Australians show generational shift towards American culture.

10 November 1997

Australians' tastes in television, books, films and music are becoming dominated by American products, according to a new study of cultural trends.

Sociologist Dr Michael Emmison, of the University's Anthropology and Sociology Department, said his research had shown a generational shift towards consumption of cultural products from the United States.

In a national survey of everyday cultural tastes, 2755 Australians were asked about their tastes in film, television, music, literature, newspapers and magazines, the visual arts and design, sport, housing and furniture, fashion and food.

A paper outlining the generational differences will be published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology this month. A full account of the results will be published by Cambridge University Press next year in a book co-authored by Dr Emmison, Professor John Frow from the English Department and Professor Tony Bennett, of Griffith University.

Dr Emmison will also present his findings at theCultural Crossroads conference to be held in Sydney from November 24-26.

From the full sample of respondents to the Australian Everyday Culture Project, Dr Emmison selected three generational groups, 'young adults' aged 18-24, 'baby-boomers' aged 45-49, and the 'older generation' aged 68-80 for the purposes of comparison.

'In three major areas - television, music and literature - young Australians display a preference for programs, musicians and authors from the United States to a far greater extent than Australians in middle age, who in their turn are more disposed to American cultural materials than older Australians,' said Dr Emmison.

The survey asked participants to name their favourite television programs, authors, musicians and films, from which Top 30 listings were made.

At the time of the survey the record for the most-watched program on Australian television was held by a Queensland v New South Wales State of Origin rugby league match in 1991. However, while Australian programs dominate in both older age groups, nearly 78 per cent of the top choices by young adults were American programs.

Baby-boomers and older viewers nominated the news as their favourite program.

Young people watched the least number of hours of television, and the oldest group the most.

The trend towards American culture was also evident in musical tastes of young adults, with 53 per cent of choices in the Top 30 going to US performers. British pop stars such as the Beatles, Cliff Richard and Elton John were the choices of baby-boomers, while older people preferred European classical music.

Twelve of the top 30 authors named were American, 14 from Britain or Eire and three from Australia. The remaining one, African-born Wilbur Smith was the favourite for the
middle age group and third favourite in the older group.

Hollywood productions accounted for 23 of the top 30 films, with only six Australian films named.

Dr Emmison said Gone with the Wind - the most popular film overall - and The Sound of Music commanded 'an extraordinary amount of allegience', particularly among the two older groups.

He said older people were most likely to name Australian television programs and music as their favourites, with the youngest group the least likely to opt for local productions or performers, although young people were more likely to choose Australian films as their favourites.

'The evidence supports arguments that North American cultural products have historically come to displace their indigenous equivalents,' Dr Emmison said.

'The data suggest that young Australians, in particular, are inhabiting cultural worlds which are not only saturated by the availability of American materials but that in addition these young people are more likely to prefer this material, in some cases to the almost total exclusion of other national products.'

However, Dr Emmison said it was difficult to know without further research whether the trends were generational shifts or naturally occurring changes in taste over the course of a lifetime.

'Moreover, even if a generational shift is taking place, this does not necessarily mean Australians are turning into Americans as some of the cruder versions of cultural imperialism imply,' he said.

'It may well be possible to subsist almost entirely on a diet of American popular culture and yet still retain a strong sense of a unique Australian identity.'

Asked 'what country has been the most important in making you the person you are today?' the overwhelming majority answered 'Australia'.

Asked what 'best expressed' Australian culture, the oldest group invoked the traditional image of the sporting Australian, while the youngest was more inclined to see Australia as a multicultural nation.

For more information, contact Dr Emmison on (07) 3365 2963.

Tables follow

Australian Everyday Culture Project