The social and cultural role of food for Myanmar refugees in regional Australia

Making place and building networks

Bibliographic Data

ID2399461
AuthorsMandy Hughes (0000-0002-6518-7326, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, Australia, corresponding author)
Year2019
Volume55
Issue2
Pages290-305
Publication date2019-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1440-7833 • E-ISSN: 1741-2978
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1440783318781264
OpenAlexW2808463228
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited26

The social role of food has sustained growing interest in recent times. These studies become even more meaningful to sociological discussions when the research participants have faced multiple levels of disadvantage based on immigration status, ethnicity, experience of trauma, language abilities, and geographic location. This research maps the social and cultural food journeys of people from Myanmar to the regional city of Coffs Harbour, Australia. This interdisciplinary study uses focused ethnography and participatory/collaborative research methods to document and analyse food experiences. The findings reveal a positive settlement story, one where differences and challenges have been overcome and a resilient community has utilised networks built to confidently mark out its place in a new home. The role of food in bringing together communities and individuals, has allowed these networks to be strengthened

Citizen journalism · Disadvantage · Ethnic group · Ethnography · Geography · Immigration · Participatory action research · Political science · Refugee · Settlement (finance) · Sociology · Anthropology · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Gender Studies · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub