Governance and Multiculturalism, 1st ed. 2020
The White Elephant of Social Construction and Cultural Identities

A key intervention in the growing critical literature on race, this volume examines the social construction of race in contemporary Australia through the lenses of Indigenous sovereignty, nationhood, and whiteness. Informed by insights from white Australians in rural contexts, Koerner and Pillay attempt to answer how race shapes those who identify as white Australian; how those who self-identify thusly relate to the nation, multiculturalism, and Indigenous Sovereignties; and how white Australians understand and experience their own racialized position and its privilege. This ?insider perspective? on the continuing construction of whiteness in Australia is analyzed and challenged through Indigenous Sovereign theoretical standpoints and voices. Ultimately, this investigation of the social construction of race not only extends conceptualizations of multiculturalism, but also informs governance policy in the light of changing national identity.

Catherine Koerner is Academic Lecturer in Development Studies, Community and Human Services at Federation University, Australia. Her research includes colonialism/post-colonialism, hate-speech, identity, and Indigenous relations.

Soma Pillay is Senior Lecturer in Management at Federation University, Australia. Her research interests bridge cross-cultural studies, ethics, and public sector governance.

Unique methodology to illustrate the dynamics between social constructs of race and identity, multiculturalism, and governance

Examines the perspective of the rural “white” Australian, whereas most previous studies have focused on the urban context

Explores trends in configurations of Australian identity, with practical implications for policy makers and government