scholarly journals Navigating “Mixedness”: The Information Behaviours and Experiences of Biracial Youth in Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indra Ayu Susan Mckie

It is generally understood that, ‘for those deemed white, the idea of race serves as a vast source of unearned privilege within all facets of life; for those deemed coloured, it means susceptibility to countless forms of prejudice and racism’ (Nuttgens 2010, p. 255). But what does this mean for a person with indistinguishable physical features, who is questioned daily, “where are you from?” or, even more dehumanisingly – “what are you? In the current racial climate of Australia, biracial second-generation Australians are left to choose between two or more identities on how to behave in attempts to fit binary racial groups and expectations (Shih & Sanchez 2009). This paper presents the data from six in-depth interviews with Asian biracial youth from across Sydney. The interviews explore how this group has confronted race while developing their own identities during adolescence, as well as how their understanding of being “mixed” has developed over time. In exploring this collective racial identity, I draw from my own racialised experiences to address emergent themes from my findings. Numerous displays of information behaviours emerged from the participant’s stories of isolation, belonging and resentment towards their racial mixedness. Information avoidance, browsing, seeking and satisficing were observed within their daily experiences of school, family and social life. Such practices informed how these individuals internalised their inherited intersection of racial persecution and privilege. Critical engagement with information behaviours theories justifies the modern notions of identity as a continuous state of reconstruction (Hall 1996) as the biracial participants of this study struggle to find balance with the external validation of others and their driving agency to be themselves.

2020 ◽  
pp. 009579842098366
Author(s):  
Yara Mekawi ◽  
Natalie N. Watson-Singleton

Though considerable empirical work has documented the ways in which African Americans are dehumanized by other racial groups, there is no research examining how perceiving dehumanization (i.e., metadehumanization) is associated with the mental health of African Americans. In this study, we examined the indirect effect of racial discrimination on depressive symptoms through metadehumanization and explored whether this indirect effect was contingent on racial identity (i.e., centrality, private regard). African American students completed measures in a university lab located in the Midwestern region of the United States ( N = 326; Mage = 19.7, 72.4% women). We found that the degree to which racial discrimination was indirectly associated with depressive symptoms through metadehumanization was contingent on racial identity dimensions. Specifically, the indirect effect of racial discrimination on depressive symptoms through metadehumanization was only significant for individuals who were relatively higher on centrality and private regard. This research suggests that the role of metadehumanization is stronger among African Americans who strongly identify with and have positive views of their racial group. We discuss these results in the context of social cognitive theories.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-124
Author(s):  
Chunchun Wang

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the transformations of prosthetic practices in China, as well as the daily experiences and dilemmas arising from the everchanging practices since 1949. On the basis of materials, this paper explores an everyday perspective to review the history of technology.Design/methodology/approachEthnography was collected with the application of participant observations, informal interviews and in-depth interviews during a 13-months study at a rehabilitation center in Chengdu, China. The literature on prosthetic manufacturing was also reviewed for this paper.FindingsChina's prosthetic technology seems to evolve from traditional to modern. However, this progressive narrative – innovation-based timeline (Edgerton, 2006, xi) – has been challenged by daily practices. Due to institutional pressures, prosthetists are in a dilemma of selectively using their knowledge to create one kind of device for all prosthesis users with a certain kind of disability, thereby regulating the physical and social experiences of prosthesis users. Besides, prosthesis users are accustomed to prostheses made with old techniques, and must correct themselves from old experiences to the daily practices recognized by the selected techniques.Originality/valueThis paper provides a cross-cultural case to reexamine Edgerton's criticism of the progressive and orderly innovation-centric technological narrative. More importantly, it reviews the history and practices of China's prosthetics from daily experiences rather than Edgerton's concentration on technology; therefore, it provides an everyday perspective for future research on technological transformations.


1969 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-17
Author(s):  
Nicholas John Russo

Renewed awareness in ethnic groups as well identified, persisting and active participants in the political and social life of American society imposes a new task on the social scientists to define better and more cogently measure the implications of pluralism and integration. This article by Russo—presenting the findings of his doctoral dissertation: The Religious Acculturation of the Italians in New York City—evidences the fast disappearance of the cultural identity of an immigrant group in relation to their rural religious tradition and behavior. At the same time, it notes the survival of social identity. In the light of this evidence, we can ask ourselves if ethnic religious institutions might have led the immigrants to religious forms more in keeping with their new environment and how the acculturation described should be evaluated. Above all, we are forced to search for those variables which maintain the ethnic groups’ identity even in the third generation. In this way, the process of the inclusion into American society of different ethnic and religious groups may reveal some clues for the more complex test of inclusion of different racial groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deeanna M. Button

This study uses 20 in-depth interviews with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults aged 18 to 25 years to integrate theoretical constructs from the sociology of sexuality with Agnew’s general strain theory (GST). This approach provides theoretical context to LGB youth’s experiences with victimization and risky behaviors. The use of qualitative data provides a deeper understanding of LGB youth’s experiences with heteronormativity, heterosexism, and homophobia, and how these structural-level processes shape interactional- and individual-level experiences. Integrating sexuality research and GST helps clarify interconnected processes that occur at multiple levels of social life, providing a more complete picture of LGB experiences.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Dewi Anggraini

