"A Fair Go and Taking the Piss"

Today, I attended a session provided to the graduate students of Uni Melb about Australian cultural values.  The whole time I've been here, I've been trying to put my finger on what makes Australian culture different from American culture.  The place sure feels different and goes about life a bit different, yet it's still a part of western culture and is maybe what you'd call our sibling from mother England.  However, whereas our allegiance to the crown ended centuries ago, Australia is still a commonwealth of the UK; the Queen of England is the head of state (this was a bit shocking to me).

As just a run through for the sake of time, here are the values mentioned at the session.  The value is followed by an Australian turn of phrase meant to illustrate each value:

Egalitarianism - "a fair go"

Anti-authoritarianism - "tall poppy syndrome"

Self-reliance - "no whinging"

Practicality - "give it a go"

Informality - "no worries"

Multiculturalism - "everyone belongs"

Humor - "taking the piss"

I'll just touch on two of the values in the interest of time.  In describing the egalitarian nature of Australia, the speaker provided this quote by Francis Adams, circa 1880s: "This is a true republic, the truest, as I take it, in the world.  In England, the average man feels that he is inferior, in America that he is superior: in Australia he feels that he is equal."  Australia prides itself on the myth of mateship, the idea that your "mates" will do anything for you and you for them.  You need your mates and rely on each other to help you survive the Outback, and the other harsh aspects of the extreme country.  Many Australians also expect and dream of the "quarter-acre block" which is akin to the American dream of a front yard with a white picket fence.  With your mates and a quarter-acre block, life is grand.  All Australians are entitled to these things and they make up part of the Australian way of life.

Australian humor also interested me because of the turn of phrase paired with it.  I'd never heard the phrase, "taking the piss" in my life.  Australians like to have a bit of a go at you sometimes, because they never like to take themselves too seriously and feel you shouldn't either.  If someone is starting to take his or her self too seriously or talking a bit like they know it all, Australians might "take the piss" out of them with a few jabs at their ego.  They also are willing to take the jabs themselves.  "Taking the piss" is a gesture to show you don't take life too seriously and won't get all upset if life isn't perfect or exactly as you lined it out to be.  It's meant to be in good fun, but it reinforces the idea not to take yourself too seriously.  The speaker said that Americans have a hard time with this aspect of Australian culture because it can be a bit off putting especially to a nation that is very proud, a bit naive sometimes, and take themselves very seriously (we're the greatest country in the world, right?).  But no worries, mate.  It's all in good fun.  She'll be right.