Mateship In Local Organization
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
Few concepts are as deeply woven into the fabric of Australian identity as mateship, and H.G. Oxley's Mateship in Local Organization brings rigorous sociological scrutiny to bear on this celebrated cultural ideal. The work examines how the ethos of mateship — that distinctly Australian code of loyalty, egalitarianism, and mutual support between men — manifests and operates within the structures of local community organizations, clubs, and working-class institutions. Oxley chronicles the social dynamics at play in these grassroots settings, presenting a nuanced portrait of how informal bonds of solidarity shape collective behaviour, reinforce group identity, and sometimes exclude those who fall outside the circle of belonging. Drawing on fieldwork and sociological theory, Oxley argues that mateship is far more than a romantic national myth; it is a functioning social mechanism with real consequences for power, inclusion, and community cohesion. His analysis sits at the intersection of anthropology, cultural studies, and Australian social history, illustrating how local organizations serve as living laboratories for broader national values. For anyone seeking to understand the informal architecture of Australian society — the unwritten rules that bind communities together and keep outsiders at arm's length — this work remains an essential and provocative point of inquiry.
Author: H.G. Oxley
Format: Hardback
Genre: Society & culture
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Very good
Pages: Good
Few concepts are as deeply woven into the fabric of Australian identity as mateship, and H.G. Oxley's Mateship in Local Organization brings rigorous sociological scrutiny to bear on this celebrated cultural ideal. The work examines how the ethos of mateship — that distinctly Australian code of loyalty, egalitarianism, and mutual support between men — manifests and operates within the structures of local community organizations, clubs, and working-class institutions. Oxley chronicles the social dynamics at play in these grassroots settings, presenting a nuanced portrait of how informal bonds of solidarity shape collective behaviour, reinforce group identity, and sometimes exclude those who fall outside the circle of belonging. Drawing on fieldwork and sociological theory, Oxley argues that mateship is far more than a romantic national myth; it is a functioning social mechanism with real consequences for power, inclusion, and community cohesion. His analysis sits at the intersection of anthropology, cultural studies, and Australian social history, illustrating how local organizations serve as living laboratories for broader national values. For anyone seeking to understand the informal architecture of Australian society — the unwritten rules that bind communities together and keep outsiders at arm's length — this work remains an essential and provocative point of inquiry.