‘They say I’m not a typical Blackfella’: Experiences of racism and ontological insecurity in urban Australia

Abstract

Racism and racialisation can be framed as a threat to one's ontological security. This article draws from qualitative life history interviews conducted with 11 Aboriginal people who are part of an existing longitudinal health study based in the city of Brisbane. The narratives revealed that perceptions of racism and racialisation were a significant consideration for these people when asked to reflect on their identity and wellbeing over time. Though less frequently overt, racism was often seen to be perpetrated from within one's social circle, revealing the complicated process of engaging, contesting, rejecting, ignoring, minimising, avoiding and defining racism. The findings highlight the agency of Aboriginal people in adapting their behaviour to avoid or minimise the dread of ontological insecurity.

Love and hate at the Cultural Interface: Indigenous Australians and dating apps

“…Racism directed towards Indigenous people in Australia is widespread (Berman and Paradies, 2010; Bodkin-Andrews and Carlson, 2016; Hickey, 2015; Lentin, 2017; Mellor, 2003). It is ‘alive and kicking’, notes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar (Karvelas, 2018).…”

Talking Back to the Research: Indigenous Wellbeing and Resilience Narratives from Urban Australia

“…Moreton-Robinson (2009, 63) argues that "patriarchal white sovereignty as a regime of power deploys a discourse of pathology as a means to subjugate and discipline Indigenous people to be extra good citizens," following the neoliberal ideals that if you work hard, you will be accepted by mainstream society. Previous research, however, has demonstrated that this is not the case for Indigenous people; racism persists regardless of socio-economic factors (Hickey 2016). In these interviews, neoliberal individualised ideas of "success" such as completing higher levels of education, being employed, and being aspiring homeowners were present, though this was interwoven with a value on cultural and community wellbeing.…”

“…However, this meaning-making and subjective experiences of health and wellbeing were considered important to this study. The social factors explored in the present study are not an exhaustive list; the significant influence of racism and racialisation on wellbeing among this group are presented elsewhere (Hickey 2016). On the whole, the richness of data and flexibility of the qualitative interviews allowed space to prioritise the voices of the Indigenous people interviewed and these narratives of resilience and wellbeing that were considered important to them.…”

Pandemic racism and sexism in Australia: Responses and reflections among Asian women

“…For participants who have experienced racism and/or sexism in Australia, we asked: given a safe environment, is there something you would have liked to say to the perpetrator, or do? Unlike studies such as Hickey (2016) who found that her Aboriginal interviewees in Australia generally agreed that it was good to confront the racist perpetrator, most of our participants expressed otherwise. Audrey (40s, accountant, Indian ancestry, Malaysia-born), for instance, said that it was ‘probably a bad idea’ to confront her perpetrators.…”