Going overboard? Representing Hazara Afghan refugees as just like us
Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Routledge
Faculty
Faculty of Education and Arts
School
School of Communications and Arts / Centre for Research in Entertainment, Arts, Technology, Education and Communications
RAS ID
5773
Abstract
In this paper we analyse two Australian television programs, Marking Time (2003) and Molly & Mobarak (2004), foregrounding the ways in which ethnic Hazara refugees from Afghanistan have been (re)presented. We argue that by minimising cultural and religious differences both Marking Time and Molly & Mobarak construct and represent Hazara Afghan refugees as like a “certain us”, that is, as members of Australian core culture who are predominately white, family oriented and inclusivist. However, their differences are not concealed entirely and in both programs the Hazara also appear as the “other”, that is, unlike us. We point out some problems associated with privileging similarity and the possible consequences of these representations within policy making and Australian society more generally.
DOI
10.1080/07256860801938625
Access Rights
free_to_read
Comments
Rodan, D., & Lange, C. (2008). Going overboard? Representing Hazara Afghan refugees as just like us. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 29(2), 153-169. Available here