6
University Daily Kansan
Campus/Area
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 1986
Australian prof studies U.S. life
By Tom Farmer
Staff writer
Americans' optimism and enthusiasm is what makes them different from those who live Down Under, a professor of mass communications said yesterday.
And Glen Lewis, the professor, will continue to study what makes American lifestyles different from lifestyles in Australia.
Lewis, a native Australian, is teaching a class titled Australian Films Since World War II as part of an exchange of instructors between KU and Kuring-gal College in Sidney.
The exchange was started by Bobby Patton, chairman of the speech and drama department, who is now at Kuring-gai preparing for his classes to begin there in February.
Lewis, who has a strong
background in Australian history including a Ph.D. in economic history, said he hoped to accomplish several objectives while here.
In teaching the Australian films class, he would like to emphasize Australian culture and explain some of the similarities and differences between Australia and American societies.
"We have ambivalent attitudes toward America," he said with an unmistakable accent. "We admire America very much, but at the same time, we feel threatened by the tremendous power and influence that American society has on ours.
"Australian attitudes to life are a little more reckless than Americans' in some ways," Lewis said. "It's like there's a high degree of aggressiveness between Australians on an interpersonal basis. I've noticed Americans tend to be more polite."
As far as practical experience in the film industry, Lewis has worked on an independent basis with the Sidney Film Makers Co-op, a low budget film production company.
"I believe some film courses should be taught in a broader, social, historical and cultural context," he said. "It seems, a lot of films you can't make a great deal of, unless you put them in a meaningful context."
Richard Collins, Topeka sophomore, is a student in Lewis' Australian films class.
"I really like films," Collins said. "But I'm taking the course for Australian culture and because I'd
really like to visit there."
Lewis has written two books, "Real Men Like Violence: Australian Men, Media and Violence" was an Australian best seller. His other published literary effort was "History of the Parts of Queensland: A Study in Economic Nationalism."
While here, Lewis also will be doing research on how to distribute Australian films in America.
Distribution is the biggest problem Australian film makers face, he said. There aren't the size of distribution companies in Australia that there are here.
Another objective of Lewis' is to do research on Midwestern people to discover whether or not they fit the mold in which Australians view them.
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