CHRIS THOMSON
RELATED STORY LINK: WA PREMIER BACKS AUSTRALIA DAY FLAG WAVERS
People who fly Australian flags on their cars in the leadup to Australia Day express more racist attitudes than others without flags, University of Western Australia research has found.
UWA sociologist and anthropologist Farida Fozdar and a team of assistants surveyed 513 people at last year’s Australia Day Skyworks extravaganza on Perth’s Swan River foreshore.
One in five fireworks fans said they had attached flags to their cars to celebrate Australia Day.
WHITE AUSTRALIA POLICY
Professor Fozdar said 43 per cent of people with car flags believed the long-abandoned White Australia Policy had saved Australia from many problems experienced by other countries.
Only 25 per cent of Skyworks goers who did not adorn their cars with flags thought the same way.
A total of 56 per cent of people with car flags feared their culture and its most important values were in danger, compared with 34 per cent of non-flaggers.
And 35 per cent of flaggers felt that people had to be born in Australia to be truly Australian, while 23 per cent believed true Australians had to be Christian.
This compared with 22 per cent and 18 per cent respectively for non-flaggers.
Professor Fozdar beside a flag-waving car.
MINORITY GROUPS
Professor Fozdar said there were clear differences in how people with car flags felt toward minority groups.
Only 39 per cent of flaggers expressed a positive view toward Aboriginal people compared with 47 per cent of non-flaggers.
And 19 per cent of flaggers felt positive towards Muslim Australians compared to 26 per cent of non-flaggers.
Just seven per cent of flaggers were positive towards asylum seekers compared to 24 per cent of non-flaggers.
And 27 per cent with flags felt positive towards Asian Australians compared to 48 per cent of non-flaggers.
Three survey questions sought views on Australian cultural diversity: 64 per cent of people with car flags agreed that it was good for people from different ethnic, religious and racial groups to live in Australia, compared to 75 per cent of non-flaggers.
AUSTRALIAN VALUES
An overwhelming 91 per cent of people with car flags agreed that people who move to Australia should adopt Australian values, compared to 76 per cent of non-flaggers.
A total of 55 per cent of flaggers believed migrants should leave their old ways behind, compared with 30 per cent of non-flaggers.
However, majorities of both groups − 60 per cent of flaggers and 73 per cent of non-flaggers − also felt it was best to respect and learn from each other’s cultural differences.
Professor Fozdar said there was no clear link between flag flying and education, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, voting pattern or income.
However, her survey showed a slightly higher likelihood of younger rather than older people adopting the practice.
NATIONALISM
In terms of nationalism, 88 per cent of those with Australian flags on their cars said they thought it showed they were proud to be Australian, while only 52 per cent of those without flags thought so.
Some thought the increased popularity of flying Australian car flags was due to increased patriotism.
Others said it was simply peer pressure to follow the trend or avoid seeming unpatriotic.
Many said the phenomenon was caused by marketing and the cheap availability of car flags.
Others thought it was a response to loss of culture due to multiculturalism, immigration, invasion and terrorism.
“What I found interesting is that many people didn’t really have much to say about why they chose to fly car flags or not,” Professor Fozdar said.
“Many felt strongly patriotic about it − and for some, this was quite a racist or exclusionary type of patriotism − but it wasn’t a particularly conscious thing for many.
“Very clear statistical differences in attitudes to diversity between those who fly car flags and those who don’t show that flag waving − while not inherently exclusionary – is linked in this instance to negative attitudes about those who do not fit the ‘mainstream’ stereotype.”
Fewer people − one in five − reported flying Australian flags from their cars in 2011 compared to 2010 when it was one in four.
AUSTRALIAN FLAG IMAGE: TOBY HUDSON
Do you really think the statistics would have changed with a larger sample size? How big does the sample have to be to convince you of these findings?
I think it’s sad that to many, adorning your car with an Australian flag, seems to give people a right to sprout anti-multicultural sentiment and feel justified and patriotic in doing so.
