Using buzzwords of belonging: everyday multiculturalism and social capital in Australia

Abstract

This paper examines the concepts of multiculturalism and social capital, their\nrelationship with each other and how these concepts are utilised by different\ninterested parties in Australia. In the context of the United States of America and\nthe United Kingdom, some commentators and scholars have argued that\nmulticulturalism can have a negative impact on the fostering of social capital.\nThese arguments are described before examining the same debate in Australia.\nHowever, the emphasis of this article is its description of how ethnic minorities\nand migrants on the one hand, and community organisations that assist these\ngroups on the other, make use of the notions of multiculturalism and social\ncapital to either legitimise their place in Australia or to effectively advocate for the\nsocial and economic utility of investing in programs that address problems faced\nby these groups. With data gathered through interviews and ethnographic\nfieldwork in Melbourne and Sydney, the authors demonstrate how the debates\nthat scholars and commentators engage in are sidestepped by migrants and by\nthose who seek to assist them and how they use these concepts in a positive\nmanner and in a way in which no other concepts can be used with the same\nefficacy.