Assimilation through play
Migrant hostel play centres in post-War Australia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4486035 |
|---|---|
| Authors | K Agutter (0000-0002-5970-4235, The University of Adelaide, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 277-291 |
| Publication date | 2016-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Play (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2159-4937 • E-ISSN: 2159-4953 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21594937.2016.1207811 |
| OpenAlex | W2504147334 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 1 |
In post-war Australia, the provision of facilities for migrant and refugee children to ‘play’ in migrant accommodation centres was an essential element of government policy. Through an examination of photos and related archival material, this paper will consider how play was used as a means of introducing newly arrived young children to the English language and the Australian way of life. The paper will outline how play centres moved from hastily established, overcrowded child-minding centres, often run by untrained staff, in the late 1940s to well-organised, supervised play centres in the 1950s. It will then consider how, through songs, stories, and special activities, migrant and refugee children from diverse backgrounds mixed and learnt how to be ‘New’ Australians. Finally it will argue that a key aspect of the work of these centres was the assimilation not only of the children but also of their families, in particular their mothers
Business · Demographic economics · Economics · Geography · Linguistics · Political science · Sociology · Australian History and Society · Education Systems and Policy · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,44 |
| Citation span | 2017 - 2019 (3) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |