Cultural diversity in the Australian classroom and the experience of Arab-Muslim students

Table of Contents : Preface Introduction 1. Building the Australia-India Relationship- Bruce Bennett 2. Plural Cultures, Monolithic Structures- Kapila Vatsyayan 3. The Homogenised Other: Cultural Diversity and Social Inequality- Alan Mayne 4. Deliberative Democracy and Modern Pluralism- Subrata Mukherjee 5. ‘A long and winding road’. From Cultural Homogeneity to a Multicultural Society: An Analysis of Inclusion and Exclusion in Australia- David Roberts 6. Limits of Multiculturalism in a Liberal Polity: Need for a Shared Identity-Sushila Ramaswamy 7. “Australia is a Multicultural Community –you’ll feel at home”:Cultural Diversity and the Promotion of Australia Internationally- Andrew Hassam 8. Accommodation of Cultural Diversity in India: Reflections on Past and Present- Abdulrahim P. Vijapur 9. Gandhian Ideas on Cultural Diversity and Unity in India- Sailaja Gullapalli 10. Multiculturalism: Australian and Indian Approach-Sonu Trivedi 11. Post Colonial Formation, Paradigm Consolidation and Economic Marginalization- S. Ram Vemuri 12. Dalits and Indigenous Australians: Affirmative Actions and Existing Realities- Swaraj Basu 13. Exploring a Critical Tradition in Communications Research: A Cultural Discourse- Amita Singh 14. Education and Empowerment: Dalits and the Demand for Modern Education in Colonial India- Shashi Bhushan Upadhyay 15. Recent Developments in Indian Migration to Australia (with Special Reference to Academics)- Graeme Hugo and Gouranga Lal Dasvarma 16. Cultural Diversity in the Australian Classroom and the Experience of Arab-Muslim Students- Sally Percival Wood 17. Working Australia Efficiency and Equity- Liz Hall 18. North-East India’s Cultural Diversity: Trends of Unrest and Marginalization- Sudhir Jacob George 19. Socio-economic Inequities of Tribal Communities in India- Priti Singh 20. Reinventing Australian Identity-D. Gopal 21. Identity and Rights of the Diaspora in the Post-colonial Era- R. Narayanan 22. Understanding Cultural Diversity: Reflections from the Americas- Satya R. Pattnayak Contributors Index

Cultural value orientations of the former communist countries:a gender-based analysis

This study examines the cultural value orientations of employees working in major industrial and commercial centers of six ex-communist Central Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and Euro-Asian countries, in particular the former Soviet Republics (FSRs). The analysis is based on a questionnaire survey administered with 1052 respondents. The study tests a number of hypotheses regarding the cultural orientations of the sample populations, using gender as the core variable. The study reports cultural dimensions on which the female respondents clearly differ from their male counterparts, and there is more cultural homogeneity among males than among females within the CEECs and FSRs. Furthermore, the findings show similar cultural patterns emerging between the Czech Republic, former East Germany (FEG), and Poland on the one hand and Georgia and Uzbekistan on the other, whereas Russia culturally stands between the two groups. The research also highlights the basis of cultural aspects from which both national and managerial cultures of each research country are emerging. It brings to light the methods employed by management toward human resources in these countries, and also identifies key issues for overseas operators currently undertaking a business or planning to establish one in these countries. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

Manufacturing 'authenticity' : a case study of the Niagara wine cluster

In this thesis, I use "Fabricating Authenticity," a model developed in the Production of Culture Perspective, to explore the evolving criteria for judging what constitute "real" and authentic Niagara wines, along with the naturalization of these criteria, as the Canadian Niagara wine cluster has come under increasing stress from globalization. Authenticity has been identified as a hallmark of contemporary marketing and important to cultural industries, which can use it for creating meaningful differentiation; making it a renewable resource for securing consumers, increasing market value; and for relationships with key brokers. This is important as free trade and international treaties are making traditional protective barriers, like trade tariffs and markups, obsolete and as governments increasingly allocate industry support via promotion and marketing policies that are directly linked to objectives of city and regional development, which in turn carry real implications for what gets to be judged authentic and inauthentic local culture. This research uses a mixed methods research strategy, drawing upon ethnographic observation, marketing materials, newspaper reports, and secondary data to provide insight into the processes and conflicts over efforts to fabricate authenticity, comparing the periods before and after the passage of NAFT A to the present period. The Niagara wine cluster is a good case in point because it has little natural advantage nor was there a tradition of quality table wine making to facilitate the naturalization of authenticity. Geographic industrial clusters have been found particularly competitive in the global economy and the exploratory case study contributes to our understanding of the dynamic of '1abricating authenticity," building on various theoretical propositions to attempt to derive explanations of how global processes affect strategies to create "authenticity," how these strategies affect cultural homogeneity and heterogeneity at the local level, and how the concept of "cluster" contributes to the process of managing authenticity.