There is nothing wrong with expressing these opinions in a free and open society like Australia (even if they are offensive), that is what being part of a healthy democracy allows us. But to feel you are expressing these views on behalf of all Australians, with patriotic ferver, is down un-Australian. Part of being Australian is being open to views that differ from your own. Don’t use the flag of a free and fair country like ours to downgrade other peoples’ points of view.
I think this is why flag bearers feel fear from those around them. They are being lump in with the blindly patriotic and the aggressively patriotic Australians.
We should want our flag to represent something else.
What concerns me is the so called “Aussies” who fly their flags for ONE DAY of the year and act all patriotic for Australia Day, but for 364 Days of the Year are disrespectful, rude, ignorant, selfish, drive like hoons, drink too much, take drugs, and kill innocent people! We lack morales and culture here. We have many sub-cultures like Bogans, Hoons, etc.. just think how Un-Australian this looks to other cultures. Grow up Aussies and open your minds!
We need to take more notice of our Grandparents and early migrants, the people who built this Nation with blood, sweat and tears.
I am proud to be Australian, and I celebrate being in one of the best countries in the World every day. So for all of you who care about your Country, look after yourself, your Country and your fellow Countrymen.
This conclusion from this poorly executed research offends me….the sample was 513 people! I know my defensive nature to this article may make me appear that I maybe one of the people who fly the flag, I am not actually, I think they are annoying and look a bit dopey.
513 samples – will have make it into a respected academic research journal?
Last year we didn’t know about the ‘flag trend’, and put (easily available supermarket) flags on our cars, mini capes on our two chihuahuas
and went to beach in Oz flag swimwear ! We were bewildered by the distasteful looks we had from many people. And asian people looked afraid. My Japanese born mum, proudly Australian citizen for 52 years, was with us too. Then a lady at the beach looked very disturbed when my two daughters and I helped her into the little waves. We were all shrieking because of the cold water. But I think the lady thought we were going to drown her ! Crazy ! What has happenned here ???
It would be interesting to see how these statistics would compare with people who don’t attend Skyshow.
I CHALLENGE you to do this same study in AMERICA on INDEPENDENCE DAY….I would love to see the results….That’s Patriotism to the MAX!!!
This is just silly. They didn’t even survey 500 people…. Just a question… What’s our population again? Yeah tad more than 500… And who is to say a flag on your car means anything I fly a flag in my front yard but not on my car… Why? Coz I think those car flags are hard to get on and off… Not because I am more friendly to foreigners or any bs. As the sticker on my rear windshield says LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
I was born in Malta in 1949. My father was a Scot in the Royal navy during WW2 based in Malta. We immigrated to Victoria in 1958, though I would have preferred the USA. I have served Australia in the Army and in Vietnam. I am proud of the Australian flag and two years ago I had a large Australian flag sign made which is on the bonnet of my vehicle. I don’t have a religion and believe they are nothing but cults and there is only one cult trying to change this country to their cult. As for the professor, she has just confirmed my theory that they may have a title before there name, but have no intelligence.
I am wondering … are there any similar studies supporting these findings, I would guess not or they would be referred to. I think this is irresponsible research to publish so widely at this time – with such limited evidence – on such an emotive issue ! Asking for trouble I think – and then who to blame ? Then again perhaps it’s all a bit too serious, such a lot of people have had fun with the Australian flag in so many ways at some time or another lets just enjoy the opportunity to celebrate every aspect of this lucky country.
Suggest she does that at a Mosque and see what the numbers are like
i’m not very literate. i’m better with numbers. a graph would rally help me here.
Vehicle in picture is more likely a Hyundai Getz, but definitely not a Ford Falcon.
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Thank you, Dave. oneperth.com.au defers to your eagle eye.
Ed
The saddest part is the fact that the percentage of non-flaggers with positive views towards minority groups was also noticably lower than 50%.
So-called Australian values is a myth created by the bogan trash of this couuntry…if it is so great go back to Englan you fools.