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2. Ethnicity Flashcards

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1
Q

ETHNICITY

A
  • refers to a social group, categorized by a distinctive way of life with set customary values
  • eg. the Bendigo Karen people from the Thai-Burma border
  • members of a group can claim an ethnic identity or an ethnic category may be assigned to them by others
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2
Q

Why do sociologists now avoid the use of race as a category I preference for ethnicity?

A

Race:

  • a label that others assign to an individual
  • a label created by those outside of an ethnic group
  • based on common physical features
  • assigned individuals and groups to categories that were ranked or hierarchical, maintaining patterns of power and inequality within society

Ethnicity:
- the cultural heritage that an individual identifies with

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3
Q
  • Macionis made the following observations about the use of racial classifications (considered to be both misleading and harmful):
A
  • the meaning and importance of race varies from place to place and over time
  • societies use racial categories to rank people in a hierarchy, giving some people more money, power and prestige than others
  • despite the creation of broad racial groups, scientific method has established that there are no biological ‘pure’ races
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4
Q

SOCIALISATION

A
  • socialization involves processes that ensure people learn to conform to the social norms that exist within their culture
  • this process enables a society to ensure conformity and the transmission of culture across generations
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5
Q

What are some of the factors contributing to the formation of ethnicity?

A
  • language
  • history
  • religion
  • ancestry
  • styles of dress
  • food
  • customs
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6
Q
  • While sociologists prefer to use the concept of ethnicity rather than race, it is important to note that there are some issues related to the study of ethnicity that social researchers should be aware of.
    These concerns include:
A
  • the way an ethnic group sees itself might not correspond to the way that those outside the group view them
  • ethnic communities are often misrepresented as a homogeneous group
  • ethnic roles are flexible and may change according to the setting
  • the ‘culture’ that ethnic groups are considered to share is often viewed as being ‘traditional’ and fixed, rather than as adapting and changing over time
  • research and media reporting of ethnicity tends to focus on migrant or minority groups that have highly visible customs
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7
Q

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

A
  • the practice of judging another culture by its own standards
  • eg. understanding the choice Muslim women make when wearing a burqa
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8
Q

ETHNOCENTRISM

A
  • the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture
  • eg. judging Muslim women as oppressed when wearing the burqa
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9
Q

‘OTHER’

A
  • otherness refers to the labeling of a group of people who are seen as ‘outsiders’ by the dominant culture
  • it refers to the experience of exclusion felt by those considered to be outside of the center of societal values and beliefs
  • it is an outcome of the various processes through which boundaries are constructed between ‘us’ and ‘them’
  • eg. Anti-mosque protesters in Bendigo label Muslims as the ‘other’
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10
Q

HYBRIDITY (ETHNIC)

page 59

A
  • the concept of hybridity refers to new cultural forms resulting from a mixture of two or more cultural influences
  • the concept is used to describe the experience of people who have multiple ethnic identities
  • eg. Greek-Australian children who have one set of cultural experiences within their homes and local communities and an entirely different identity within their schools
  • eg. burqini
  • it is common amongst young refugees and second or third generation migrants
  • these multiple identities refer the idea that the concept of ethnicity is both temporary and evolving
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11
Q
  • What does Stuart Hall suggest about hybridity?
A

Hall suggests that hybridity involves a process where individuals develop connections across cultural groups. People identify with, and choose elements of, more than one culture that then form a blended ethnic identity.

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12
Q
  • What does Homi Bhabha suggest about hybridity?
A

Bhabha’s theory is informed by the experiences of second-generation migrants. He describes ethnic hybridity as being as a position of ‘in-between’. This period of ‘in-between’ relates to the shift from identification with one culture until the complete assimilation into another.

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13
Q
  • It is important to note that not all ethnic groups are able to move freely between cultural identities.
A

The implication is that often a society attaches a label to an ethnic group and that group then finds it very difficult, if not impossible, to challenge.

