Browsing by Author "Maydell E"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Identity Issues and Challenges Faced by Russian Immigrants in New Zealand
    (UTSePress, 2009) Maydell E; Wilson MS
    Among the processes cosmopolitan societies undergo at the present moment, is the unprecedented increase in mass migration across cultures. What challenges are faced by both immigrants, who have to settle in novel socio-cultural environments, and by the host populations accepting them? The current qualitative study investigates the nature of identity construction among Russian-speaking immigrants in New Zealand, applying thematic analysis for the interpretation of the data collected via 23 in-depth interviews. Among the most common themes articulated by the participants was the feeling of identity loss. A taken-for-granted sense of identity, brought by the participants from their culture of origin, was not validated by their new society of residence, mostly due to the lack of appropriate cultural resources. The participants were faced with a challenge of re-constructing their old identity, or constructing a new one, utilising the available resources in the community around them. At the same time, there was a sub-group for whom this challenge brought the realisation that the nature of their identity is cosmopolitan, rather than located within any particular culture or geographical space
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    Impact of Media and Culture on Constructions of Homomasculinity Among Gay and Queer Men in Aotearoa New Zealand
    (USC Annenberg Press, 2024-03-14) Kaulback M; Maydell E
    As a cultural industry, the mass media has symbolic power in articulating the prevailing images of society and its members. For minority groups, including gay and queer individuals, this power exerts symbolic violence, in that their identity is constructed as an aberration from a desired norm. This study analyzes the narratives of gay and queer men in Aotearoa, New Zealand, as they negotiate and resist dominant representations of themselves circulating in mainstream media and culture. The participants reflect on the negative impact of cultural themes of hypermasculinity and White heteronormativity on the development of homomasculinity as the core element of their queer identities, which manifests in their perceptions of self-loathing and internalized homophobia. However, the participants also acknowledge unrealistic expectations enforced by mediatized White male beauty standards and express their desire to resist the patriarchal model of masculinity rooted in the colonial settler ideology.
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    Prejudice toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia: testing the integrated threat model
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-09-12) Yotes T; Croucher S; Maydell E
    China’s Belt and Road Initiative has galvanized new Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. The presence of the new Chinese migrants (Xinyimin) has not gone without resistance in Indonesia. This study examines the effects of history of intergroup conflicts and contact on the formation of threat perceptions toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia. The findings revealed both history of conflicts and contact predict realistic threat and highlight the importance of open communication in mitigating intergroup biases.
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    ‘Who am I now?’ the lived experiences and identity construction of individuals following bariatric surgery
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Communication Association (AANZCA), 2024-09-19) Wolff S; Maydell E
    Mediatised standards of beauty in contemporary western societies contribute to stigma and discrimination of individuals labelled ‘obese’ by medical professionals. Most people who undergo weight-reduction treatments, including bariatric surgery, choose it due to serious health conditions, often unable to lose weight in any other way. However, they are commonly constructed as ‘cheaters’ and blamed for lacking will and self-control. Cultural beliefs demonising fat and fat people produce the perceptions of an inferior identity, often leading to internalised fatphobia among such individuals. This study investigates the lived experiences of 11 individuals after bariatric surgery using semi-structured interviews analysed via narrative framework. The findings demonstrate paradoxical effects bariatric surgery can have on identity, through a persistent ‘obese’ view of self and body perception challenges, indicating long-lasting harmful effects of symbolic violence these individuals experience due to stigmatisation and medicalisation of fat and highlighting hegemonic discourses inscribing normative views on human bodies.