Narratives of nationhood:: Young Australians’ concepts of nation and their attitudes towards ‘boat people’

Jacqueline Laughland-Booy; Zlatko Skrbis; Bruce Tranter

doi:10.1177/1440783317704991

Narratives of nationhood: Young Australians’ concepts of nation and their attitudes towards ‘boat people’

Jacqueline Laughland-Booy, Zlatko Skrbis, Bruce Tranter

Sociology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In Australia, questions surrounding national identity often feature in public discussions on asylum seekers. Using qualitative interview data collected from 40 participants in an ongoing study of young people in Queensland, we explore the connections between young peoples’ understandings of Australian national identity and their attitudes towards ‘boat people’. We identify distinct points of interconnection and disjuncture between participants’ notions of being ‘Australian’ and their thoughts on how Australia should respond to asylum seekers. With respect to the asylum seeker debate, we find narratives of Australian nationhood are flexible in interpretation and can serve contrasting and competing functions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	367–381
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Sociology
Volume	53
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783317704991
Publication status	Published - 2017

Keywords

Australia
national identity
Asylum Seekers
boat people
Cosmopolitanism

Access to Document

10.1177/1440783317704991

1 Curtailed
1 Finished

Social futures and life pathways of young people in Queensland: waves 4 and 5 of a longitudinal study
Skrbis, Z. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Bean, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Tranter, B. (Chief Investigator (CI))
Australian Research Council (ARC)
18/02/13 → 31/07/16
Project: Research
Social Futures & Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland: Waves 6 & 7
Skrbis, Z. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Parsell, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Tranter, B. (Chief Investigator (CI))
Australian Research Council (ARC), Monash University, University of Tasmania, University of Queensland
15/04/16 → 12/11/18
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Narratives of nationhood:: Young Australians{\textquoteright} concepts of nation and their attitudes towards {\textquoteleft}boat people{\textquoteright}",

abstract = "In Australia, questions surrounding national identity often feature in public discussions on asylum seekers. Using qualitative interview data collected from 40 participants in an ongoing study of young people in Queensland, we explore the connections between young peoples{\textquoteright} understandings of Australian national identity and their attitudes towards {\textquoteleft}boat people{\textquoteright}. We identify distinct points of interconnection and disjuncture between participants{\textquoteright} notions of being {\textquoteleft}Australian{\textquoteright} and their thoughts on how Australia should respond to asylum seekers. With respect to the asylum seeker debate, we find narratives of Australian nationhood are flexible in interpretation and can serve contrasting and competing functions.",

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AB - In Australia, questions surrounding national identity often feature in public discussions on asylum seekers. Using qualitative interview data collected from 40 participants in an ongoing study of young people in Queensland, we explore the connections between young peoples’ understandings of Australian national identity and their attitudes towards ‘boat people’. We identify distinct points of interconnection and disjuncture between participants’ notions of being ‘Australian’ and their thoughts on how Australia should respond to asylum seekers. With respect to the asylum seeker debate, we find narratives of Australian nationhood are flexible in interpretation and can serve contrasting and competing functions.

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KW - Asylum Seekers

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KW - Cosmopolitanism

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ER -

Narratives of nationhood: Young Australians’ concepts of nation and their attitudes towards ‘boat people’

Abstract

Keywords

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Projects

Social futures and life pathways of young people in Queensland: waves 4 and 5 of a longitudinal study

Social Futures & Life Pathways of Young People in Queensland: Waves 6 & 7

Cite this