Independence does not have a universal meaning or structure. It can change across different cultures or even within an individual’s lifetime. In a capitalist society, independence is closely intertwined with money. We all need it to eat and for shelter. It dictates the spaces we occupy and the circles we move through. The weight of finances falls heavily on the shoulders of young adults who are starting to navigate their adult lives.
Grab a chair and take a seat with five friends from very different cultural backgrounds, perspectives and aspirations as they talk about what freedom means to them in a world of familial and financial pressures.
For many Australians from Western backgrounds, independence begins abruptly when they reach 18 and become financially independent. 18 marks an age at which parents do not have a duty of care for their child. For many, sending a child into the world to fend for themselves is viewed as an act that is important for their child’s self growth and maturity. However, this conception of independence is not universal. In addition to paying higher fees, international students must pay their tuition upfront at the start of each semester. “Just HECSing it” is not a viable option. Instead, most international students rely on their parents’ savings to afford at least the earlier stages of their education.
Between the three international students at the table, there was a consensus that most of their friends back home either choose to pursue a career and start working after school or attend University; those two tasks rarely overlap. Gabi, who grew up in Brazil, expressed her surprise in seeing so many students working on hospitality positions when she moved to Australia. “Maybe due to the high inequality in my country, people who can afford to go to university don’t usually occupy those positions, instead they are filled by people who oftentimes cannot afford to study and need those positions to maintain themselves and their families.”
“I don’t work, so I am, like, chilling,” Zara, whose family is from Pakistan, responded when asked about work-life balance. This may come as a shock to many students who work full time alongside their studies. But the freedom that arises with this financial security comes with closeness and responsibility to family. In Zara’s words, “when I am older the second that anything happens to my parents, that is my responsibility, I will forever owe them, otherwise it would be considered a failure on my part.”
Zara explained that “parents will support you through school and get you to a point when you are ready to branch off into a professional career and down the line you are just unconditionally in debt with them. That is not a negative thing at all really, it’s like the circle of life”.
Jenna, whose family is Malaysian, said that she chooses to support herself as it reduces the self-imposed academic pressure she feels to succeed in her studies. Additionally, she noted work teaches her important skills. When asked about her parents’ response to her independence she said that “I think pushing back against the narrative, even this much, did concern them a bit. They worry about my balance of academics and work.” In addition to studying full time, Jenna works every day in either tutoring and hospitality.
Appearing surprised, Grace, who grew up in Australia, reflected on her personal experience: “I feel like in Australia a lot of parent-child relationships can be super, super bad. Because there is this sense of detachment as soon as you turn 18, you are no longer tied to that other person.”
Grace said that, “in Australia — obviously there is love — but a lot of people, as soon as they turn 18, could just leave and never come back. They don’t owe their parents anything”.
When asked about her financial life, Grace stated that she manages a bar and pays her rent entirely independently. As a result, she said, her balance of work, life and study is “poor”. However, it has been positive for her independence and financial literacy. Grace said she is not only thinking of rent, but house deposits and how she will afford to visit her family or replace the jeans that have a hole in them. On the other hand, Jade, who is also Australian and lives mostly off her parents support, feels as if she has not learnt skills of financial literacy that will be important for her future self sufficiency.
The idea of independence in Australian culture tends to be quite linear. It is closely intertwined with finances and age. The logic follows that at a certain age one is old enough to support themselves and should be left to their own devices – both financially and in terms of employment/academic decisions. In other cultures, family can be more central in an individual’s life. Independence may be less defined by finances and more a matter of identity as a more collective structure of family may mean that wealth is not a one way exchange but flows between family members throughout their lives. Today, in Australia, more children are living with their parents after they finish school and especially if they attend university due to growing financial pressures. Only time will tell if the cost of living crisis will challenge traditional Australian visions of independence.
