Performing difference, longing for ‘home’: Claiming ethnic identities to build national unity among urban Solomon Islands youth
Since independence, Solomon Islands schools have aimed to establish a national identity and unity among Solomon Islanders; however, ethnic ties to ‘home’ remain strong. This is particularly evident in Honiara, the densely populated and multi-ethnic capital of Solomon Islands, when urban youth who ha...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2022
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| In: |
The Australian journal of anthropology
Year: 2022, Volume: 33, Issue: 2, Pages: 117-132 |
| Further subjects: | B
Cultural practices
B panethnicity B Schooling B Identity B Solomon Islands |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Since independence, Solomon Islands schools have aimed to establish a national identity and unity among Solomon Islanders; however, ethnic ties to ‘home’ remain strong. This is particularly evident in Honiara, the densely populated and multi-ethnic capital of Solomon Islands, when urban youth who have grown up in Honiara claim their home is in a province. This paper argues that the ‘unity in diversity’ narrative taught in schools emphasises the importance of an ethnic identity tied to one's province. As a result, students must find ways to build connections to home, even if they have spent little time there, creating a nostalgia for home. Two ways this occurs is through the dances they perform and the kastom jewellery they wear. I argue that the emphasis of their unique ethnic identities is necessary for youth to stake a claim in the multi-ethnic urban landscape and within the panethnic identity of Solomon Islander. |
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| ISSN: | 1757-6547 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Australian journal of anthropology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/taja.12440 |