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14
Q

The experience of cultural adjustment often generates conflict between young people and their families. This originates from families placing a great deal of importance on cultural maintenance, but at the same time expecting young people to succeed in mainstream society.
According to Berry, there are four common responses by young people to this pressure. They are as follows:

A
  1. assimilation - they adopt the new culture and reject the old culture
  2. withdrawal - they reject the new culture and preserve or exaggerate the old culture
  3. marginalization - reject both old and new cultures
  4. integration/biculturalism - maintain important aspects of their old culture while also adopting parts of their new culture
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15
Q

RACE

A
  • a socially-constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important, such as skin colour and facial features
  • eg. African race
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16
Q

In June 2010, there were almost six million migrants …

A

from over 200 countries living in Australia.

This represents 27% of the estimated total resident population of the nation.

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17
Q

What is the net migration rate in Australia?

A

6.03 migrants/1000 population

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18
Q

What is the spread of ethnic groups in Australia?

A

white - 92%
Asian - 7%
Aboriginal and other - 1%

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19
Q

What is the spread of religions in Australia?

A

Catholic - 25.8%
Anglican - 18.7%
Buddhist - 2.1%
Muslim - 1.7%

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20
Q

What is the spread of languages in Australia?

A

English - 78.5%
Chinese - 2.5%
Italian - 1.6%

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21
Q

What is the population of Australia?

A

21,766,711

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22
Q

What is the net migration rate of Japan?

A

0 migrants/1000 population

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23
Q

What is the spread of ethnic groups in Japan?

A

Japanese - 98.5%
Koreans - 0.5%
Chinese - 0.4%

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24
Q

What is the spread of religions in Japan?

A

Shintoism - 83.9%
Buddhism - 71.4%
Christian - 2%
(many people belong both Shintoism and Buddhism)

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25
Q

What is the spread of languages in Japan?

A

Japanese

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26
Q

What is the population of Japan?

A

126,475,664

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27
Q

What is the net migration rate of the United States of America?

A

4.18 migrants/1000 population

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28
Q

What is the spread of ethnic groups in the United States of America?

A

white - 79.95%
black - 12.85%
Asian - 4.43%

(many more than Australia)

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29
Q

What is the spread of religions in the United States of America?

A

Protestant - 51.3%
Roman Catholic - 23.9%
Buddhist - 0.7%
Muslim - 0.6%

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30
Q

What is the spread of languages in the United States of America?

A

English - 82.1%
Spanish - 10.7%
other Indo-European - 3.8%

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31
Q

What is the population of the United States of America?

A

313,232,044

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32
Q

What is a similarity of all countries being compared?

A

all developed countries

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33
Q

When was ‘Australia’s ethnic diversity compared to other developed counties’ table made?

(page 62)

A

July 2011

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34
Q

CULTURAL/ETHNIC DIVERSITY

A
  • a society, such as Australia, which is comprised of a range of ethnic groups; multiculturalism in society
  • eg. Melbourne’s population has a hugely diverse range of nationalities and ethnic groups
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35
Q

COMPARATIVE (METHOD) PERSPECTIVE

A

refers to analysis involving the similarities and differences in experiences between culture and across nations

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36
Q

ASSIMILATION

A
  • the process whereby Indigenous peoples and immigrants are required to adapt to, and be absorbed by, the dominant culture
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37
Q

MULTICULTURALISM

A
  • refers to a process of interaction between different cultures
  • in Australian policy terms, it refers to the expectation that all members of society have the right to equal access to services and expression of their cultural identity, regardless of ethnic background
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38
Q
  • The term ‘multiculturalism’ has a number of meanings, depending on the context in which it is being used. They are as follows:
A
  • often used to describe the diverse cultural make-up of a society
  • refers to a set of norms that uphold the right of the individual to retain and enjoy their culture
  • the name given to a government policy which seeks to recognize, manage and maximize the benefits of cultural diversity
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39
Q

What was the White Australia Policy? When was it abolished?

A
  • set of laws that intentionally made it difficult for non-British people to migrate to Australia
  • abolished in 1973
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40
Q

Assimilation dates?

A

1947 - 1973

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41
Q

What were the social impacts of the Assimilation policy?

A
  • old racism
  • segregated within the workplace due to the work they had access to
  • migrants heavily represented in manufacturing jobs
  • migrant children did not perform as well at school as expected
  • school and education
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42
Q

What were the economic impacts of the Assimilation policy?

