National is questioning why the government has dished out $96,000 to fund someone to study the everyday lives of bogans.

The grant over three years will allow Dave Snell to carry out PhD entitled, The Everyday Life of Bogans - Identity and Community Among Heavy Metal Fans.

Snell says the research will include studying different types of dancing to heavy metal music as well as the importance of tattoos and body piercings.

He will also look at the friendships that develop through metal music.

Snell says the stereotype of a bogan is tight black jeans, a Metallica T-shirt and a mullet or shaved head.

The Tertiary Education Commission, which administers the scholarships and has just awarded 50 grants, says the study will help the understanding of New Zealand's communities and younger people.

National Party research and technology spokesman Paul Hutchison says while that is all very interesting, he wonders how this type of research is going to improve our economic performance.

"The minister of finance in New Zealand [is] saying that this sort of research underpins the economic transformation of New Zealand and I find that a bit hard to believe."

He says it would be a long bow to say that researching bogans is going to improve our economic success.

Hutchison says the grant is all the more crazy in light of the fact that funding for agricultural science has dropped from $63 million dollars in 2004, to $50 million in 2005/06.

Other Phd's funded include a study of Irish poet Seamus Heaney's work which received $169,000 and a doctorate on Self and Impersonality in contemporary poetry which got $128,000.

I reckon he might have to move to Levin to carrhy out this study properly

Considering the dude thinks of himself as a bogan as well (and I guess that is granted given AC/DC are his favourites) I can't help but think this study is gonna be quite biased .....

I actually recently watch a doco on VH1 or MTV here..... some dude was doing a masters thesis on metal. It was a really interesting and fun film that he put together..... He was well lucky to have a good funding source that meant he travelled all over the USA and europe, and he interviewd legends like Lemmy and Bruce Dickinsen amongst others.... I wish I had of made a note of the title of this thing... worth seeing.

Hahahha yeah. Every trace of christianity? Hmm isn't Satan a Christian or at the very least a Semetic concept? Hahahaha