Abstract:
Judith Kapferer in an article in March, 1990 stated that the traditional rural urban distinctions made of Australian society represent a false dichotomy. She suggested in the article that this distinction served "an ideological purpose in opposing for example, rural and urban workers', rural and urban owners/managers etc." This paper doesn't totally share Kapferer's ideological suggestions but certainly goes some way with her in her emphasis of the incontestable impact of the bush upon Australians' understandings of themselves. In this paper I will attempt to explore that mosaic of symbols and meanings that are often part of the Australians understanding of rurality. I will then consider the impact of this mosaic on people's perceptions and finally suggest the possible influence of these perceptions on school curricula, secondary retention/completion rates, employment attitudes and teachers.