Country's customs and cultures
Greeting
men greeting Men – A firm handshake is common in formal and business situations. A simple nod of acknowledgment works in less formal situations.
women greeting Women – A handshake is common in formal and business situations. A nod of acknowledgment is common in less formal situations and between good friends and family a single kiss on the cheek tends to be the norm.
greetings between Men and Women –A handshake tends to be the norm for formal and business situations. A nod of acknowledgment is common in less formal situations and between good friends and family a single kiss on the cheek tends to be the norm.
communication style
Australians are known to be very direct and to the point. Honesty is appreciated and expected.
Humor plays a big role in communication. In general, people like teasing and joking
during conversation.
Arrogance is looked down upon heavily. It’s best to stay humble and
modest.
Personal space and touching
roughly an arm’s length of personal space is generally acceptable during conversations. with friends or family it may be less.
with business colleagues an arm’s length would be a minimum requirement, any closer
could be deemed inappropriate, especially between colleagues of the opposite
sex.
Touching is generally kept to a minimum during conversations.Between
friends and family, light touching to emphasize a point or show closeness is
more common. As a general rule, shoulders, upper-arms and elbows are considered
safe non sexual touching
zones.
Eye contact
Direct eye contact is acceptable and expected.
Avoiding someone’s eyes during conversations is usually viewed as disrespectful and rude.
While eye contact is preferred for those of the dominant culture, Aboriginal
people do NOT make eye contact. In fact, a lack of eye contact is a mark of
respect. This has big implications for the employability of Aboriginal people,
and it's important for non-Indigenous people to be aware of this.
Gender issues
Australia is a mostly egalitarian society when it comes to gender. Opportunities
for women are varied and available.Women hold positions of power in various arenas.
On social occasions or dating, people "split the bill." If you are invited
to the movies, expect to pay for yourself. Rarely will a car door be opened for
a female, but if it is, it is polite to lean over and open the driver door from
the inside, but this is less common now because of keyless entry systems.
Law and order
The legal drinking age is 18 and readily enforced.
Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in are severe, and
convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
Culture and Customs of different ethnicitiesThe Butchulla people are the indigenous people of Fraser Island. Today, Butchulla people still live on Fraser Island, although in smaller numbers than they did before colonization. Young Butchulla people proudly and enthusiastically embrace their culture—learning language, dance, and art sharing experiences; and teaching younger children. They are active in preserving both their culture and their land Butchulla language almost disappeared early in the 20th century when missionaries and government forbade its use. However, Butchulla culture did not die, and was passed to each generation by parents and elders. Remnants of language, carefully recorded during the 1930s, form the basis of modern-day Butchulla language. It is kept alive through song, story telling and school language programs. This dance is about wuruma (the bird known as brahminy-kite) who taught the Butchulla a very important fishing law—when djilgar (the black wattle tree) starts flowering, the diamond scale mullet is coming through. From wuruma, the Butchulla learnt never to hunt the first school of fish when the season starts. Wuruma never starts diving until that first school of fish has gone past because they are scouts searching for danger—if they don’t return to the rest of the school, the fish will swim back out to deep water and not return for a couple of years. After that first school of fish goes past, wuruma starts diving, which lets the Butchulla know it’s time to go fishing. All the way through that season, there will be plenty of fish.Even when language was forgotten, culture lived on through artwork. Art and language are often combined in illustrated books.
Artists work with schools and communities on murals and mosaics. A main focus is teaching art to their own children.
Land, sea and animals are common themes by Butchulla artists who employ both traditional and contemporary methods to express their heritage—acrylic, ochre, bone carvings, clay, ceramics, print and wood burning.
men greeting Men – A firm handshake is common in formal and business situations. A simple nod of acknowledgment works in less formal situations.
women greeting Women – A handshake is common in formal and business situations. A nod of acknowledgment is common in less formal situations and between good friends and family a single kiss on the cheek tends to be the norm.
greetings between Men and Women –A handshake tends to be the norm for formal and business situations. A nod of acknowledgment is common in less formal situations and between good friends and family a single kiss on the cheek tends to be the norm.
communication style
Australians are known to be very direct and to the point. Honesty is appreciated and expected.
Humor plays a big role in communication. In general, people like teasing and joking
during conversation.
Arrogance is looked down upon heavily. It’s best to stay humble and
modest.
Personal space and touching
roughly an arm’s length of personal space is generally acceptable during conversations. with friends or family it may be less.
with business colleagues an arm’s length would be a minimum requirement, any closer
could be deemed inappropriate, especially between colleagues of the opposite
sex.
Touching is generally kept to a minimum during conversations.Between
friends and family, light touching to emphasize a point or show closeness is
more common. As a general rule, shoulders, upper-arms and elbows are considered
safe non sexual touching
zones.
Eye contact
Direct eye contact is acceptable and expected.
Avoiding someone’s eyes during conversations is usually viewed as disrespectful and rude.
While eye contact is preferred for those of the dominant culture, Aboriginal
people do NOT make eye contact. In fact, a lack of eye contact is a mark of
respect. This has big implications for the employability of Aboriginal people,
and it's important for non-Indigenous people to be aware of this.
Gender issues
Australia is a mostly egalitarian society when it comes to gender. Opportunities
for women are varied and available.Women hold positions of power in various arenas.
On social occasions or dating, people "split the bill." If you are invited
to the movies, expect to pay for yourself. Rarely will a car door be opened for
a female, but if it is, it is polite to lean over and open the driver door from
the inside, but this is less common now because of keyless entry systems.
Law and order
The legal drinking age is 18 and readily enforced.
Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in are severe, and
convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
Culture and Customs of different ethnicities
Artists work with schools and communities on murals and mosaics. A main focus is teaching art to their own children.
Land, sea and animals are common themes by Butchulla artists who employ both traditional and contemporary methods to express their heritage—acrylic, ochre, bone carvings, clay, ceramics, print and wood burning.