A
  • rise in population and manufacturing jobs meant stronger economy
  • modernize and industrialize the country
  • post war reconstruction plan
  • helped migrants find work
  • cheap labour by migrants
  • non-British migrants had limited access to occupations and social security benefits
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43
Q

What were the political impacts of the Assimilation policy?

A
  • government programs were established to help migrants find work, accommodation and to learn English
  • ethnic groups were discouraged within the workplace and local communities
  • focus was placed on schooling as a way of absorbing children into Australian culture
  • Commonwealth established DIMIA
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44
Q
  • The development of an integration followed by multiculturalism policy occurred because …
A

of the difference between the aims of assimilation and social reality.

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45
Q

Multiculturalism dates?

A

1973 - current

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46
Q

What are the social impacts of Multiculturalism?

A
  • new racism
  • recognize that people could be part of two cultures in the same country; allowed people to share the values of Australian democracy but also continue to celebrate their own cultural traditions
  • unity; celebrates and values; just, inclusive, socially cohesive; understanding and accepting
  • Cronulla Riots (2005)
  • Muslim extremism
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47
Q

What are the economic impacts of Multicultralism?

A
  • the Australian government welcomes the economic, trade and investment benefits which arise from our successful multicultural nation
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48
Q

What are the political impacts of Multiculturalism?

A
  • One Nation Party opposes multiculturalism, argued that it threatened ‘traditional Australian culture’
  • ended White Australia Policy
  • Immigration Minister Al Grassby - people are a ‘Family of the Nation’
  • 1978 - first official national policy of Multiculturalism
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49
Q

IMMIGRATION

A

the movement of people from one country to another on a permanent basis

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50
Q

What are the three key categories of immigrants in Australia?

A

migrants, refugees and asylum seekers

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51
Q

MIGRANT

A

a person who leaves his or her country of origin voluntarily to seek a better life for a range of personal and economic reasons

Migrants have made the choice to leave, had the chance to plan and prepare for migration and generally can return at any time.

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52
Q

REFUGEE

A

(according to the United Nations Refugee Convention)
a person who is outside their own country and is unable or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion

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53
Q

If an person is found to be a refugee, what is Australia obliged to do?

A

Australia is obliged under international law to offer support and ensure the person is not sent back unwilling to their country of origin.

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54
Q

ASYLUM SEEKER

A
  • a person who has fled their own country and has applied for recognition as a refugee under the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees but whose case has yet to be determined

The majority of asylum seekers arrive in Australia with permission to enter (eg. they arrive on a visitor or student visa). Some arrive without authorization for a range of reasons (eg. lack access to documentation). No asylum seeker is illegal as it is legal to seek protection from persecution according to Australian and international law.

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55
Q

What are the two immigration programs that allow people to come and live in Australia?

A

migration program, humanitarian program

The migration program (168,700 places in 2010/11) accepts more people than the humanitarian program (13,750 places in 2010/11).

56
Q

What is the migration program?

A
  • accepts ‘skilled migrants’ to live in Australia
  • skilled migrants are people who have a profession or trade that could be of benefit to Australian society
  • under the migration program people may also be accepted to live in Australia if they have family or children who are Australians
  • migrants are selected under the migration program in three streams: skill, family and special eligibility
57
Q

What is the humanitarian program?

A
  • offered resettlement to refugees and to others in need of humanitarian need who have suffered discrimination resulting in serious violations of their human rights
58
Q

The humanitarian program is divided into an ‘onshore’ and ‘offshore’ stream. What is the offshore (resettlement) component?

A
  • offers resettlement to people outside Australia who are need of humanitarian assistance
  • people who come to Australia under the offshore stream are recognized as ‘refugees’ or ‘special humanitarian entrants’ before arriving in Australia (and have often spent many years in a third country and/or refugee camps)
59
Q

The humanitarian program is divided into an ‘onshore’ and ‘offshore’ stream. What is the onshore (asylum or protection) component?

A
  • offers to protection to people who are already in Australia when they apply for protection (eg. asylum seekers who arrive by place or boat)
  • asylum seekers must meet the refugee definition in the United Nations Convention to be offered onshore protection
60
Q

What is the special humanitarian program (offshore component)?

