Diversity Q & A

Is there a dominant culture in Australia?

Donna

There are at least two ways to answer this.  Firstly, is there a dominant culture like Christianity?  In this regard I think of Australia as multicultural, except on days like the lead up to Christmas.  On those days, when there is so much emphasis on Christmas, I can feel that Christianity is very much the dominant culture, and I can feel a little like an outsider, or at least that something big is going on in my country, which has nothing to do with me.  Jews do not celebrate Christmas, even though it is fun to celebrate Christmas with my Christian friends.

The second way to answer the question is to consider whether Australia has a particular culture, a way of life and being that is specific to Australia.  In this regard, I think Australia has a culture of friendliness, with freedom to express and do what we want and one that sees everyone as equal.