Social representations of refugees: Place of origin as a delineating resource

Scott Hanson-Easey; Gail Moloney

doi:10.1002/casp.1010

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Social representations of refugees: Place of origin as a delineating resource

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Social representations of refugees: Place of origin as a delineating resource

Scott Hanson-Easey and Gail Moloney

Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, Vol.19(6), pp.506-514

2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.1010

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Abstract

Medical and Health Sciences

Studies in Human Society

Psychology and Cognitive Sciences

social representations

Refugees

Refugees from Africa

core and peripheral elements

Africa

discourse

This study investigated social understandings of refugees from Africa in a regional town in NSW, Australia. Drawing from Social Representations Theory (Moscovici, 1984), the study investigated whether place of origin (Africa) mediated understandings held about refugees. Two studies were conducted. In the first study, a between-subjects manipulation using word association tasks revealed that the super-ordinate term Refugees, and Refugees from Africa shared a common core of elements (poor, war). Although sharing a core, these representations were differentiated by peripheral elements which concurred with social understanding of Africa (e.g. disease), and media portrayal of refugees/asylum seekers (e.g. boat). The salience of these meanings in the community was further explored using a self-report questionnaire. Results suggested that place of origin, manifested as peripheral representational elements, may play an important role in differentiating, orientating and linking specific refugee groups to particular socio-political contexts. Further, we contend that place of origin may be understood as a discursive resource, deployed for rhetorical ends.

Details

Title: Social representations of refugees: Place of origin as a delineating resource
Authors: Scott Hanson-Easey (Author) - Southern Cross University
Gail Moloney (Author) - Southern Cross University
Publication details: Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, Vol.19(6), pp.506-514
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date published: 2009
DOI: 10.1002/casp.1010
ISSN: 1052-9284
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449328002621
Output Type: Journal article

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