Ali, Lutfiye and Sonn, Christopher (2009) Multiculturalism and whiteness: through experiences of second generation Cypriot Turkish. The Australian Community Psychologist, 21 (1). pp. 24-38. ISSN 1835-7393

Abstract

Multicultural policies have enabled many migrants and their descendents to develop a sense of belonging to Australia. However, national multicultural policies also position the Anglo Saxon descendents as a higher civilised group who are more Australian relative to their ‘ethnic’ counterparts, who are confronted with ambiguity when identifying as an Australian. By adopting critical whiteness studies as an analytical framework we explore community dynamics by focusing on how the Anglo Saxon ethnic group maintains its dominance and privilege. We examine discourses that second generation Cypriot Turkish people in Australia use to construct their identity. Our analysis reveals the covert and often banal ways in which privilege is maintained. We suggest that whiteness studies provides a set of tools to extend critical community psychology because of its focus on unpacking how dominance is negotiated and potentially reproduced by those who have differential access to racialised privilege.

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