Governance and Multiculturalism : The White Elephant of Social Construction and Cultural Identities

A key intervention in the growing critical literature on race, this volume examines the social construction of race in contemporary Australia through the lenses of Indigenous sovereignty, nationhood, and whiteness. Informed by insights from white Australians in rural contexts, Koerner and Pillay attempt to answer how race shapes those who identify as white Australian; how those who self-identify thusly relate to the nation, multiculturalism, and Indigenous Sovereignties; and how white Australians understand and experience their own racialized position and its privilege. This “insider perspective” on the continuing construction of whiteness in Australia is analyzed and challenged through Indigenous Sovereign theoretical standpoints and voices. Ultimately, this investigation of the social construction of race not only extends conceptualizations of multiculturalism, but also informs governance policy in the light of changing national identity. Front Matter ....Pages i-x Introduction (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 1-38 Debating the Nation: Dealing with Difference and Incommensurability (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 39-73 The (White) Elephant in the Room: Cultural Identities and Indigenous Sovereignty in Australia (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 75-99 Methodological Insights (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 101-120 Conceptualising Cultural Identity: The Great Divide (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 121-180 ‘We’re Multicultural Mate!’ Understanding Multiculturalism in Australia (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 181-219 Policy, Practice, and Legislative Matters (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 221-269 Concluding Remarks (Catherine Koerner, Soma Pillay)....Pages 271-280 Back Matter ....Pages 281-284