A Family Friend : Kelly Waipouri

Belonging is shaped by the experiences he or she encounters with others, and within the two poems ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ’10 Mary Street’ by Peter Skrzynecki, and the film ‘Looking For Alibrandi’ directed by Kate Woods, the characters’ personas are moulded by their endurances of alienation and barriers from mainstream society due to their personal and cultural differences.

Culture can shape a person’s identity because it is something that directly affects all people. People who grow up in a culture that is quite different from that experienced in the home or local community may feel isolated and may struggle to forge an identity. At times it is necessary to make some concessions in order to belong. Very often new arrivals to Australia find themselves struggling with the demands that their original culture places upon them as well as the pressures of Australian culture.

It is not easy to find what make people’s identity. The causes are sometimes visible and are sometimes invisible. People often say features of appearance can be identity such as skin colour, hair colour, eyes, and body frame. Other people, however, might say languages, lifestyles, beliefs, and families make identity. In the world, the differences of these things such as appearance and beliefs have been discriminated. Especially, Indigenous people often have been invaded their cultures and lands in the world and because of this, the number of Indigenous people have decreased. The main focus of this essay is Australian Aboriginal people’s identity. Dudgeon, Wright, Paradies, Garvey, and Walker (2010, p. 6) stated: ‘Aboriginality is about descent, culture, upbringing and life experiences. Thus there are many elements which impact on forming Indigenous identity. This essay will discuss that Indigenous Identity is influenced by various surroundings including government, family and cultures. Firstly, it will introduce the author and the book details and background. Secondly, this essay will explain family member impact on identity development. Thirdly, it will also describe the connection between identity and kinship ties. Then, it will explain the connection between identity and Cultural Interface. Finally, it will define the impact of land right on identity.

Gender is a learned social construction on what you do. It is a cultural system based on the binary opposition of men and women but there are also variations

Unfortunately, many migrants that come to Australia find themselves in this situation, struggling to feel included and comfortable with their changing identities. However, these differences make it harder to belong to one group; they can also strengthen bonds with one another. The most immediate and obvious indicator of difference with migrant is that of

Belonging is a complex, multi-faceted concept encompassing a wide range of different aspects. The need to belong to family and culture is a universal human need which provides a sense of value and emotional stability, and in many respects forges one’s identity. Alienation and disconnection often creates feelings of isolation, depression and loss of identity. A struggle with cultural identity is evident in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’, where he examines a division between his pre-war Polish heritage and his newfound Australian way of life. The movement away from his European cultural heritage towards a more Australian identity created disorientation for Skrzynecki, and these feelings of disconnection

It is thought by many that part of the Australian identity is being a very tolerant country that accepts and includes all cultures and people from all walks of life; however, after coming across the poems No More Boomerang by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Be Good, Little Migrants by Uyen Loewald, the experiences felt by two Australians prove that this idea is... questionable.

In a recent article authored by Alice Pung, a first generation Australian of Southeast Asian parents, titled ‘Living with Racism in Australia (Pung 2016), Alice details key points within her (and her families) life revolving around their migration from Cambodia to Australia. Within this she touches on, albeit briefly however still illustrating her point quite clearly, immigration, race/racism, assimilation, ethnic minorities, ethnic conflict and social cohesion.

The identity of an individual is shaped by the experiences and interactions they face in their world. Peter Skrzynecki’s “Immigrant chronicle” highlights this with poems like 10 Mary Street and In the Folk Museum through how Peter interacted and connected to Australia's society while Tim Winton's “The Neighbours” establishes his sense of belonging when connections between him and his community form during their lifetime experience. From this, we learn that experiences and interactions shape our identity and from that, we form connections between communities and places.

Culture is always changing. Beliefs, behaviours and presentation, religion and language all form part of what is an individual’s or community’s culture. (Bowes, Grace, & Hodge, 2012, p.75 & 77). Due to its intrinsic nature, when people migrate to Australia, they bring their culture with them. As migrants come from all over the world, and not the one place, their

Gender plays a signifigant roles in our every day lives. Gender determines whether or not we will dress as a male or female. Gender determines who we will have as friends. Also which role models we choose. While visiting my family in Louisiana my

The concept of gender has a strong social impact on me. When I was born, I was immediately assigned to a biological sex as a female with two X chromosomes. I was then socially classified as a girl in the society with feminine gender roles. Gender is defined as a social principle which attribute to the roles and expectations of males and females through the years of different societies (Phillips, 2005). Gender can be considered as behavioural, cultural and psychological traits

Gender is used to refer to “the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with

Gender affects every aspect of our life, from how we feel about ourselves and set our goals in educational, recreational and work opportunities as well as the the nature and extent of our participation in social and civic life. It has a strong impact on the way we practice our religion, the way we dress, the way we express our feelings and the nature of all of our relationships with others.

Gender, as defined by the United Nations, includes the psychological, social, cultural, and behavioral characteristics associated with being female or male. It further defines acceptable and allowable behavior in for both men and women in a broad cultural sense (United Nations, 2016). Gender identity impacts our development and how we interact with society. Our daily life decisions are impacted by our gender role beliefs.