A
  • refers to a category of migration allowing individuals and their immediate family living outside of their home country who have been subject to a gross violation of their human rights in their home country to seek refuge in Australia
  • must have proposer in Australia who covers their airfares and helps them adjust to Australian culture
  • they are not technically refugees according to the UN definition, however they may have been subject to similar experiences
61
Q
  • Explain Australia’s Migration Act 1958.
A
  • requires people who are not Australian citizens and who are unlawfully in Australia to be detained
  • unless they are given permission to stay in Australia by being granted a visa, ‘unlawful non-citizens’ are deported
62
Q
  • Explain Australia’s policy of immigration detention, which was introduced in 1992.
A

Immigrants will put in detention. Most detention centers are in isolated parts of Australia or on remote islands outside of Australia. Some individuals and families seeking asylum spend months, or even years, before their refugee status is established. If a person is found not to be a refugee, they are deported from Australia. If they are found to be a refugee, they are released into the wider Australian community, often on a short-term visa.

63
Q
  • What are the social impacts of skilled migration?
A
  • promotes acceptance of migration

- promotes diversity and population

64
Q
  • What are the economic impacts of skilled migration?
A
  • fills skill requirements
  • less unemployment
  • more tax payers
  • provides a labour force for manufacturing
  • foster international trade through the knowledge of overseas markets, business networks, cultural practices and languages other than English
65
Q
  • What are the political impacts of skilled migration?
A
  • ministers for immigration established the committee overseas personal qualifications
66
Q
  • What are the social impacts of humanitarian migration?
A
  • a long history of successfully re-settling refugees and humanitarian entrants
  • designed to help people who are subject to substantial discrimination
  • fear or radicalization
67
Q
  • What are the economic impacts of humanitarian migration?
A
  • government must provide healthcare and housing
  • taxes on Australian citizens
  • detention centers and refugee camps (cost)
68
Q
  • What are the political impacts of the humanitarian program?
A
  • meets some of Australia’s obligations to provide protection under international law
  • UN Human Rights
  • political debate
69
Q
  • What are some general social impacts of immigration?
A
  • high level of intermarriage between individuals of different cultural backgrounds
  • the celebration of material culture (eg. food, music and festivals)
  • the willingness of many to explore ‘other’ people’s belief systems
  • White Australia Policy (the belief that only British or white-skinned people should migrate to Australia)
  • old/new racism
  • moral panic (boat people, migrants taking jobs, the abuse of welfare support, fear of terrorism)
70
Q

OLD RACISM

A
  • based on a person’s biology

- eg. Asian’s have squinty eyes

71
Q

NEW RACISM

A
  • involves the expressions of racism that highlight the sociocultural differences between the dominant culture and minority ethnic groups
  • eg. Islamophobia
72
Q

ISLAMOPHOBIA

A

the fear or hatred of people who practice the Islamic faith

73
Q

MORAL PANIC

A
  • occurs when society becomes convinced that it is under threat by a group of social activity
  • the role of the media is fundamental to this process; the media focuses attention on what is seen to be a threat to the moral order of stability of a society
  • eg. illegal immigrants/boat people
74
Q

ETHICS

A

refers to the moral dilemmas that researchers face when conducting and reporting on their research

75
Q
  • The key features of The Australian Sociological Association’s (TASA) ethical guidelines for conducting research include:
A
  • treating participants with respect
  • putting methods in place to prevent harm to participants
  • establishing informed consent procedures, including making explicit the purpose, nature and implications of the study
  • ensuring participants are aware of their rights, including voluntary participation and withdrawal rights
  • ensuring the confidentiality and/or anonymity of participants
  • reporting results honestly
  • debriefing participants and making the results available to the participants
76
Q

What does voluntary participation and informed consent involve?

A
  • any person or group being studied should give their consent to being the subject of the research; this usually involves an explanation about the key features of the research and the future use of information gathered
  • respondents must understand the purpose of the research and how their privacy and confidentiality will be respected in the reporting of the results
  • an informed consent form is recommended
  • willing involvement of research participants, and the awareness of their right to refuse to participate in a research project without having to give a reason or justification for their decision
77
Q

What does privacy and confidentiality of data involve?

