Migrant Organisations in Australia and London: Food, Festival and the Politics of Multiculture
Lead Research Organisation:
School of Oriental and African Studies
Department Name: Anthropology and Sociology
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Nicola Frost (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Frost N
(2015)
Green Curry Politics and Place-Making on Brick Lane
in Food, Culture & Society
| Description | The fellowship sought to consolidate and communicate my doctoral work on Indonesian organisations in Sydney, and to synthesise this with subsequent research among Bengali restaurateurs in London. My work links macro questions of nationalism and identity, with 'everyday' expressions of these concepts in forms of migrants' social practice, such as grant applications, the preparation and presentation of food, and the organisation of festivals. My doctoral thesis was based on research among Indonesian migrant organisations in Sydney. I examine ways in which Indonesians use organisational structures to negotiate between expressions of national or ethnic identity, and engagement with Australian state bodies. The research suggests the ongoing importance of nation-states as a reference point for much social experience in a world of transnational movement. I also argue for an improved understanding of migrant organisations. Through a concentration on the symbolic, economic and political function of food, and of cultural festivals, as vehicles for achieving cultural 'visibility', I explore the implications for Indonesian migrants' political status within Australian society. The fellowship allowed me to develop my interest in migrant food and festivals, in conjunction with my work among Bengali restaurateurs in London. |
| Exploitation Route | Further anthropological research on festivals. Use by policymakers as evidence for a more complex festival landscape. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |