Notions of Mixed Heritage Identity Crisis: An Indigenous Narrative Study of Sally Morgan's "My Place"

avondale-bepress-to-dspace.facultyEducation & Science
avondale-bepress.abstract<p>Aboriginal Australians of mixed descent is an increasing phenomenon within the twenty-first century. At the same time, a review of literature reveals that mainstream Australian society tends to view Aboriginality in terms of a "fixed" set of cultural practices and physical attributes. These stereotypes can create a major identity crisis for mixed heritage Aboriginal Australians, who may not outwardly appear Aboriginal, but who wish to declare their Aboriginality. In order to explore the nature of this particular Indigenous identity crisis, this study utilizes a narrative analysis (King & Horrocks, 2010) approach by gathering and analyzing data from Sally Morgan's autobiographical text, <em>My Place </em>(1987)<em>. </em>A secondary focus is placed on narrative self-analysis (Loughran Hamilton, & Lobesky, 2004) through the process of personal reflection. By way of emergent design (Creswell & Clark, 2010), this study also filters the narrative analysis (King & Horrocks, 2009) and self-narrative analysis (Louhran et al., 2004) through Gee's (2000) theory of identity. This study finds that Aboriginals have a "Nature-Identity" that has the potential to be "Othered" through the function of the Institution, Discourse and Affinity-Identities outlined by Gee (2000). However, by way of emergent design (Creswell & Clark, 2010), this study also finds that Aboriginals who are experiencing an identity crisis may be able to articulate their Nature-Identities through a process I term "Self-Awareness Identity". This form of identity opens up a new way of examining "place" within the context of Aboriginal identity. In addition, this study suggests that the education system can play a pertinent role in alleviating the mixed heritage Indigenous identity crisis by implementing a series of key recommendations outlined in the conclusion of this study.</p>
avondale-bepress.articleid1056
avondale-bepress.authorsRebekah May Bamford
avondale-bepress.context-key12029965
avondale-bepress.coverpage-urlhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/theses_bachelor_honours/50
avondale-bepress.document-typethesis
avondale-bepress.field.advisor1Phil Fitzsimmons
avondale-bepress.field.advisor2Jane Fernandez
avondale-bepress.field.comments<p>A print copy of this thesis is held in the Avondale College Library (SC Theses 305.89915 B21).</p>
avondale-bepress.field.custom_citation<p>Bamford, R. M. (2011). <em>Notions of mixed heritage identity crisis: An indigenous narrative study of Sally Morgan's "My Place"</em> (Bachelor's thesis, Avondale College, Cooranbong, Australia). Retrieved from https://research.avondale.edu.au/theses_bachelor_honours/50/</p>
avondale-bepress.field.degree_nameBachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Honours) BA/BTch (Hons)
avondale-bepress.field.departmentEducation & Science
avondale-bepress.field.embargo_date2018-04-26T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.for_codes13 EDUCATION
avondale-bepress.field.publication_date2011-11-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.field.schoolsEducation
avondale-bepress.fulltext-urlhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&amp;context=theses_bachelor_honours&amp;unstamped=1
avondale-bepress.keywordsheritage
avondale-bepress.keywordsidentity
avondale-bepress.keywordsindigenous
avondale-bepress.label50
avondale-bepress.publication-date2011-11-01T00:00:00Z
avondale-bepress.publication-titleTheses Bachelor Honours
avondale-bepress.statepublished
avondale-bepress.submission-date2018-04-26T19:52:26Z
avondale-bepress.submission-paththeses_bachelor_honours/50
avondale-bepress.titleNotions of Mixed Heritage Identity Crisis: An Indigenous Narrative Study of Sally Morgan's "My Place"
avondale-bepress.typearticle
dc.contributor.authorBamford, Rebekah May
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-01T00:26:44Z
dc.date.available2023-11-01T00:26:44Z
dc.date.issued2011-11-01
dc.date.submitted2018-04-26T19:52:26Z
dc.description.abstract<p>Aboriginal Australians of mixed descent is an increasing phenomenon within the twenty-first century. At the same time, a review of literature reveals that mainstream Australian society tends to view Aboriginality in terms of a "fixed" set of cultural practices and physical attributes. These stereotypes can create a major identity crisis for mixed heritage Aboriginal Australians, who may not outwardly appear Aboriginal, but who wish to declare their Aboriginality. In order to explore the nature of this particular Indigenous identity crisis, this study utilizes a narrative analysis (King & Horrocks, 2010) approach by gathering and analyzing data from Sally Morgan's autobiographical text, <em>My Place </em>(1987)<em>. </em>A secondary focus is placed on narrative self-analysis (Loughran Hamilton, & Lobesky, 2004) through the process of personal reflection. By way of emergent design (Creswell & Clark, 2010), this study also filters the narrative analysis (King & Horrocks, 2009) and self-narrative analysis (Louhran et al., 2004) through Gee's (2000) theory of identity. This study finds that Aboriginals have a "Nature-Identity" that has the potential to be "Othered" through the function of the Institution, Discourse and Affinity-Identities outlined by Gee (2000). However, by way of emergent design (Creswell & Clark, 2010), this study also finds that Aboriginals who are experiencing an identity crisis may be able to articulate their Nature-Identities through a process I term "Self-Awareness Identity". This form of identity opens up a new way of examining "place" within the context of Aboriginal identity. In addition, this study suggests that the education system can play a pertinent role in alleviating the mixed heritage Indigenous identity crisis by implementing a series of key recommendations outlined in the conclusion of this study.</p>
dc.identifier.citation<p>Bamford, R. M. (2011). <em>Notions of mixed heritage identity crisis: An indigenous narrative study of Sally Morgan's "My Place"</em> (Bachelor's thesis, Avondale College, Cooranbong, Australia). Retrieved from https://research.avondale.edu.au/theses_bachelor_honours/50/</p>
dc.identifier.urihttps://research.avondale.edu.au/handle/123456789/12029965
dc.language.isoen_us
dc.rights<p>A print copy of this thesis is held in the Avondale College Library (SC Theses 305.89915 B21).</p>
dc.subjectheritage
dc.subjectidentity
dc.subjectindigenous
dc.titleNotions of Mixed Heritage Identity Crisis: An Indigenous Narrative Study of Sally Morgan's "My Place"
dc.typeThesis
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