Being Muslim: ‘The Terrified and the Terrorist’. Demonisation of the Muslim community in Australia and its impact on the personal and social identity of its members.

When you hear the word “terrorist,” who do you picture? Chances are, it is not a white person. Worldwide, two common narratives about terrorists abound: both are false. The first is that ‘terrorists are always Muslims’ and the second is that ‘white people are never terrorists’. We see these two ideas conveyed on television, in movies, on social media, and on the news. Muslims in Australia are viewed as an extremist community, but for what reasons? Islamophobia means the dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force. With the increase of Islamophobia and anti-Islamic attitudes in Australian society and media, it is becoming more problematic and complicated for Muslims in Australia treated as an ‘outgroup’, affecting their personal and social identity.

I will explore the demonisation of the Muslim community in Australia and its impact on the personal and social identity of its members as well as the different ways that the Muslim community has responded. I hypothesise that ‘there is continued demonisation of Muslim communities, especially by Australian media. Western societal perceptions of Muslims as ‘the other’ have caused difficulties for Muslims living in Australia, leading them to alter their personal identity’. As a Muslim living in Australia, I chose this topic because I have first-hand experiences of being targeted and estranged by individuals and media for my religion. I recognise that I bring bias to this topic as it is highly personal. To address this, I will actively try to triangulate my research to ensure a more balanced understanding. My PIP is inherently cross-cultural, investigating Muslims and non-Muslim individuals and will consider continuities and changes in societal perceptions. The concepts my PIP focuses on are technologies, time, society, culture, power, beliefs, values, and stereotypes.

“I want to break free” … of gender stereotypes. How did Glam-rock artists influence individuals’ social and cultural identities?

My major work consists of a jacket dress with corseted waistline in order to establish gradation of shape between the angular top and flared skirt. Initially inspired by Japanese street culture and the fusion of several bold elements, I worked to refine and simplify the garment shape through piping in the majority of the seams, almost as an outline of the garment. Peter Do's jackets were paramount to the design highlighting the desired dichotomy of masculine and feminine elements through the boxy jacket and corset by integrating gradation of shape on the garment. In order to add visual interest to the garment I integrated emphasis on line, with colour contrast accentuating the multitude of seams fitted with piping in order to add aesthetic appeal to the garment. This, coupled with the pronounced double bellow pockets with contrast fuschia ponte in the bellow extensions, furthers the bold appeal of the garment. The contemporary sheer corset allows for the garment's cutout back, a feature utilised in Peter Do's work to reconstruct the typical jacket. As the corset slops down the back of the garment, it establishes harmony amongst the top and bottom of the jacket whilst allowing for visual interest on the back of the garment. The notched collar establishes the pronounced V-neckline whilst the belt buckle allows the jacket to be closed adding another interesting element to the design. Overall, the unique design establishes a one-of-a-kind garment, that culminates this juxtaposition of shape and colour.

“I Love You – As a Friend, of course”: an investigation of the societal perceptions of cross-gendered friendships

Friendship is a concept within society that is often taken for granted, overlooked and undervalued.[1] The meaning and structure of friendship has changed significantly overtime and can vary between different cultures and ages. Societal opinions and stereotypes are placed on cross-gendered friendships, with insinuations that there must be a sexual interest or element involved. As a young woman involved with many cross-gendered platonic friendships myself, I am interested in what society’s perceptions actually are and why they exist. I want to understand why these stigmas are placed on cross-gendered friendships and not same-gendered friendships. Social norms are changing with the modern word and friend relationship structures are changing along with it so how does this impact opinions, stigmas and stereotypes?

My hypothesis proposes “that society has been conditioned by upbringing, societal norms and the macro society to place perceptions onto cross-gendered friendships, continuing to carry the stereotype throughout time”. I intend to investigate why these perceptions exist and what factors influence it. This will also include a cross-cultural study comparing and contrasting perceptions of cross-gendered friendships in China and Australia. This will be executed by comparing research and looking at changes or continuities between the 1950s and now.

The Italian-Australian Guide to Maintaining Cultural Continuity in Australia:

How do persons maintain cultural continuity within a culture not their own?

Culture is a foundation in the human experience, providing a sense of belonging and identity for individuals and groups. Culture is maintained across generations through the passing down of cultural knowledge, skills and traditions which continue to be known and practised in the present, and will be in the future by the next generations. Cultural continuity involves the continued practice and development of culture through intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge, skills, traditions and practice. Despite the perceived durability of cultural influence and presence in the human experience, I have am culturally estranged.