A
  • no information should be released that an individual sees as confidential
  • participants have the right to make additional requests for privacy at any stage of the research process

One social research method that causes particular ethical concerns involves the use of unobtrusive measures (a study of people without their knowledge). This issue occurs when sociologists act as participant observers, or disguise their identity as a researcher, in order to gain entry into a group (eg. a religious cult). It occurs also when a sociologist gains information about people who are not aware that they are being observed.

78
Q

KAREN ETHNIC GROUP

A
  • Thai-Burmese border (food, rice farmers)
  • six sub-language groups
  • Buddhist, Animist, Christianity
  • respect for family, elders and teachers, and value education
  • flag: honesty - blue, bravery - red, purity - white
  • moved to Bendigo as refugees and family migrants
79
Q
  • Ethnicity is associated with a sense of belonging and shared way of life, usually defined by the following distinguishing characteristics:
A
  • ancestry/family background
  • culture (including language, religious beliefs, traditions, community activities, habits)
  • sense of identity
80
Q

Who is the local social institution that engage with and respond to the needs of the Karen people?

A

Bendigo Baptist Church (BBC)

81
Q

Outline the local social institution. Who are they? What is their objective?

A
  • church community of about 100 people of varying ages and ethnicities
  • work with the local community to share their beliefs and assist with local issues
  • established Eleven 41 Cleaning Enterprise in 2011
  • provides administrative support and organizes employment for the Karen people
82
Q

What did the local social institution respond to? Describe the issue or need.

A
  • employment (income, housing, schooling)
  • practice English skills
  • build and nurture strong relationships within Karen community and support network within Bendigo community (emotional and practical)
  • sense of belonging
83
Q

How did the local social institution engage with the ethnic group? What did they do to respond?

A
  • Baptcare recognized the needs for Karen people in Bendigo and supplied start up capital (funds) and volunteers
  • works to initiate and develop the cleaning enterprise Eleven 41; this provides the Karen with job opportunities for income, the chance to practice their English etc.
  • this enterprise is successful as the Karen people have engaged with this local social institution and readily look for and agitate for the chance to gain employment
84
Q

Who is the state social institution that engage with and respond to the needs of the Karen people?

A

Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and Regional Victoria

85
Q

Outline the state local institution. Who are they? What is their objective?

A
  • metropolitan and regional organization which supports parishes state wide
  • aim to spread their beliefs and to equip, empower and support cultural diversity through pastoral and spiritual ministry
  • provide financial resources, volunteers and paid /experienced employers
86
Q

What did the state social institution respond to? Describe the issue or need.

A
  • limited English or functional English which contributes to difficultly in accessing basic resources
  • high levels of unemployment that are compounded by poor knowledge of local workforce and a lack of work experience in Australia
  • limited ability to get access to mainstream support services because of cultural and language barriers
  • limited social support and networking opportunities for older Karen
87
Q

How did the state social institution engage with the ethnic group? What did they do to respond?

A
  • find temporary accommodation (eg. host families) and longer term (eg. renting)
  • interpreting support - bring interpreters from Melbourne to stay in Bendigo
  • assistance in enrolling at TAFE (eg. BRIT for AMEP)
  • assistance in finding employment and job readiness programs

Very successful.

88
Q

Who is the national social institution that engage with and respond to the needs of the Karen people?

A

Australian Federal Government/Department of Immigration and Border Protection

89
Q

Outline the national social institution. Who are they? What is their objective?

A
  • assist with settlement in Australia
  • manage migration
  • protect refugees
  • border management
  • promote Australian citizenship
90
Q

What did the national social institution respond to? Describe the issue or need.

A
  • meaningful employment
  • practical English skills
  • care for children during classes
  • basic settlement skills
  • assistance to function within their community
91
Q

How did the national social institution engage with the ethnic group? What did they do to respond?

A
  • up to 510 hours of free English language tuition to eligible migrants
  • AMEP is delivered at around 250 locations across Australia in major cities as well as rural and regional areas
  • a choice of a range of learning options
  • free childcare services so that classes can be attended
  • helps clients develop basic settlement skills to assist them with negotiating daily activities in their community (eg. banking)
92
Q

SOCIAL INSTITUTION

A
  • refer to groups, beliefs or patterns of behavior within society that are involved in the socialization of individuals and groups
  • eg. educational systems, government
93
Q

The Karen people have been fighting a sixty-year civil war against …

A

the Burmese military regime for autonomy and cultural rights.

