Australian Television Case

What does contemporary Australian television reveal about Australia's national culture(s)? In your response refer to at least one Australian television program that is currently broadcast.

Australian television reveals a lot about the Australian culture, through television shows such as ‘Home and Away’, ‘Neighbours’ and ‘Bondi Rescue’ which portray the “typical” average Australian lifestyle or household.

This essay discovers that Australian television reveals the ‘typical’ Australian however it completely excludes any other race living in Australia which identifies as being ‘Australian’. Referring to ‘Home and Away’, the characters are all ‘white’ which dominantly represent ‘White Australia’. The show does not include ‘non- white’ or other race therefore eliminates the portrayal of Australia being a multicultural society.

Both ‘Home and Away’ and ‘Neighbours’ identify the Australian cultural identity through the setting like the beach lifestyle sun, surf and sea is identified as Australian-ness.

Media plays a vital role in representing a certain culture or cultural identity, Although there are policies that promote cultural diversity in Australia most Australians are entertained by programs and shows that do not reflect the nation’s cultural diversity. The show may then continue to neglect cultural diversity from appearing on the programs in order to get higher rating and gain more viewers.”

Shows such as ‘Neighbours’ and ‘Home and Away’ depicts the stereotype of ‘Australian Culture’ by the settings on the beaches, everyday lifestyle , social values, ideaological outlooks cultural prefences and ‘Australian’ features such as have blond hair and blue eyes. It makes other ‘non-white’ Australians feel like an outcast and constructs a barrier lead by not included Other types of Australians.

‘Home and Away’ mainly features the beaches