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
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Open
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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
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