94
Q

What are some cultural dos and don’ts of the Karen people?

A
  • do smile a lot
  • do not lose your temper
  • do take your shoes off before going inside a Karen home, even if you are told it is okay to leave your shoes on, or people in the home are wearing shoes (some Karen have separate ‘house shoes’ they only wear inside)
  • do not shake hands
  • do not hug or kiss a Karen, unless they are a baby
  • do not go into the bedroom or kitchen of a Karen home unless you are specifically invited
  • Karen are strong, resilient people who have survived life in war zones and refugee camps; while some Karen may struggle to learn English or adjust to life in a Western country, this does not mean they should be treated like children
95
Q

What is unique about identifying as Karen?

A

The Karen are unique in that it is not necessary to have Karen parents to be Karen. Many Karen say that to be Karen, a person must identify as Karen; know Karen culture and customs; and speak a Karen language.

96
Q

How many Karen people are believed to be living in Burma?

A

between six and seven million

97
Q

Since 2005 more than 50,000 Karen refugees have been resettled in Western counties - most going to …

A

America, with smaller numbers going to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some European countries.

98
Q

Explain a typical Karen village.

A

The villagers grow rice in paddy fields about fifteen minutes walk from the village. They also grow fruit and vegetables around the village. The village is mostly self-sufficient. They villagers weave their own clothing, grow their own food, and build their own houses. Only rubber thongs, tools and medicines come from outside the village.

99
Q

What danger does the Burmese Army pose when visiting villages?

A

If Burmese Army patrols come to a village they steal chickens and force male villagers to go with them as ‘porters’ to carry food and ammunition. On several occasions female villagers were taken as porters and they were gang rated by soldiers at night time.

100
Q

What are the six Karen sub-groups?

A
  • Skaw Karen
  • Pwo Karen
  • Bwe Karen
  • Karenni
  • Pa-O
  • ‘Karen Muslims’
101
Q

What is depicted on the Karen flag?

A

The Karen flag is red, white and blue. Red represents bravery, white represents purity and blue represents honesty. In the top left corner are nine rays of sunshine representing the nine Karen districts, and a traditional Karen drum.

102
Q

What does Karen traditional clothing consist of?

A

Traditionally, Karen men wear a sarong and sleeveless shirt; unmarried women wear a long white dress; and married women wear a sarong and sleeveless shirt. The design of male shirts and sarongs are different to female shirts and sarongs, and males and females tie their sarongs in different ways.

Different Karen sub-groups have different designs for their clothing, but all follow the same basic pattern.

103
Q

Explain Karen New Year.

A

The Karen New Year is based on the full moon and is held on the first day of the month of Pyathoe in the Buddhist Lunar Calendar (in December or January in the Western calendar).

The Karen New Year marks the end of the harvest of one crop, the beginning of the next crop, and the time when new houses are built.

Karen New Year celebrations include singing, bamboo dances, speeches, and eating sticky rice and fried chicken.

104
Q

Explain Revolution Day.

A

Karen Revolution Day commemorates the beginning of the Karen uprising on 31 January 1949. At KNLA bases inside Burma military parades are held at dawn, followed by speeches and traditional Karen dancing. Karen in Thailand and around the world also celebrate Karen New Year, although without the military parades.

104
Q

Explain the Wrist Tying festival.

A

An annual wrist tying ceremony called Lar Ko Kee Su is held in August each year. The festival includes singing, dancing and eating.

An important Animist belief is that everyone had thirty-seven klar (or spirits) living with them: thirty-six minor klar and one major klar. If one or more minor klar wander away from the body, the person may become sick. If the major klar wanders away, they may become crazy. In either case a traditional healer will hold a wrist-tying ceremony where the wandering klar is lured back with gifts of fruit, rice and nuts. A white string is tied around the wrist of an adult, or the neck of a small child, to prevent the klar from wandering away again. If all thirty-seven klar leave, a person will then die.

105
Q

Food plays a central role in Karen culture. A common Karen greeting is ‘Aw mee wee lee ar’ - what does this mean?

A

Have you finished eating?

106
Q

What do Karen people eat?

