Aussie battler

The term Aussie Battler is an Australian colloquialism referring to "ordinary" or working class individuals who persevere through their commitments despite adversity [http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/res/aus_words/aewords/aewords_ab.php#battler Australian National Dictionary Centre, Australian Words: A-B, Battler] ] . Typically, this adversity comprises the challenges of low pay, family commitments, environmental hardships and lack of personal recognition. It is a term of respect and endearment intended to empower and recognise those who feel as though they exist at the bottom of society.

The term has seen recent use in mainstream politics to describe a demographic section of the Australian people.

Definition

The term "Aussie Battler" generally refers to working class Australians [ [http://www.artistwd.com/joyzine/australia/strine/a-8.php Joyzine: Australia Decoded] ] , specifically, those who feel they must work hard at a low paying job to earn enough money [ [http://www.goodonyamate.com/b-slang.html Goodonyamate: A dictionary of Australian Slang] ] , is actually well respected by Australian society at large as they stoically face financial hardships. The concept of an "Aussie battler" is an example of self-aggrandizing language, designed to counter feelings of stigma or inadequacy, and to bolster confidence in being a member of the Australian underclass. It refers to an Australian who continues to struggle in the face of hardship. It is a term of respect and endearment, not simply used to assess someone's financial situation; the ordinary working-man earning a living against the odds.

The common variation little Aussie battler further adds to the notion that the battler is at the bottom of society, working under bigger things above.

In Australian English, the concept of a "battler" is a power word similar to the concept of the "hardworking family". It is used by various political personages and entities for their own purposes. Where in one context a person may use the term to refer to people of low socioeconomic status to call for greater welfare, others may use it to refer to a family saving for a private education to call for government payments to private schools.

The Aussie battler is at the core of the Australian national myth and is an indelible part of the national psyche [ [http://soulsojourn.wordpress.com/2007/05/26/aww-you-poor-thing/ Souljourn: Aww... you poor thing] ] . The battler is more than merely a hard-working bloke who never earns his due, the battler is the salt of the earth, the foundation of a frontier society. The battler is not resigned to the hard grind of life but unaware of it, considering it his due without a trace of bitterness. Trundling forward with unstoppable force and strength coupled with humility and a blood, sweat, and beer approach to life. The battler is the quintessential "little guy" with an indomnable spirit and a bottomless well of "fight".

Recently, the term "battler" has also gained popularity among young people as a mild or endearing insult to imply a person's lack of skill or knowledge at certain tasks. For example: "Davo is a battler with the women" would indicate that despite his best efforts, Dave does not often attract the attention of females.

Middle-class battlers

Some individuals are self-defined "battlers" without fitting the above definition because of their own interpretations of "earning enough money." Social scientist and author Michael Pusey has described this as "Middle Class Battler syndrome" [ [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/spiritofthings/stories/2003/868280.htm ABC Radio National: The Spirit of Things - Hope and Happiness] ] [ [http://www.amazon.com/Experience-Middle-Australia-Economic-Reform/dp/0521651212 The Experience of Middle Australia: The Dark Side of Economic Reform ] ] because these "battlers" earn more than the average wage but see expensive homes and consumer goods as necessities. As a result, they have very little disposable income after servicing debts for these items. Despite the self-inflicted hardship, the myth of the "battler" remains.

Use in political rhetoric

Following the election of the conservative coalition government under the leadership of John Howard in 1996, the phrase was adapted and widely adopted within Australian public discourse. Howard scored a sweeping victory at the 1996 elections, an achievement some commentators explained by reference to his winning over many traditional Labor Party voters, whom they now termed "Howard's battlers". [ [http://www.api-network.com/cgi-bin/jas/jas.cgi?issue=55 Journal of Australian Studies, Issue 55, 1997, Abstract] ] [ [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22199916-5001021,00.html "Rudd Labor battlers dump Howard", The Daily Telegraph, August 7 2007] ] The term was allegedly popularised by Andrew Robb, the 1996 Liberal Party campaign director, who used it to describe those blue-collar voters who felt ignored by Labor and who were successfully targeted by the Liberals during the election campaign. [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,15353312-12854,00.html "Reform dressed up in greasy overalls", The Australian, 21 May 2005] ]

In a radio interview in 2004, Howard was asked what he thought a 'battler' was and replied that:

During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Sydney in September 2007, US President George W. Bush referred to Howard himself as being a 'battler'. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/howard-bushs-battler/2007/09/07/1188783458603.htmlJane Holroyd, "Howard Bush's 'battler'", The Age, September 7 2007] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.growthfetish.com/DP49sum.pdf The Australia Institute article :"Overconsumption in Australia: the rise of the middle-class battler (PDF).]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/A-serious-bout-of-affluenza/2005/05/28/1117129904238.html Sydney Morning Herald article on Affluenza and "battlers"]
* [http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Body-and-sold/2005/05/28/1117129931547.html The Age article on Affluenza]