My hypothesis is ‘cultural continuity is dependent on the individuals and groups of the culture to maintain their practice of cultural knowledge, skills and traditions’. Through this investigation I aim to explore the role of individuals and groups in maintaining culture, and the power they have to bring about change and/or continuity within a host culture.[1]

I am Australian in citizenship and nationality, but feel culturally estranged. I have Italian and Scottish heritage yet have minimal cultural connection aside some knowledge of family history and recipes. This has informed my Personal Interest Project (PIP) topic as I aim to investigate how, and why cultural continuity is maintained or broken within Australia.

My investigation will include a depth study of Italian-Australian culture and continuity within Australia. This shall ensure a comprehensive understanding of this group’s experience maintaining cultural continuity within Australia’s multicultural society.

‘Bend It Like Beckham’ or ‘Basanti With Bacchan’?

How does Bollywood’s Construction of Societal Values Impact the Perception of Indian Culture in Australians of Indian Heritage?

In the past, people’s perceptions of their culture were more personalised due to their individual experiences and values, without the influence of external media (movies). This allowed them to experience their culture through their lived experiences. Over time, external media such as film has falsified emerging generations’ viewpoints towards their Indian culture to formulate unrealistically and often damaging values and expectations in relation to gender roles, the caste system and many other issues. Watching films such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham made me think that what I saw was the norm when I looked into my culture such as friends, at home and in my religion, Hinduism.[1] I chose this topic as I wanted to uncover the disparity between the re-moulding of South-East Asian culture every time a new wave of directors, producers and actors arise altering the key issues surrounding family, social status and gender. I aim to explore how Bollywood’s representation of South-East Asian culture reflects or contrasts the realistic, rich and historical culture of South-East Asia, to create, in my opinion, a phantom culture. I hypothesise that ‘the false representation in Bollywood causes Indian Australians who lack direct connections to be dissatisfied and confused by the lack of resonance between Bollywood and Indian culture, leading to distancing from Indian culture’.

My Personal Interest Project covers a variety of Society and Culture concepts including all fundamental concepts, gender, identity, technologies and globalisation, values, beliefs, tradition, modernisation and change. My PIP is inherently cross-cultural as it reflects on both Indian and Australian cultures as each is comprised of its own norms and values, which amalgamate to form a unique Indian-Australian culture. Furthermore, the older and younger generations also hold various contrasts in changing values, culture and society, demonstrating another cross-cultural aspect of this PIP. It is this generational aspect that will also provide the link to continuity and change.

Gappers: an investigation into the social and cultural phenomenon of the Gap Year.

The Gap Year: a year away travelling, exploring, meeting new friends, making memories and finding yourself. Sounds good right? So why doesn’t everyone take one?

A Gap Year in everyone’s eyes looks different. Growing up, my father always had a story about his travels. He always encouraged me to travel, and I have been fortunate enough to visit a variety of countries so far. This has been the foundation for my passion for travel and seeing what the world has to offer. It has been a goal of mine to take a Gap Year after completing my HSC, leading to the relevance of the choice of my Personal interest topic. My reasoning for wanting to take a Gap Year stems from my love of travel and curiosity in the things around me.

This investigation aims to explore the cultural phenomenon of the Gap Year, including who the gappers are, what they’re doing while they’re away and the aftermath of taking a Gap Year, focusing particularly on how the Gap Year has affected individual’s personal identity and how it has changed the way they perceive the world around them. My hypothesis is that graduating students from all levels of society can access a Gap Year during which they benefit both socially and culturally while establishing the foundations of their future. In this report, I define a Gap Year as ‘a year taken after secondary education to either work, travel and or experience new things before continuing onto university or other career paths.’

Deconstructing the Distrust: the impact of intergenerational trauma on Indigenous Australians’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The perpetual cycle of intergenerational trauma has been a tool for oppression in Indigenous communities. As an Indigenous woman, I have found myself bearing witness to the impact of generational trauma, 240 years since the First Fleet arrived. This lasting trauma has made life for Indigenous people increasingly difficult as they are forced to assimilate into a western society that does not provide a mutual respect. Specifically, in the age of COVID, Australians have become aware of the distrust Indigenous communities bare towards the nation. My topic will explore the impact that inter-generational trauma has had on Indigenous Australians’ experiences in the age of COVID, specifically in relation to the vaccination and health of Indigenous communities.

