Information AboutBogan |
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Bogan ( Pronounced , to rhyme with ''slogan'') is an Australian and New Zealand English Slang term, at times derogatory, for a white working-class person, particularly a young male. Female adherents of the stereotype do exist, albeit with somewhat different, gender-specific characteristics. Any discussion of the meaning of the term is likely to be controversial. Australians tend to have an image of their country as culturally egalitarian; by contrast, Britain and the United States are often stereotyped in Australia as obsessed with cultural and economic class respectively. The presence of an insulting stereotype for poor people is obviously in conflict with this self-image. Like the British term Chav and the American term White Trash , the term is supposedly based on behaviour rather than class alone. It may be contrasted to the term 'povvo', which assumes that poverty as such is worthy of insult. A person who uses the insult may draw a distinction between bogans, and more 'respectable' working class people. However, only people who are perceived to be working class are called bogans. A person from a comfortable background who is violent, anti-social and unintelligent may well be derided and insulted, but not by being called a bogan. They may be told they are acting ''like'' a bogan, but not that they actually ''are'' one. Further, the stereotype assumes a correlation between subcultural practices of particular working-class people (eg style of dress, accent, and musical tastes), and anti-social behaviour. It should thus be considered a slur. The term, and the attendant stereotype, are far more acceptable in Australian culture than equivalent slurs. A person who used the term in the media, for example, would be unlikely to face similar consequences to if they had used a term such as Nigger or Kike . The popular Australian TV comedy '' Kath And Kim '' derived much of its humour from this stereotype. A TV comedy based on equivalent stereotypes of Aboriginal people, for example, would have been highly unlikely to be aired. HISTORY The use of the word "bogan" as an insult originated in Melbourne , to describe people of the working class. Then the character Kylie Mole on the famed Australian television program '' The Comedy Company '' popularised the term as an insult for any friend she didn't like, and by 1991, the word was in the national dictionary project. There are actually places in Western New South Wales that have "Bogan" in their name, including Bogan Shire, the Bogan River and the rural village of Bogan Gate. Despite the fact that their remote location fits some of the aspects of the stereotype, these places are not regarded as the source of the term. It is more likely that the sound of the word fits the humourous aspects of the stereotype rather than the people of this area being the epitome of bogans. ELEMENTS OF THE STEREOTYPE The bogan stereotype is essentially the same as the British stereotype of a Chav or the American White Trash , with some specific Australian cultural features. The stereotype may be summarised as follows:
The clothing and music elements of the stereotype were genuinely associated with a particular stratum of working class people at one time, perhaps the mid 80s through to around 1992 or so. However, the stereotype has lingered far longer than the reality which inspired it, as young working class people tend more towards an interest in hip-hop influenced fashion and music, and as metal and hard rock become associated with the more affluent 'alternative' subculture. The bogan stereotype has no implication of religious fundamentalism, unlike the American equivalent White Trash , although white trash is usually associated with low or no morals, a better equivalent would be Redneck which is associated with conservative protestant religious groups. LOCATION The bogan stereotype is closely associated with location as the perception is that bogans live in the outer suburbs of metropolitan areas or in rural areas. As far as Melbourne is concerned, the outer suburbs of the northwestern rail corridor are the primary areas, including such suburbs as Broadmeadows, Sunshine, Diggers' Rest, and Sunbury. These are mostly semi-rural areas with a local economy revolving at least partially around the automotive and construction industries, and thus provide opportunities for unskilled employment. These areas are also almost entirely devoid of ethnic minorities. Given the abovementioned racism and excessive nationalism, adherents of the stereotype much prefer areas with this characteristic also. The term ''westie'' refers to residents of the generally poorer western suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney, and of West Auckland in New Zealand. Westies are often stereotyped as being bogans. This term was even used in Canberra, where there is no distinction between poorer western and more affluent eastern suburbs. Canberra's "west" is the town of Queanbeyan , which is actually east of Canberra. Also Berowra, a suburb in Sydneys north is called "boganville" and its inhabitants are called bogans. The term Chigger refers to residents of the poorer, housing commission suburbs of Hobart, namely Chigwell - from which the term is derived - and outer Eastern Shore areas including Bridgewater, Gagebrook, Claredon Vale and Rokeby. In recent years the term has been mostly replaced with bogan in day-to-day language. USE IN COMEDY Given that it is so detailed, associated with mockery, and more socially acceptable than other stereotypes, it is unsurprising that the stereotype has been frequently used in comedy. Some examples follow. In Australia:
In New Zealand:
APPLIED TO CELEBRITIES Some celebrities have been associated with the stereotype: essentially white males who are seen as working-class, particularly if they are accused of anti-social behaviour. Examples include
Foreign celebrities with a similar public image are often associated with the equivalent stereotypes in their countries - for example USE IN THE POLITICAL SPHERE Pauline Hanson was an Australian politician who was regarded by her political opponents, left-wing and centrist opinion, and the media as appealing to Racism . Ms Hanson cultivated an image as an outsider in the political system, more in tune with "ordinary" (white) Australians. Ironically, given that objections to her centred around her assumed bigotry, criticism of her often had a strong cultural tinge, which evoked the bogan stereotype. Although the term 'bogan' was never used in the media in relation to Ms Hanson, the similar term Redneck was. Perhaps "rednecks" are seen as being rural, and "bogans" urban. EQUIVALENT TERMS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Equivalent terms are:
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