The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers
mateship
value: many people in Australia think it is good if people can think like this (see more)
Many people in Australia think like this:
It is good to think like this about many people: This person is someone like me. At many times, when something happens to me, the same something happens to this person. I don't want bad things to happen to this person, as I don't want bad things to happen to me. I feel something good when I think about this person.
When someone (e.g. Frank) thinks like this about a person (e.g. Colin), it is good if Frank thinks like this at the same time: When something bad happens to Colin, I can do something good for him. If I do something good for Colin, maybe he can think like this: I don't have to feel something bad now. There are many people like me in this place now. I feel something good towards them. Because of this, I can feel something good. I can laugh.
It is very good for men to think like this about other men.
Note
Note that this version of 'mateship' is the one in which two (or more) people have the same thing happening to them (e.g. during WWI), and the most current usage extends from this prototypical one. Line 3 highlights the strong connection of this term to male and masculine relationships."And on average they've most likely experienced and contributed to the great Australian value of community and mateship. It is a 'come in for a cuppa' culture that gives a 'no worries' welcome to someone regardless of how average or not they might be."
"The one compensating aspect of life as then lived was the element of mateship. Inside the wide family circle of the battalion and the company were the more closely knit platoon groups."
Back to Key values and attitudes