Through this personal interest project, I aim to develop a deeper understanding of how past wrongdoings towards Indigenous communities are continuing to be used as a tool for oppression in contemporary Australia. Through this investigation, I can improve my social and culturally literacy to comprehend the perspective of, and traumas faced by, the Indigenous community and, therefore, become aware of how this distrust has transferred into modern Australian society. I will investigate the lasting impact of generational traumas at both the micro, meso and macro levels in order to understand the continuity of Indigenous oppression.

I hypothesise that ‘the poor vaccination rates in Indigenous communities are directly linked, but not limited to, the distrust Indigenous Australians have towards authoritative figures as a result of inter-generational trauma.’ Past wrongdoings towards Indigenous communities, such as displacement, have resulted in cultural erasure and acted as a catalyst for scepticism towards Government policies. This area of investigation relates to the syllabus topic Social and Cultural Continuity and Change, as it explores in depth how cultural continuity is affected by the imposition of external cultures and values and how this manifests into traumas for Indigenous Australians. I will investigate this idea with close reference to the Middle Ground theory.

“It’s lights out … but where did all the women go?” A cross cultural investigation into the continuous gender disparity in Formula One: Engineers and Drivers.

Within the money, fame, and success of Formula One, arguably the most prestigious, elite and famous motorsport league in the world, there is a considerable problem: a motor-sporting culture which drives a substantial gender disparity. Formula One (F1) is the pinnacle of motorsport and engineering, where teams’ engineers strive to design the fastest car, within set rules for their two drivers. Where two competitive male dominated domains collide: engineering and race car driving, it is inevitable that women face significant barriers, bias and discrimination. F1 has had over 900 drivers. Only two have been female. Additionally of the thousands of F1 engineers, only a fraction are women.[1]

As a young woman with a passion and interest in motorsports, I found myself questioning the lack of women on the grid, not only in the all-male driver line-up, but in the engineering and mechanical fields. What is Formula One’s problem with women? As someone who dreams of working within top tier motorsport, this is a growing concern, making it extremely relevant in my micro life, leading to my PIP topic: An investigation into the continuous gender disparity in Formula One: Engineers and Drivers. I hypothesise that the male dominance and gender disparity in F1 is due to the repetitive gendered acts and bias in the history of motor sporting culture, where an entire cultural shift and a reconstruction of the social construct of women being unsuitable to motor racing is needed to see women succeed.

A Beautiful and More Confident You: Korean Beauty and its Continued Influence over Second Generation Korean-Australians.

It is not shocking that a teenager, like myself, has wanted to look prettier. As a result, my parents have encouraged plastic surgery, even offering to pay for the entire journey. Although I have voiced my decision, it being a definitive no, I have always been curious as to why traditional South Korean beauty standards are still being forced on me as well as on other second-generation South Koreans living in Australia. For my personal interest project (PIP), I have chosen to focus on the lasting impacts of Korean beauty standards on second generation Korean-Australians.

This investigation will firstly explore the effects of the idealisation of facial beauty in South Korea, including how plastic surgery has been commercialised through media and is being consumed by a considerable number of South Koreans. It will then investigate how first and second-generation Korean-Australians uphold and continue these values and practices within a different culture and environment. It will also consider whether the difference in physical and digital environments have affected second-generation Korean-Australians’ perception of facial beauty. Values can be defined as deeply held ideas and beliefs that guide our thinking, language, and behaviour. Differences in values exist among groups of people in society and are a part of one’s culture. Values can also be challenged, and this notion will be explored through the second-generation Korean-Australians’ perception of facial beauty.

My hypothesis outlines that ‘second generation Korean Australians feel the pressure of conforming to traditional South Korean beauty standards due to pressures from their micro and macro worlds.’ I will investigate Korea’s continued ‘obsession’ with beauty and how it manifests itself onto second generation Korean-Australians. Beauty, although universal, is a subjective topic, therefore I have chosen to focus specifically on facial beauty in South Korea amongst women.

‘Not like other girls’
Dissecting the influences and effects of internalised misogyny.

