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

Journal article

Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Tranter, Bruce. (2017). Narratives of nationhood : Young Australians’ concepts of nation and their attitudes towards ‘boat people’. Journal of Sociology. 53(2), pp. 367-381. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783317704991
AuthorsLaughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Tranter, Bruce
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 people’s 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.

Keywordsasylum seekers; Australia; ‘boat people’; cosmopolitanism; national identity
Year2017
JournalJournal of Sociology
Journal citation53 (2), pp. 367-381
PublisherSAGE Publications
ISSN1440-7833
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783317704991
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85020852737
Open accessPublished as green open access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range367-381
ProjectOur Lives Project
FunderAustralian Research Council (ARC)
Research GroupSchool of Arts
Author's accepted manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online11 Apr 2017
ARC Funded ResearchThis output has been funded, wholly or partially, under the Australian Research Council Act 2001
Grant IDARC/DP0557667
ARC/DP0878781
ARC/DP130101490
ARC/DP160100360
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/85974/narratives-of-nationhood-young-australians-concepts-of-nation-and-their-attitudes-towards-boat-people

Log in to edit

Download files

Author's accepted manuscript
AM_Laughland-Booÿ_2017_Narratives_of_nationhood_Young_Australians_concepts.pdf
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File access level: Open

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 156
    total views
  • 82
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 7
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Investigating the ambitions of young women to run for national parliament : the case of Australia
Ghazarian, Zareh, Woodbridge, Laura, Laughland-Booy, Jacqueline and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2023). Investigating the ambitions of young women to run for national parliament : the case of Australia. Australian Journal of Political Science. 58(4), pp. 461-476. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2023.2269866
Ethnic diversity, social identity, and social withdrawal : Investigating Putnam’s constrict thesis
Wickes, Rebecca, Hipp, John and Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline. (2022). Ethnic diversity, social identity, and social withdrawal : Investigating Putnam’s constrict thesis. Sociological Quarterly. 63(3), pp. 516-540. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2021.1899087
Happy times : An exploration of how Australian young adults define happiness
McMillan, Nathan, Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Roberts, Steven and Smith, Jonathan. (2022). Happy times : An exploration of how Australian young adults define happiness. Journal of Applied Youth Studies. 5(1), pp. 37-53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43151-021-00060-6
Teaching Australian Politics : Thirty Years of Civics and Citizenship Education in Australia
Ghazarian, Zareh and Laughland-Booy, Jacqueline. (2021). Teaching Australian Politics : Thirty Years of Civics and Citizenship Education in Australia. In In Lewis, Jenny and Tiernan, Anne (Ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics pp. 560 Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198805465.013.33
Young Queenslanders’ experiences of COVID-19 : Insights from the Our Lives cohort study
Skrbiš, Zlatko, Smith, Jonathan, Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Cook, Duncan, Tranter, Bruce, Findlay, Andrea and Cunningham, Maddison. (2020). Young Queenslanders’ experiences of COVID-19 : Insights from the Our Lives cohort study Brisbane, Queensland: Australian Catholic University. https://doi.org/10.24268/acu.8yqzz
How are young Australians learning about politics at school?: The student perspective
Ghazarian, Zareh, Laughland-Booy, Jacqueline, De Lazzari, Chiara and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2020). How are young Australians learning about politics at school?: The student perspective. Journal of Applied Youth Studies. 3(3), pp. 193-208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43151-020-00011-7
Poles apart : Political divisions over climate change among younger Australians
Tranter, Bruce, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Smith, Jonathan F.. (2020). Poles apart : Political divisions over climate change among younger Australians. Journal of Applied Youth Studies. 3(3), pp. 255-273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43151-020-00013-5
Minority cosmopolitanism : Afro-cosmopolitan engagement displayed by African Australians