A

Karen people eat white rice, and lots of it. Traditionally Karen people eat twice a day, in the morning at about 10 am, and in the afternoon at about 4 pm.

A good Karen meal would include large bowls of rice, a bowl of pork curry, a bowl of stir-fried meat and vegetables, a bowl of soup, and a small bowl of fishpaste or chilies. The bowls of curries and soups are shared.

Most Karen villagers and refugees do not usually eat this well. A more common meal would be rice, a few boiled vegetables and fishpaste.

107
Q

How do Karen people feel about education?

A

Karen people generally place an enormous value on education.

The Buddha taught that there are four classes of people that his followers should bow down before: Buddhas, monks, parents and teachers.

108
Q

Explain education in terms of the Karen people.

A

Many parents cannot afford for their children to attend government schools, and send them to monastery schools where monks (usually not well educated themselves) teach for free.

Most children in Burma now do not complete primary school, either because their parents need them to work, because their parents cannot afford to pay for their education, or because there are no schools where they live.

The passion Karen have for education means that they will try to set up schools wherever they can. Karen villagers who flee into the jungle after their villages are destroyed will often start by building a temporary school, and then build huts to live in whole their children study.

109
Q

Explain religion in terms of the Karen people.

A

Religion is not just a matter of belief: religion may determine, or be determined by, who somebody marries, the school they go to,mor whether they are resettled or whether they remain in a refugee camp.

It is important to understand that different religions (with the exception is Islam) are not exclusive categories. Karen Buddhists, Animists, and Christians have more or less the same belief system. What differentiates the different groups is what religious practices they engage in and which group they chose to be identified with.

110
Q

Explain Animism.

A

Traditionally, Karen people followed Animism. Animists believe that the world is inhabited by specifies that are usually (but in always) invisible to humans. Some of these spirits are dangerous, and protective measures must be taken out against them (eg. spirits cannot not climb an odd number of rungs on a ladder so many Karen houses have an odd number of rungs on their ladders).

Spirits that life in villages or houses are much like elderly relatives: morally conservative, easily angered, but can be placated if shown respect and given small gifts.

111
Q

Explain Buddhism.

A

It is important to understand that the Buddha was not a god, and the Buddha does not answer prayers. The Buddha taught, ‘Do good; avoid evil; purify your heart: this is the heart of Buddha’s teachings.

All Buddhist teachings follow from this. Buddhist practices such as chanting or bowing down before Buddha images, pagodas or monks are intend to cultivate respect for the values they represent.

112
Q

Explain marriages and families in terms of the Karen people.

A

For Karen people the family is vitally important. Unlike in Western cultures where there is a strong emphasis on the individual, it is the family that is all-important for the Karen. While it is the immediate family that is most important, the extended family is also very important.

  • arranged marriages are common
  • pre-martial sex is shunned
113
Q

Explain how Karen have approached food since moving to Australia.

A

Some Karen are used to living on a diet of rice, chilies and a few vegetables and continue to eat like this in Australia, spending very little money on food. Other families find that after a lifetime of borderline malnutrition they can eat as much fried pork, ice cream and soft drink as they like everyday.

114
Q

Explain how Karen have approached the Karen flag since moving to Australia.

A

Karen people are very proud of their flag and many Karen in Australia hang the Karen flag on the wall of their living room. Other Karen assume this is illegal in Australia and need reassurance that they can freely display their culture.

115
Q

Explain how Karen have approached education since moving to Australia.

A

Karen refugees often struggle with the Australian education system. While the education system in refugee camps is changing away from rote-learning, many Karen are unused to student-centered or problem-based teaching methodologies. Most Karen students find it challenging adjusting to a new education syste, while simultaneously learning a new language.

Some values learned we school will clash with traditional Karen values. For example, at home young Karens are taught to look down at the ground when people in authority speak to them; at school they are taught to make eye contact with their teachers.

However, Karen students come from a culture that values education very highly, and when Karen students receive the support they need they can be very successful in their studies.

116
Q

Explain how Karen have approached employment since moving to Australia.

A

Very few Karen have qualifications that can be directly transferred to working in Australia. Karen teacher qualifications, for example, are not recognized in Australia, but some Karen teachers have gained employment as multicultural education aides. Some medics are also retraining as disability workers.

