Description:
In March 2011 scholars met in Prague at the conference Interculturalism, Meaning and Identity. This event revitalised this important theme related to Diversity and Recognition. The terms 'interculturalism' and 'integration' are experiencing a renaissance. As the extent of human movement between nations increases attempts are made to balance cultural difference and social cohesion. In some contexts immigration and settlement policies are becoming more draconian in response. Because of this, interculturalism can take on many meanings. However, pivotal to the way interculturalism is understood is identification. As the relationship between nation, ethnicity and language becomes more complex so too do the ways in which people represent them selves. The cultural resources drawn on and the processes used to form identities are examined in this truly international collection. So too are the implications of these developments for how we theorise culture, meaning and identity.
Description:
In the immediate post World War Two period, Australian nation building relied on immigration to enact industrialisation. The place in contemporary Australia, of those whose families came from southern Europe during this period is a gauge for the success of an immigration programme that contributed to enormous demographic shifts. The experiences of the Melbourne Greek community represent the place of cultural diversity in the Australian social imaginary. Public pedagogies of belonging and how these manifest through spaces that link with national representations are examined. The Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance is positioned as a sacred space. It is symbolic of Australian nationhood through its links with the ANZAC tradition. Processions to the Shrine occur regularly and young people, through their schools, participate. The Melbourne Greek community marches to the Shrine to mark Greece’s National Day. On these occasions, young people become the focus of commemorative activities, thus the Shrine becomes a sacred space for inducting students into various national narratives. Here the focus is on how such occasions engage with the social imaginary of Australianness and through it, diasporic students’ identification.