National Identity

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My Name is Benjamin vanderLoos, I am currently studying Bachelor of Education (Graduate Entry) (Secondary), my majors are Studies Of Society and Environment and Information Technology and I will be completing at the end of 2008. I have already completed a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Information Technology (Network and Systems Administration).

The aims for when I start teaching is help students discover a whole new world in Information and Communication Technology. Computers are the way of the future and a vaulable to Australia's society.

This inquiry unit has been designed for stages 1 & 2 in Australian. Through the topics of Studies of Society and Environment (Australian Studies and Australian History) and incorporating Information and Communication Technology to assist with the learning process, students will gain a stronger understanding of what it means to be Australian. Students will critically analyses they way historians, politicians and images of Australia have shaped the way people conceive as our National Identity. Australia's National Identity has been considered to be many different things, such as whiteness, larkism, mateship and other characteristics. Through studies students will understand where the concept of National Identity has come from, why it is important for Australians to have an Identity and where it is going.

Rationale

When shaping the national identity, public intellectuals such as historians, politicians and journalists all have a philosophical point of view according to their analysis of what ought to be a part of Australia’s national identity. National identity has once been considered to be of both attained and constantly redefined, it was once derived from the past, images and stories and yet it is still not been truly discovered[1]. In searching for a national identity in which Australians can be proud of[2], will also analyse the debates of the ‘traditional’ images and characteristics. By examining at how the people discussed have not redefined the national identity in fact more shaped it to include the ever-changing Australia.

Since the turn of the 20^th Century, Australians have been celebrating what it has been to be an Australian. Events like Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Bicentenary Celebrations in 1988 and most recently Centenary of Federation these gave Australians a sense of national pride about them and their country. Even though Australians celebrated being Australian, there has been national debates in defining what makes us Australian. The most common theme to come out about the national identity is that people have not been able to give a clear definition on who is the ‘typical’ Australian. Historians, Politicians and Journalists have all entered into the debate about whom or what symbolises the true Australian. They believe that they can redefine the National Identity, which in fact all they are doing is adding to it
The national identity has gradually become a source of embarrassment than source of national pride[3]. In the many ways, Australian’s have promoted themselves through some of the more traditional images of Australia, which modern Australians are trying to shake off. For example, Prime Minister John Howard hosted a barbecue for visiting President George W. Bush, where he also invited various sportsmen, tycoons, shock jocks and the Crocodile Hunter. The image in which Steve Erwin, the Crocodile Hunter, promotes to the rest of the world is no different to the 80’s image of Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee. This also happens to be a simular image of Ward’s ‘typical’ Australian, “practical Man, rough, ready, in his manners[4]”. If the public intellectuals debate these images as being no longer current, why do people in the spotlight still promote them to the rest of the world? When Australian’s watch shows like “Kath and Kim”, “The Crocodile Hunter” and “Russell Coight's All Aussie Adventures” all produced and screened in Australia and the rest of the world, do they laugh or cry to the type of image they promote? The ability to laugh at one self has become a traditional part of the Australian way of life[5] and when historians find themselves debating the traditional images it gives weight to Australians, International writers and producers to do shows that make light of those images.

[1] Davison, G, “The Oxford companion to Australian history” eds. by Davison, G., Hirst, J. and Macintyre, S with the assistance of Doyle, H. and Torney, K. Melbourne, 2000, p454

[2] Garrett, P (1998). ‘White Skin, Black Heart’. WISER . 5 (1), p14; Latham, M. A big country: Australia's national identity. Australian Labor Party. Retrieved from <http://www.alp.org.au/media/0404/spef11200.php> accessed on 22/09/2004

[3] Campbell, M. ‘Sexy Nation’, The Age, 20 December 2003

[4] Ward, R (1958). The Australian Legend. London: Oxford Press. p 1-2

[5] Williamson, D ‘A richer tapestry of many identities’, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2003

Inquiry Unit Document

Last Modified 11/9/08 12:21 PM