Editing Culture of New Zealand (section)

==National stereotypes==

===The Kiwi male===
{{See also|Southern man|Man alone}}
The stereotyped New Zealand male is essentially a pioneer type: he is perceived to be rural, strong, unemotional, democratic, has little time for high culture, good with animals (particularly horses) and machines, and is able to turn his hand to nearly anything. This type of man is often presumed to be a unique product of New Zealand's colonial period but he shares many similarities with the stereotypical American [[frontiersman]] and Australian [[The bush|bushman]]. New Zealand men are supposed to still have many of these qualities, even though most New Zealanders have lived in urban areas since the late-19th century. This has not prevented New Zealanders seeing themselves (and being seen) as essentially country people and good at the tasks which country life requires.{{sfn|Phillips|1987|pp=1–42}}

:'''The hard man''': New Zealand men have often been stereotyped as strong, unemotional and prone to violence.{{sfn|Phillips|1987|pp=81–130}} For many years this was seen as a good thing, and was best embodied by [[All Black]] [[Colin Meads]]. Voted 'New Zealand player of the century' by ''New Zealand Rugby Monthly'' magazine, Meads was the second All Black to be sent off the field, and once played a match with a broken arm. Although he was known to assault other players during games, this was generally approved of as 'enforcement' of the 'spirit of the game'.<ref>{{All Blacks|601|Colin Meads}}</ref> He was also a supporter of sporting contact with apartheid South Africa. In recent decades the macho attitude has been both criticised and reviled as dangerous both to men who embody it and those around them. It has been blamed for New Zealand's culture of heavy drinking and its high male suicide rate.{{sfn|Phillips|1987|pp=261–89}} However it still has its supporters, with some commentators claiming that the more recent All Blacks do not have enough 'mongrel'.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_2585824">{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/2585824/All-Blacks-need-more-mongrel |title=All Blacks need more mongrel |author=Long, David |date=12 July 2009 |work= Sunday News | publisher = Fairfax |access-date=26 September 2011}}</ref>