Le rôle des dimensions culturelles de Hofstede en regard du fonctionnement interne des équipes de travail pluriculturelles

La présente thèse de doctorat porte sur les processus internes au sein des équipes de travail pluriculturelles. Cette thèse se compose de trois articles et propose, d’une part, une mesure validée des valeurs culturelles au niveau individuel en langue française et, d’autre part, une mesure du degré d’homogénéité culturelle au sein des équipes de travail (ci-après ÉT). En outre, elle se penche sur la vérification empirique des nombreux liens entre l’homogénéité culturelle et les processus internes au sein des ÉT postulés par les auteurs mais jamais vérifiés empiriquement. Le premier article a pour but de faire le point sur la documentation scientifique concernant les équipes de travail pluriculturelles. Il présente une recension de la documentation portant sur ce type d’équipe, notamment l’impact présumé de la culture sur les comportements d’équipier, et les effets de la diversité culturelle sur la performance de l’équipe et sur ses processus internes. Le deuxième article, quant à lui, a pour objectif de valider la mesure des dimensions culturelles de Hofstede (1980, 1991, 1994) sur une base individuelle et en langue française. Cette étude a été réalisée en adaptant deux questionnaires, l’un développé par Hellmann (2000) et mesurant les dimensions culturelles de distance hiérarchique, de masculinité, de contrôle de l’incertitude et de collectivisme, et le second développé par Bearden, Money et Nevins (2006) et mesurant la dimension d’orientation à long terme. L’échantillon se compose de 453 répondants tous étudiants dans des programmes de baccalauréat à l’Université de Montréal et à l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Les résultats des deux analyses factorielles exploratoires effectuées ont fait ressortir sept facteurs distincts expliquant 41.6% de la variance pour le premier questionnaire et 61.6% de la variance pour le second. La composition de l’échantillon n’a pas permis de conduire d’analyse de variance afin de vérifier s’il se trouvait des différences significatives entre les différents groupes culturels de l’échantillon à l’étude, et ce, pour chacune des dimensions culturelles. Les limites de la recherche ainsi que des suggestions de recherches futures sont proposées. Enfin, le troisième article se penche sur les liens, postulés par de nombreux auteurs mais jamais confirmés empiriquement, entre l’homogénéité culturelle dans les équipes et les processus internes de l’équipe en termes de comportements productifs et de comportements contre-productifs. Afin d’étudier cette réalité, l’instrumentation de Hofstede (1980, 1991), conçue pour capter des différences au niveau des nations, a été opérationnalisée au niveau des individus (Temimi, Savoie et Duguay, 2008) et mis en relation avec les processus internes se déroulant au sein de l’équipe (Duguay, Temimi et Savoie, 2008; Rousseau, 2003; Temimi et Savoie, 2007). Cette étude a été réalisée auprès de 67 équipes variant en termes d’homogénéité culturelle. Les résultats indiquent que le degré d’homogénéité culturelle global s’avère positivement relié aux comportements productifs de l’équipe et négativement relié aux comportements contre-productifs. De plus, le degré d’homogénéité de la dimension culturelle de féminité ressort négativement relié aux comportements contre-productifs de flânerie sociale et de domination.

