The Sun-Herald

The Tribal Mind: Divided, decimated and conquered

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by David Dale
AS THE old joke goes, there are two types of people in the world: those who say there are two types of people in the world, and those who find it more useful to divide the world into 10 types of people. The survey organisation Roy Morgan Research is in the second category. After four decades of interviewing thousands of Australians about their beliefs, hopes, fears, likes, and spending habits, Morgan has concluded that the 16 million adults in this land can be split among ten "value segments". Morgan's classification has been widely adopted by the advertising and marketing industry. Can you find yourself among these labels ...

Traditional Family Life (20.1 per cent of the community). According to Morgan, "generally aged 50-plus with grown children, this group is motivated by security, reliability and providing better opportunities for their families."

Visible Achievement (17.4 per cent). "Enjoy the tangible rewards of their success but, confident and individualistic, they do not feel the need to impress others. Practical and realistic, they seek quality and value for money." They seem to correspond with what the ratings agency OzTAM calls "Occupational Groups 1 and 2", which means their favourite TV shows include Packed To The Rafters, NCIS, Celebrity MasterChef and Spicks and Specks.

Socially Aware (14.4 per cent). "Community minded and socially active, people in this group have a strong sense of social responsibility. Always looking for something new and different, they tend to be early adopters and influencers." They watch the least amount of television of all the segments -- less than 2 hours a day.

Conventional Family Life (12.2 per cent, up from 10.8 per cent in 2006). This group, younger than the Traditionals, "devote their time and effort to family and their home - either building one or striving to improve it". They seem to correspond with what OzTAM calls "Grocery Buyers", which means their favourite TV shows include Packed To The Rafters, Midsomer Murders, RSPCA Animal Rescue, and Better Homes and Gardens.

Look at Me (11.5 per cent) "Younger, socially active, peer-driven people who are highly conscious of image and fashion ... their behaviour tends to be hedonistic and rebellious".

Young Optimism (7.7 per cent) "Associated with ambition and idealism, people in this group want to experience life - travel, career, friends, family, sport and social activity - and believe they can have it all. Usually students and young professionals, they are innovative and interested in technology." They rarely watch TV, but visit the cinema more than any other segment.

Something Better (6.5 per cent). "Competitive, ambitious and concerned about status and image and often extend their budget in order to demonstrate their success to others." They are the group most likely to subscribe to Pay TV.

Real Conservatism (4.8 per cent) "Usually mature people who hold conservative social, moral and ethical values, they seek a disciplined, ordered society that is safe and predictable."

Fairer Deal (3.2 per cent, down from 4.2 in 2006). "Usually associated with unskilled and semi-skilled workers ... more likely than others to experience unemployment and financial insecurity and subsequent family pressures. This can create a feeling that they are getting 'a raw deal' out of life."

Basic Needs (2.5 per cent). "Usually associated with retirees, pensioners or people living on social security payments ... a desire for security and order and a strong sense of community". Least likely of all the groups to go to the cinema, but most likely to watch 4 hours of television a day.

Go to Comments to discuss whether this is a legitimate way to slice society.

David Dale is the author of The Little Book of Australia -- A snapshot of who we are (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.