The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers
being polite
value: many people in Australia think it is good if people can think like this (see more)
Many people in Australia think like this:
I don't want other people to feel something bad. I don't want other people to think something bad about me.
Because of this, it is good if I do some things. It is bad if I do some other things.
Note
This is the generic value which underlies why 'politeness' is considered a good thing. That is, it captures why it is important to be polite."In Australia it's polite to always say 'hello' to your bus driver, and say 'thank you' when you get off the bus."
"The easiest way to be polite is to remember to say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking for things or in shops."
"I'm always amazed at how polite we are here in Australia when it comes to paying for things. We ask how much something is, then we say 'oh, okay then' and hand over our credit cards. Maybe we are seething inwardly about something being overpriced, but we are socialised to accept it. We were taught in Australian society that it is vulgar to talk about money, rude and even pushy to ask for a better rate. It is much more genteel to just to pay quietly and not make a fuss."
Back to Key values and attitudes