Identité et immigration au Japon

Dans le contexte actuel de la mondialisation, l’immigration a un impact sur la question identitaire des pays d’accueil et bien que l’exemple du Japon ne soit pas un cas isolé, il comporte tout de même ses particularités. En effet, il est curieux de voir un pays de l’OCDE avec un si bas taux d’immigration, d’autant plus que le vieillissement de sa population le place au cœur de cette problématique. De plus, le cas du Japon est particulièrement intéressant dans la mesure où la question de l’homogénéité ethnique et culturelle, présentée par le nihonjinron, est centrale dans la définition de l’identité nationale. C’est donc en s’appuyant sur la théorie des communautés imaginées d’Anderson et sur la théorie des frontières ethniques de Barth qu’ont été analysés de nombreux ouvrages et articles d’ordre analytique et idéologique afin de démontrer l’influence que le maintien d’une identité nationale forte peut avoir sur le développement et la mise en place de politiques d’immigration au Japon. Ainsi, après avoir passé en revue les origines et l’évolution du peuple japonais moderne, autant sur le plan politique, éducatif, social, qu’économique et en présentant le développement des politiques migratoires jusqu’à aujourd’hui, il est possible de voir à quel point la question identitaire est profondément ancrée et soutenue par les élites du pays et que cela mène par conséquent à des politiques d’immigration strictes et contraignantes.

Images of embodied old age in contemporary Japan

Since the late 1980s, representations of Japanese national identity and Japanese old age have been deconstructed. Images of the resilience of traditional cultural and social institutions are shown to have over-emphasized social and cultural homogeneity, elided social differentiation and inequality and minimized the significance of historical transformation. Key institutions of the postwar modernization project, including the patriarchal seniority system and household structure, are being transformed through globalization and feminization. This thesis focuses on the problem of representing individual and collective ageing in Japan in the context of modernization. Research is focussed on the contradictions, within essentialist representations of Japanese collective and individual identity, between socially constructed policy forms of old age and collective identities. Contemporary trends towards individualization and diversification of identities, and discourses on the ageing/information society, indicate cultural distance between an instrumentally rational administration and the life world of old people. Research explores the concept of embodiment through its significance in debates on postmodernization of the lifecourse in accordance with the structural shifts towards a postindustrial structure. This study examines representations of old age in broader social and cultural processes. Images of the social and cultural trajectory of the lifecourse draw attention to the embodiment of individual identities and ultimately generational cultures in contemporary social and cultural spaces. This research is the result of analyses of old age, which have been informed by postmodern theory. It in turn informs sociological theorizations of cultural representations of old age in contemporary societies.

Colonialidade do poder no direito e povos indígenas na América Latina: as faces da subordinação/dominação jurídica frente ao direito de retorno às terras ancestrais dos povos indígenas Kaiowá do Tekohá Laranjeira Ñande‘Rú no Brasil e Mapuche do Lof Temucuicui no Chile

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Centro de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação sobre as Américas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos Comparados sobre as Américas, 2016.

The uses of satire : unorthodox news, cultural chaos and the interrogation of power

This article focuses on the satirical Australian show The Chaser’s War on Everything, and uses it to critically assess the potential political and social ramifications of what McNair (2006) has called ‘cultural chaos’. Drawing upon and analysing several examples from this particular program, alongside interviews with its production team and qualitative audience research, this article argues that this TV show’s engagement with politicians and political issues, in a way that departs from the conventions of traditional journalism, offers a significant opportunity for the interrogation of power. The program’s use of often bizarre and unexpected comedic confrontation allows it to present a perhaps more authentic image of political agents than is often cultivated in mainstream journalism. This suggests therefore that the shift from homogeneity to heterogeneity in the news media – which McNair (2006) sees as a key feature of cultural chaos – presents a significant challenge to those who wish to retain control over what the public sees and understands about the political world, and is a development which should be viewed in positive terms.

The Impact of Readily Detected- and Underlying Attributes on Social Integration in Cross-Cultural Settings

The benefits and drawbacks of homogeneity and heterogeneity have been debated at length. Whereas some researchers assert that heterogeneity is beneficial for groups that are engaged in complex problem solving, the other researchers emphasize the potential costs associated with diversity. The inconsistency is a result of the incomplete measurement of diversity and focus one or two types of diversity. Most research concentrates on the readily detected/visible characteristics, making the assumption that such characteristics are related to underlying attributes (e.g., attitudes and values). In many cases, the demographic characteristics do not covary perfectly with the psychological attributes. Thus both types of attributes need to be utilized to fully understand the impact of diversity. The present research with four essays takes into account both types of attributes and tests their impact on social integration in cross-cultural settings. The results indicate that: (1) readily detectable- and underlying attributes are not related; (2) diversity has overall a negative impact on social integration; (3) socio-cultural context potentially influences the salience of diversity; and (4) diversity and social integration influences the formation of social cognition in form of transactive memory directories. The limits of research and managerial implications are discussed.