Hersi, Abdi, Willing, Indigo, Woodward, Ian and Skrbiš, Zlatko. (2020). Minority cosmopolitanism : Afro-cosmopolitan engagement displayed by African Australians. Journal of Intercultural Studies. 41(2), pp. 163-179. https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2020.1724905
Our Lives Asylum Seekers
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline. (2020). Our Lives Asylum Seekers [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.26193/FDKLDI
Ethnicity and belonging
Skrbiš, Zlatko and Smith, Jonathan. (2019). Ethnicity and belonging. In In Germov, John and Poole, Marilyn (Ed.). Public socology : An introduction to Australian society pp. 283-307 Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003116974-16
Young people, political knowledge and the future of Australian democracy
Ghazarian, Zareh and Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline. (2019). Young people, political knowledge and the future of Australian democracy. Australian Quarterly. 90(1), pp. 38-43.
Technology, change, and uncertainty : Maintaining career confidence in the early 21st century
Skrbiš, Zlatko and Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline. (2019). Technology, change, and uncertainty : Maintaining career confidence in the early 21st century. New Technology, Work and Employment. 34(3), pp. 191-207. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12151
Young adulthood in uncertain times : The association between sense of personal control and employment, education, personal relationships and health
Chesters, Jenny, Smith, Jonathan, Cuervo, Hernan, Laughland-Booy, Jacqueline, Wyn, Johanna, Skrbis, Zlatko and Woodman, Dan. (2019). Young adulthood in uncertain times : The association between sense of personal control and employment, education, personal relationships and health. Journal of Sociology. 55(2), pp. 389-408. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783318800767
Navigating the Negative : Hearing the Anti-Asylum Perspective
Laughland-Booy, Jacqueline and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2018). Navigating the Negative : Hearing the Anti-Asylum Perspective. In SAGE Research Methods Cases pp. 1-8 SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526429407
Performing cosmopolitanism : The context and object framing of cosmopolitan openness
Woodward, Ian and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2018). Performing cosmopolitanism : The context and object framing of cosmopolitan openness. In Routledge International Handbook of Cosmopolitanism Studies: 2nd edition pp. 129-139 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351028905-12
Hopelessly adrift? Cosmopolitanism, global citizenship, and moral commitment
Skrbis, Zlatko. (2018). Hopelessly adrift? Cosmopolitanism, global citizenship, and moral commitment. In In Emontspool, Julie and Woodward, Ian (Ed.). Cosmopolitanism, markets, and consumption : A critical global perspective pp. 277-285 Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64179-9_12
Cosmopolitan acceptance a model for understanding views of acceptance towards asylum seekers
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline and Skrbiš, Zlatko. (2018). Cosmopolitan acceptance a model for understanding views of acceptance towards asylum seekers. Studies in Arts and Humanities. 4(2), pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.18193/sah.v4i2.138
Identity and intimacy : A longitudinal qualitative study of young Australians
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Newcombe, Peter. (2018). Identity and intimacy : A longitudinal qualitative study of young Australians. Journal of Adolescent Research. 33(6), pp. 725-751. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558416684959
The voting strategies of young people : A conceptual framework
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Ghazarian, Zareh. (2018). The voting strategies of young people : A conceptual framework. Australian Journal of Political Science. 53(2), pp. 143-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2018.1444138
Young, anchored and free? Examining the dynamics of early housing pathways in Australia
Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Smith, Jonathan, Parsell, Cameron, Tranter, Bruce, Laughland-Booy, Jacqueline and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2017). Young, anchored and free? Examining the dynamics of early housing pathways in Australia. Journal of Youth Studies. 20(7), pp. 904 - 926. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1273520
Australianness as fairness: Implications for cosmopolitan encounters
Plage, Stefanie, Willing, Indigo, Skrbis, Zlatko and Woodward, Ian. (2017). Australianness as fairness: Implications for cosmopolitan encounters. Journal of Sociology. 53(2), pp. 318 - 333. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783316667641
Cosmopolitan encounters: Reflexive engagements and the ethics of sharing
