You know how it goes. Weโre a country of laid-back larrikins. Weโre a quirky mob who question authority, love giving the Establishment the middle finger and always question the status quo.-From the article
I remember way back in the 1970s, writing a report about the ethos of mateship etc.
My own belief is it came about because of the make up of society back in the early days.
Most of the convicts came from poverty, then many of the early settlers came over because of grinding poverty in their own areas.
If you read a book called 'Framework of poverty', it is really interesting as it lays out some of the attributes valued amongst different classes. Humour/physical fighting to resolve conflict, those are more likely to be valued amongst those brought up in poverty.
It's not a sure thing in every case, just a general guide.
So the larrikin with the sense of humour may well have been looked up to in the past. Paul Hogan rose to fame on just that sort of image. Some Australians might have had nostalgic feelings about that image.
But times change. We haven't really been that sort of society for over 150 years now. Why would anyone expect it? We're one of the most urbanised, multi cultural societies in the world.
As for the article, it is a bit weird. Why on earth would the author associate larrikinism with the introduction of pill testing?
He says today's society is 'conservative'. I have news for him. He's behind the times. Why does he think the irish orphan girl scheme from the late 1840s was so very unpopular here and stopped after only 2 years?
it's because of the rise of the conservative middle class here who deeply objected to any association with lawlessness or the dregs of society as they called them.