Caracterización del perfil cultural del suelo en una pastizal natural : Santa Fe (Argentina)

En la región pampeana son comunes las áreas mal drenadas destinadas a ganadería en base a pastizales naturales. En ellas la vegetación natural es compleja y está influenciada por la interacción de aspectos climáticos, edáficos y por la historia del uso y del manejo. Las características edáficas afectadas por el manejo se expresan en el perfil cultural del suelo (PC); su caracterización es una herramienta importante para identificar limitantes a la productividad y aportar elementos para la toma de decisiones de manejo. Ante la ausencia de métodos que caractericen y cuantifiquen el estado del PC, se propone un índice (IPC) que, considerando el reconocimiento y la valoración de ciertas características edáficas indicadoras, asigna un valor numérico al estado del PC. En un pastizal natural, próximo a una cañada ubicada en el sur de la provincia de Santa Fe, se reconocieron tres áreas o unidades forrajeras (UF) con cierta homogeneidad en las características edáficas, forrajeras y paisajísticas. En las mismas se caracterizó el estado del PC y se calculó el IPC. El método desarrollado permitió identificar en cada UF limitantes edáficas derivadas del manejo y, a partir del índice generado, clasificar los respectivos PC según su estado.

Applications of the behavioural homogeneity evaluation framework: the predictive ability of consumer involvement for international food market segmentation

This article proposes a framework of alternative international marketing strategies, based on the evaluation of intra- and inter-cultural behavioural homogeneity for market segmentation. The framework developed in this study provides a generic structure to behavioural homogeneity, proposing consumer involvement as a construct with unique predictive ability for international marketing strategy decisions. A model-based segmentation process, using structural equation models, is implemented to illustrate the application of the framework.

The behavioural homogeneity evaluation framework:Multi-level evaluations of consumer involvement in international segmentation

This paper presents a generic strategic framework of alternative international marketing strategies and market segmentation based on intra- and inter-cultural behavioural homogeneity. Consumer involvement (CI) is proposed as a pivotal construct to capture behavioural homogeneity, for the identification of market segments. Results from a five-country study demonstrate how the strategic framework can be valuable in managerial decision-making. First, there is evidence for the cultural invariance of the measurement of CI, allowing a true comparison of inter- and intra-cultural behavioural homogeneity. Second, CI influences purchase behaviour, and its evaluation provides a rich source of information for responsive market segmentation. Finally, a decomposition of behavioural variance suggests that national-cultural environment and nationally transcendent variables explain differences in behaviour. The Behavioural Homogeneity Evaluation Framework therefore suggests appropriate international marketing strategies, providing practical guidance for implementing involvement-contingent strategies. © 2007 Academy of International Business. All rights reserved.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ): robust nine-dimension Danish language confirmatory factor model

Health literacy is an important construct in population health and healthcare requiring rigorous measurement. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), with nine scales, measures a broad perception of health literacy. This study aimed to adapt the HLQ to the Danish setting, and to examine the factor structure, homogeneity, reliability and discriminant validity. The HLQ was adapted using forward-backward translation, consensus conference and cognitive interviews (n = 15). Psychometric properties were examined based on data collected by face-to-face interview (n = 481). Tests included difficulty level, composite scale reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cognitive testing revealed that only minor re-wording was required. The easiest scale to respond to positively was 'Social support for health', and the hardest were 'Navigating the healthcare system' and 'Appraisal of health information'. CFA of the individual scales showed acceptably high loadings (range 0.49-0.93). CFA fit statistics after including correlated residuals were good for seven scales, acceptable for one. Composite reliability and Cronbach's α were >0.8 for all but one scale. A nine-factor CFA model was fitted to items with no cross-loadings or correlated residuals allowed. Given this restricted model, the fit was satisfactory. The HLQ appears robust for its intended application of assessing health literacy in a range of settings. Further work is required to demonstrate sensitivity to measure changes.