Tanah Toraja tribe community who came to nickel mining in Maniang Island are from five regions in Tanah Toraja areas such as Mamasa, Baruppu, Buakayu, Makale, and Mengkendek, who eventually settled in Pomalaa, Kolaka district and interact with the local population Tolaki Mekongga. Interaction between migrant communities (Tator Tribe) and local the key of all social life that occurs in communities (Tolaki Tribe) of mining area, Pomalaa. The purpose of this study is to determine the interaction of Tanah Toraja people in Tolaki Mekongga society and to know the local culture support in the welcoming of Tanah Toraja Society in Kolaka. This study uses qualitative method with phenomenological approach, in which the data collection method uses the participant observation and in-depth interviews by setting informants. The results of social interaction between Tator people and local communities basically run well, although sometimes hidden conflicts appear on the Tolaki Mekongga as local ethnic favoritism Tator in everyday life who are likely to be exclusive and luxurious, especially in the traditional rituals.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Taplin

Purpose This paper aims to examine the purposive strategy behind the growth of cult wines in Napa California since the 1980s. By leveraging the growing wine reputation of the region, a small number of new owners used extensive financial resources from other ventures to make a finely crafted, high-priced wine, in small quantities and sold through restricted distribution channels. Their aim was to compete with Bordeaux first-growths and create wine that would evoke the luxury connotations of craft, heritage, reputation and exclusivity. Because they were new, they relied upon experts to rate their wine, thus creating instant legitimacy with high scores and appealing to a small group of wealthy wine enthusiasts, many of whom were insecure in their knowledge of high-quality wines. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured in-depth interviews with a sample of 13 cult winery owners, wine makers and a CEO were utilized in addition to descriptive statistics and secondary historical information drawn from public records. Findings Certain Napa producers have created iconic wines through purposeful behavior and extensive resources that are rare and difficult to imitate. Their success is also a function of positive accolades by influential wine critics whose scoring sanctioned their status as a luxury good. High prices and limited availability further manufactured the scarcity element that is crucial to maintaining demand for high-status goods. Originality/value This study examines the interface between supply of a product, external validation that legitimized it and a small but significant market of wealthy individuals who created the demand for it. This mosaic behind market creation reveals how successful producers have been in realizing the multidimensionality of luxury goods.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace Miller ◽  
Josipa Roksa

Our study highlights specific ways in which race and gender create inequality in the workplace. Using in-depth interviews with 67 biology PhD students, we show how engagement with research and service varies by both gender and race. By considering the intersection between gender and race, we find not only that women biology graduate students do more service than men, but also that racial and ethnic minority men do more service than white men. White men benefit from a combination of racial and gender privilege, which places them in the most advantaged position with respect to protected research time and opportunities to build collaborations and networks beyond their labs. Racial/ethnic minority women emerge as uniquely disadvantaged in terms of their experiences relative to other groups. These findings illuminate how gendered organizations are also racialized, producing distinct experiences for women and men from different racial groups, and thus contribute to theorizing the intersectional nature of inequality in the workplace.


2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iren Johnsen ◽  
Kari Dyregrov

Friendships are very important for human beings, and especially for young people, but few studies have explored the consequences of losing a close friend. To identify and help this often overlooked population of bereaved, we need more knowledge of their bereavement processes. This study is part of a larger longitudinal study which aims to increase awareness of bereaveds’ situation after the killings at Utøya, Norway, July 22, 2011. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 young adults on the experiences of losing their close friend. Themes identified were how circumstances of the event complicate the grieving, the daily experiences of the loss, and recognition of friends as bereaved. Findings show that the loss of a close friend has had a profound effect on the young people, and the loss of a friend is also a distinct loss that is not comparable to other losses.


Author(s):  
Terry-Ann Jones

The current daily experiences of undocumented students as they navigate the processes of entering and then thriving in Jesuit colleges are explored in this book alongside an investigation of the knowledge and attitudes among staff and faculty about undocumented students in their midst, and the institutional response to their presence. Cutting across the fields of U.S. immigration policy, theory and history, religion, law, and education, this book delineates the historical and present-day contexts of immigration, including the role of religious institutions. This unique volume, based on an extensive two-year study (2010–12) of undocumented students at Jesuit colleges in the United States, incorporates survey research and in-depth interviews to present the perspectives of students, staff, and the institutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Yuliana, Heriyanti

The purpose of this study was to reveal the Participation of the Moi Community in Kambik Education (Indigenous Education) in Maladofok Village, Sorong Regency. Kambik education is a Moi tribal education system in Sorong, West Papua. Kambik education (Moi tribal customary education) learns about leadership, learns the customs of the Moi tribe, traditional medicine, and understands human existence.  Various problems began to emerge in the life of the state, the demand for revival and reviving the values of local wisdom into an alternative. So it is important in this research, the researcher raises two issues that have been formulated in the question. First: What is the participation of the Moi community in the Kambik education process ?, and Second; to what extent are the values taught in Kambik's education in social life? This question is important to be formulated as the power of data which then becomes a reference in education policy that raises local potential. The research uses a qualitative approach. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews at the research location, more points than the ethnographic method itself is that researchers conduct research and also get meaningful education from the lives of local people. The results of this study are to encourage the acceleration of development in Sorong Regency. Because in addition to the academic interests, the Moi tribe Kambik (traditional education) education is a new alternative form of humanity awareness in the Moi tribe of Sorong Regency. The results of this study could be a recommendation and input for the Sorong Regency government to plant the values of Kambik education itself in the generation of indigenous Moi children in Sorong Regency in particular and the Moi generation in general.      The results of the study are, First: project files for alternative education design in Sorong Regency or can be synergized with a special curriculum.


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