Evolving Identities
Oxford Brookes University (Gipsy Lane Campus)
Australian Indigenous Identity Change: A Story of Global and Cultural Transitions View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Andrew Taylor
First Australians currently account for just over three percent of the national population, estimated in 2021 to be just under one million people. Unfortunately, overall First Nation Australians continue to have poorer socio-economic outcomes in health, education and employment. For example, a significant gap remains in life expectancy between Indigenous Australians and others. However, the Indigenous population in Australia is growing rapidly, at a rate above that which is possible through additions from fertility rates. Growth is most prominent in and nearby to Australia's largest cities. Exploring research on this issue demonstrates that, to a large extent, the growth in the population is driven by socio-cultural transitions for Australia’s First Nations populations. As societal acceptance of and appreciation for Indigenous cultures, land ownership and contributions to society and communities receives growing support, more Australian’s who previously did not identify as Indigenous are choosing to do so. Teasing out this issue in population data reveals the complexity for individuals, for the sustenance of Indigenous cultures and for the ways in which Indigeneity is collected in official datasets like the five-yearly Census in Australia and beyond as the characteristics of the rapidly growing segment of the population align more closely with those of the non-Indigenous population.
Understanding livelihood strategies and coping mechanisms adopted during COVID-19: A study on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Minakshi Keeni
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has disrupted the lives of people worldwide, severely impacting marginalized communities. Among marginalized communities, Rohingya refugees face numerous challenges, including limited access to education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities. Therefore, this study seeks to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the various livelihood choices pursued by Rohingya refugees and the related coping mechanisms adopted. Additionally, the study also looks intothe effectivity of the various types of aid provided to the refugees. This study draws on quantitative data collected through face-to-face interviews conducted in September 2022. Using a cross-sectional dataset covering 339 households from Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, we performed a regression analysis to find out the adoption of coping mechanisms based on livelihood choices. Results revealed that refugees who were self-employed were the most impacted by the pandemic, additionally a rise in the shift of livelihoods of refugees from employment to self-employment during the pandemic was also recorded. Regarding the coping mechanisms adopted by the self-employed, the most popular coping mechanisms were the sale of breeding animals and the withdrawal of children from school. Additionally, the majority of self-employed refugees prioritized the change or recovery of their livelihoods. Hence, it is recommended that aid agencies and the host government provide additional non-monetary assistance to Rohingya refugees who had recently shifted their livelihood activities from employed to self-employed.
The Transition of Migration in Families with a Disabled Child View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Victoria Mehringer
I consider the intersection of displacement and disability based on the living situation of displaced families with disabled children. In my PhD Thesis (qualitative design), I examine the daily life challenges of these families and how the transition of migration or displacement works with a disabled child. The transition is made more difficult by language barriers, complex authority structures, laborious care of a disabled child, and various challenges of being a migrant and being parents or single parents of a disabled child. Besides these challenges to manage daily life, the situations of these families are also characterised by multiple experiences of discrimination, such as racism or ableism. The reality of racism, ableism and other discriminatory experiences or bureaucratic barriers can destroy the hope for a better life in the „Global North“. This interface has hardly been researched so far, and there is a need to conduct research not only in a culturalizing way but also to examine excluding and discriminating structures and the possibilities for participation. Based on the first results of my current research, I discuss the interweaving of barriers to participation in important discourses and how the disability of one child influences the assimilation process of all family members. I also want to figure out the influence of postcolonial aspects on the living situation of the families and how their explanation of disability and the circumstances of their lives are affected by postcolonial practices.
