Using ‘intimate citizenship’ to make sense of the experiences of men with refugee backgrounds in Australia

Abstract

This paper is based on a study exploring the experiences of men with refugee backgrounds from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia (herein referred to as the Horn of Africa countries) during migration and on settlement in Australia. During data analyses, Plummer's concept of 'intimate citizenship' became a useful theoretical framework for understanding participants' experiences. Many men had migrated from traditional societies where individuals pursue intimacies within a constrained framework of acceptability dictated by collective cultures. Ravaged by civil wars, they were forced to flee their homelands and seek asylum in neighbouring countries. Eventually, these men were resettled in Australia, a society that provides a social space for individuals to exercise more choices in their personal lives. On arrival in Australia, participants in this study had to adjust to these new ways of pursuing intimate relationships. Some men found this process overwhelmingly difficult while others saw it as an opportunity to organise their intimate lives beyond the confines of traditions and cultures as well as family and community influences. Intimate citizenship helped in construing the opportunities, conflicts, tensions and ambivalences that characterised participants' experiences in Australia.

Intergenerational variation in sexual health attitudes and beliefs among Sudanese refugee communities in Australia

“…nonetheless, in line with previous Australian research, the perceived freedom of young Australians (Hebbani, Obijiofor, and Bristed 2009;McMichael and Gifford 2010;Poppitt and Frey 2007), including sexual freedom (Muchoki 2015;Zhou 2012), in combination with intergenerational disparity in rates of acculturation (Palmer et al 2009;Poppitt and Frey 2007) were seen as leading factors in changing the young people's behaviour and creating intergenerational discord. The majority of 16-24-year-old participants in this study considered adopting Australian norms, including an acceptance of 'dating' and pre-marital sex, as a natural part of integrating into life in Australia.…”

Recidivism in criminal behavior—A 10-year follow-up study of 45 adolescent boys identified as sex offenders

“…However, in a study of men with refugee backgrounds in Australia, different approaches to adjust to new ways of pursuing intimate relationships were found. For some men, this process was overwhelmingly difficult, for others it was an opportunity (Muchoki, 2015).…”

Postgraduate University Students’ Experiences and Attitudes Toward Culturally Diverse Learning Environments

“…Subsequently after the Second World War, Australia experienced an influx of Italian and Greek migration, resulting in the formation of ethnic Italian and Greek communities throughout the country (Faggion & Furlan, 2018;Jupp, 2007;Mascitelli, 2015). This was followed by an increase in Asian migration, and most recently influxes of immigrants from Africa and the Middle East into urban areas (Aboud, 2000;Dhanji, 2010;Fozdar & Hartley, 2013;Gao, 2017;Inglis, 1972;Lakha, 2001;Muchoki, 2015;Price, 1986;Ross, 1987). Australia's cultural diversity is attributed to these successive waves of migration that have resulted in a large and diverse number of cultural minorities in Australia.…”