeys) Australians have this mateship thing going on. The rest of the world doesn't... apparently

Vash the Stampede

Click here and have a bit of a read. There's a small section on mateship about a third of the way down.

IMHO Australian mateship is a mutual recognition of equality in a classless society; a form of ultimate egalitarianism in which everyone is accepted as your equal and your friend.

Some believe that it has its origins in the penal colonies upon which our nation was built. Click here for some examples of convict mateship.

Speaking for myself, I like the way John Howard once put it during a speech at Australia House in London:
Amen.

jad n rich

Modern day australia might have moved on singe the war tho vash according to the sunday paper one in 5 aussies are moving cause they find their neighbours behaviour so appaling :scared:

My take on aussie mateship, harmless, you get proud people from any race, not just australia, look at italians, canadians, americans, greeks, lebs, indians, you could fill a page, all very proud. Only annoying ones and australia has quite a few, the best in the world mob or lucky country mob, who have never been overseas or in some cases out of the state, aus and USA have something in similar there.

jad n rich

David kock was that

MartinLuther

Mateship is sort of a watered down version of Patriotism found in the US (thankfully). There is definitely a strong feeling of mateship here (as well as the fair go) but to claim it as a uniquely Australian virtue is as wrong as the Brits claiming they have a uniquely sarcastic/ironic sense of humour.

It is worth noting that in modem Australia mateship is not always as strong as the sporting competitive spirit; as Sally Robbins found out a couple of years ago http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/conte...4/s1183326.htm

thebears

Guess you have to experience it to know/believe and appreciate it.

I know there is more to Australian/New Zealand mateship than simple patriotism found in other countries. But with the influence of recent arrivals (past 15 years) it is not as evident as it once was.

I have a very close family member who is a professor of Sociology and has been involved in a recent study of this with comparisons to the residents of the Shetland Islands.

Kiwi

MartinLuther

Are there any preliminary results?

thebears

Its year 3 of a 5 year study

Pingpongpom

I have experienced the things that have been mentioned, but it wasnt in connection with an Australian or Kiwi. French to be exact
That is why i question the exclusivity of it. Other people, and other nations, have millions of stories just the same as those associated with "mateship" in the Australian context. I don't feel it IS unique to them.

I will also confess now, that i am married to an Australian, who agrees with me.

phoenixinoz

.......and all his mates have emigrated

thebears

It appears during times of "common" strife and stressful environments ie war, extreme weather, being stuck underground etc.

Ozzie and Kiwi experiences in Singapore, North Africa and Gallopoli are however a very good example especially for Vash and myself to relate too. Does the beaches of Dunkirk ring a bell for anyone? or the London bombings of the 2nd world war?

Pingpongpom

My point enitrely. So i guess all nations have mateship, they just havent stuck a label on it.

BadgeIsBack

Agreed, especially about the humour. There are so many Brits who seem to think they are the only ones that are scarcastic/ironic. They're also the ones who seem to get bullied the most and go home claiming that the TV is crap, the papers are one-eyed - serously! Its a common theme - has anyone else noticed this? All underlines my general point that an innate ability to get on, and understand a variety of people is the most important thing for a migrant - anywhere.

(I'm not picking on you Mr PingPongPom lol).

I happen to think that mateship of a particular intensity is found on sportsteams, elite teams, military the world over but that that culture is definitely understood by the Aussie male, even outside those areas. But they're not the only ones(!) Aussies have stuck a label on it because they like to think it happens *more often than not*, even outside times of strife, and given the percieved 'laid back' nature of Australia it is therefore considered a 'positive' and 'homegrown' thing.

I also think there is a particular 'flavour' of it in Australia and that is really what mateship means - for Australians.

Also that is it considered so 'important' is very much their right, and their perogative.

thebears

?? Do you stop being a mate because you are on the other side of the world? Perhaps you need them to find out.......

phoenixinoz

Funny....hilarious