Most Karen say the two greatest obstacles to employment are having sufficient ‘Australian’ English, and not having a car and/or driver’s license. When they overcome these obstacles, most Karen can get work.

117
Q

Explain how Karen have approached marriage and families since moving to Australia.

A

Different Karen families adapt to life in Australia in different ways. Where partners are flexible, accept that changing countries may mean changing roles and shared decision making, life in a new country may not place stresses on a marriage.

Where partners (usually the husband) are not willing to accept change or share decision making, family conflict follows. Despite strong stigma around separation and divorce, some families do split up.

Many Karen parents use physical punishment to discipline their children, which can lead to intervention by child protection authorities. Karen parents may need support to find more appropriate ways to raise children in Australia.

118
Q

How did the interviewers communicate with the Karen?

A

The Karen refugees’ experience of conflict and state-sanctioned violence understandably makes them cautious in talking about their experiences to researchers. For this project, the researchers sought assistance from volunteers who are currently working with the Karen community. Given language limitations, various strategies were explored to enhance communication with the research participants. Aside from the Karen refugees, observations and experiences of volunteers and support workers were also sought.

119
Q

Explain the research in relation to rapport.

A

With close communities and groups, research cannot be undertaken without the building of a ‘rapport’. This means that a greater amount of time is required and that research methods and approaches need to be flexible and responsive to community needs.

Rapport-building was a constant activity and integral to being able to undertake the research.

120
Q

How did interviewers conduct the research?

A
  • informal interviews
  • story-sharing
  • explored ways to make the participate comfortable to share their ideas
  • drawing was successful with children
121
Q

Who else, other than the Karen people, were involved in conducting research?

A
  • to obtain additional perspectives on Karen resettlement in Bendigo, interviews were also conducted with seven volunteers and gory support workers
  • the teachers at BRIT TAFE (classified as support workers) were also helpful in organizing meetings with Karen people
  • the researchers planned to work with friends and community networks for this study
  • introduce friends, share their ideas for the research
122
Q

Give one specific example of how research was conducted.

A

In order to be respectful and to gain the trust of the prospective participants, the research assistant joined the Karen women’s weaving classes and introduced herself and the research to the group and asked if anyone was interested in participating. During lunchtimes at BRIT TAFE, the research assistant also went to ‘hang around’ at the ‘Karen corner’ of BRIT where she met students and shares stories and ideas about the research.

In terms of respectful and culturally appropriate ways of communicating with the community, the research assistant used her own culture as a non-native English speaker to connect and, in some way, ‘identify with them’ thereby developing trust so that they would feel relaxed in sharing their stories and holding conversations with the researcher.

123
Q

What were some issues in conducting research?

A
  • due to their prior experience in Burma, some participants were hesitant to recommend names to be interviewed
  • S, for example, a single 26 year old young women prior to agreeing to have a chat with the assistant researcher requested that nothing negative against the Australian government should be written as a result of the conversation with her.
124
Q

In keeping with ethical requirements …

A

the participants’ identity in this study is kept anonymous.

They were assured that their identity would not be revealed in this study and that in Australia, they were free to express their opinion.

125
Q

Where do the Karen people come from?

A

Burma, Thailand, Thai-Burmese border

126
Q

What is one major social impact of assimilation?

A

old racism (negative)

127
Q

What is one major economic impact of assimilation?

A

rise in population - filled job shortages; manufacturing (positive)

128
Q

What is one major political impact of assimilation?

A

White Australia Policy (1901 - 1973) (negative)

129
Q

What is one major social impact of immigration?

A

new racism eg. Islamophobia (negative)

130
Q

What is one major economic impact of immigration?

A

international business links and investments - diversity in the workplace eg. Chinese investment in Chinese gardens (positive)

131
Q

What is one major political impact of immigration?

A

Jacque Lambie - Islamophobia

132
Q

What is one major social impact of multiculturalism?

A

cultural diversity (27%) (positive)

133
Q

What is one major economic impact of multiculturalism?

A

food and restaurants (positive)

134
Q

What is one major political impact of multiculturalism?

A
  • end of White Australia Policy (positive)

- creation of SBS, minimum of 50% in other languages

135
Q

Use specific …

A

examples.

Sociology (4 decks)

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