Plage, Stefanie, Willing, Indigo, Woodward, Ian and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2017). Cosmopolitan encounters: Reflexive engagements and the ethics of sharing. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 40(1), pp. 4 - 23. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2016.1178788
Looking forward : Career identity formation and the temporal orientations of young Australians
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Newcombe, Peter and Skrbiš, Zlatko. (2017). Looking forward : Career identity formation and the temporal orientations of young Australians. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 101, pp. 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.04.005
A social inequality of motivation? The relationship between beliefs about academic success and young people's educational attainment
Smith, Jonathan and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2017). A social inequality of motivation? The relationship between beliefs about academic success and young people's educational attainment. British Educational Research Journal. 43(3), pp. 441 - 465. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3272
Cosmopolitan openness
Skrbiš, Zlatko and Woodward, Ian. (2016). Cosmopolitan openness. In In Rovisco, Maria and Nowicka, Magdalena (Ed.). The Ashgate research companion to cosmopolitanism pp. 53-68 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315612850-5
Arenas of comfort and conflict: Peer relationship events and young people's educational attainment
Smith, Jonathan and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2016). Arenas of comfort and conflict: Peer relationship events and young people's educational attainment. Journal of Youth Studies. 19(5), pp. 646 - 664. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2015.1098767
Gender performance and cosmopolitan practice: Exploring gendered frames of openness and hospitality
Høy-Petersen, Nina, Woodward, Ian and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2016). Gender performance and cosmopolitan practice: Exploring gendered frames of openness and hospitality. The Sociological Review. 64(4), pp. 970 - 986. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12390
Crossing boundaries : Understanding the pro-asylum narratives of young Australians
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Tranter, Bruce. (2016). Crossing boundaries : Understanding the pro-asylum narratives of young Australians. Ethnicities. 16(5), pp. 752-769. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468796815583341
Digital socialization: Young people’s changing value orientations towards internet use between adolescence and early adulthood
Smith, Jonathan, Hewitt, Belinda and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2015). Digital socialization: Young people’s changing value orientations towards internet use between adolescence and early adulthood. Information, Communication and Society. 18(9), pp. 1022 - 1038. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1007074
Whose choice? Young people, career choices and reflexivity re-examined
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Mayall, Margery and Skrbiš, Zlatko. (2015). Whose choice? Young people, career choices and reflexivity re-examined. Current Sociology. 63(4), pp. 586-603. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392114540671
Unrecognised cosmopolitans: Mobility and openness among globally engaged family farmers
Cheshire, Lynda, Willing, Indigo and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2014). Unrecognised cosmopolitans: Mobility and openness among globally engaged family farmers. Mobilities. 9(1), pp. 84 - 103. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450101.2013.796784
Toleration or trust? Investigating the acceptance of 'boat people' among young Australians
Laughland-Booÿ, Jacqueline, Skrbiš, Zlatko and Tranter, Bruce. (2014). Toleration or trust? Investigating the acceptance of 'boat people' among young Australians. Australian Journal of Social Issues. 49(2), pp. 195 - 217. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1839-4655.2014.tb00308.x
Seeds of cosmopolitan future? Young people and their aspirations for future mobility
Skrbis, Zlatko, Woodward, Ian and Bean, Clive. (2014). Seeds of cosmopolitan future? Young people and their aspirations for future mobility. Journal of Youth Studies. 17(5), pp. 614 - 625. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2013.834314
The mosque and social networks: The case of muslim youth in Brisbane
Karimshah, Ameera, Chiment, Melinda and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2014). The mosque and social networks: The case of muslim youth in Brisbane. Social Inclusion. 2(2), pp. 38 - 46. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v2i2.165
Political and social divisions over climate change among young Queenslanders
Tranter, Bruce and Skrbis, Zlatko. (2014). Political and social divisions over climate change among young Queenslanders. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space. 46(7), pp. 1638 - 1651. https://doi.org/10.1068/a46285