Society continues to uphold a paradoxical expectation of femininity. It vilifies those who embrace stereotypical expressions reducing them to a “bitch” or “bimbo,” whilst alienating those who are not ‘girly’ enough, and do not conform to society’s expectations of ‘what it means to be a girl.’

The demonisation of hyper-femininity has been a constant in my life. It began with derogatory remarks in primary school: “you throw like a girl,” “you run like a girl” etc . I was confused why my peers suddenly rejected anything ‘girly’ and being ‘like a girl’ was now synonymous with being ‘weak.’ Whilst in the media I consumed, Hollywood ruthlessly painted the hyper-feminine ‘pink’ characters as ‘bitchy’ or ‘the mean girl.’ Thus, I began to adamantly avoid hyper-feminine presentations, especially the colour pink! Only in recent years, have I leaned more into my femininity the way I always secretly wanted to.

My ‘Personal Interest Project’ aims to dissect the evolution of society’s and the media’s demonisation of hyper femininity on an implicit and explicit level. I seek to explore and identify the micro and macro effects of this stereotype on individuals cross-culturally through gathering experiences of Gen X and Gen Z women. This investigation will additionally explore the impact of socialisation and how societal gender stereotypes have effected internalised misogyny.[1] This report addresses society and culture concepts such as continuity and change, stereotypes, beliefs, empowerment, self-concept, and gender. My hypothesis proposes that society’s demonisation of hyper-femininity in the media and sexist socialisation leads individuals experiencing internalised misogyny.

Best of Both Worlds? Biracial identity and the social and cultural forces that shape it.

‘What are you?’ and ‘Where are you from?’ are phrases biracial individuals hear often. Biracial is a term used to describe an individual with parents of two different races, derived from the Latin word bi,[1] meaning ‘double’ or ‘twice’, and the Italian word Razza meaning a ‘type, variety, or species (of animal)’.[2] For my personal interest project I will explore my hypothesis, that ‘due to the varied social and cultural pressures, biracial identity develops differently to that of monoracial individuals’. As a biracial individual, this has always been of interest to me. This topic explores more than just the identity of those “in-between”[3], it will also examine how things such as cultural values and beliefs within the home shape one’s identity and world view, and how feeling a sense of belonging helps shape an adolescent’s identity, while also looking at the impacts of stereotyping, racism, and media.

I have utilised a variety of research methods, including questionnaires, interview, focus group, content analysis and secondary research. Two questionnaires were conducted: one for biracial and the other for monoracial individuals. Although I only collected 45 responses on the biracial questionnaire, in comparison to 79 on the monoracial questionnaire, it allowed for comparison. I conducted a focus group with five year twelve biracial girls which provided an idea of the experiences of young biracial teens and allowed me to relate their experiences and thoughts to my secondary research findings. An interview with Loren Nilsson, a researcher for the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at the University of Sydney was conducted in order to get an academic opinion on the media, racism, and stereotyping in regard to biracial individuals. These methods were appropriate to this topic as it allowed me to gain a wide range of valid and reliable data, combining both personal and public knowledge. These methods provided a better understanding of how growing up with more than one racial identity may impact biracial individuals on a social and cultural level.

Finally seeing more than just the binary way of life: to what extent is the rise in gender neutrality representation impacting younger generations?

Growing up in a religious family and attending an all-girls’ school, I was never given the opportunity to explore my own personal ideas and identity regarding sexuality and gender. It was assumed I would grow up as a woman, identify as a woman and one day, in a white gown, marry a man. Now that I have witnessed the world a little more, largely through the media, it is evident that gender neutrality is on the rise, and I wonder how different my life would have been had I not had gender stereotypes and expectations placed on me at such an early age. I’ve taken an interest in how the increase of representation has influenced my thought processes and how identity can shift in relation to gender expression.

Through this project, I will explore how the rise of gender-neutral representation impacts younger generations, specifically Generation Z and Alpha. Gender neutrality is broadly defined as “something that is not associated with either women or men. It may refer to various aspects such as concepts or style of language” and is something that is on the rise within media, schools, and parenting.[1] Despite the ongoing discrimination, individuals are starting to become empowered and are pushing for change in values as acceptance within families and communities is progressing.

My hypothesis is that there is a slow and gradual increase in gender-neutral representation which is having a positive impact on children due to the increased awareness and acceptance, but there are factors such as previous expectations, religious and political views as well as stereotypes which inhibits the accessibility of such representation.