Category: Indigenous Communities, Online Diaspora and Social Media

This stream focuses on online communities, networks and social media through the lens of both indigenous and diasporic communities and networks.

Abstract Social media has been used as a platform for communication, news, and cultural content since it was created. Researchers have proven that people tend to be biased on social media platforms for trending topics; therefore, people believe the content they see on mass media is the true source of information. Within cultural factors, this leads to misconceptions about culture, misrepresentation, and prejudice toward a particular group of people. The Indigenous people of Australia communities Read more [...]
I contend that the growth of social networking services, social capital, and the cultural and political participation of diasporic communities within and across nation-state borders are empowered by Internet-based technological affordances such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter. The use of communication technologies such as satellite television and the Internet, particularly social networking services – more commonly referred to as social media – is increasing among diasporan Read more [...]
African Australians reshaping and reaffirming their identity in the Australian Diaspora Online   Individuals of African descent living in Australia have been subject to an identity that is stigmatised, politicised and othered within the Australian Diaspora. This has been exacerbated by overreporting and misrepresentation of sensationalist media and political agents who benefit – monetarily, for power and status - from the resulting negative impacts and hyper fixation. In recent Read more [...]
  Social media does not create equal third spaces because it is mediated by cultural influences to reproduce social disparities that Indigenous communities face in the "real world". In a technologically mediated society, Aboriginal peoples are embracing social media and digital engagement. The impact of the uptake of technology – such as mobile phones, smartphones, cameras, internet-connected devices and computers, and platforms such as Facebook and YouTube – is widespread, and Read more [...]
Abstract  To examine the impact that positive social media stories have on Australian Indigenous communities. I will argue that affirmative posts can transform the perception of the Australian Indigenous community, moving from a story of colonisation and hardship to a story of successfully overcoming the past to build a stronger future. “There is a danger in allowing colonisation to be the only story of Indigenous lives” (Alfred & Corntassel cited in Carlson & Kennedy, 2021, Read more [...]
Indigenous Australians and Community: Diasporic networks resisting colonialism online. PDF Download   Abstract  Indigenous people around the world and in particular, in Australia, boast ancient and deep connections to culture, community and country. The rise of social media has played a distinct role in changing the ways Indigenous Australians interact with community and country. These changes have generated vast diasporic networks and communities which have seen an abundance Read more [...]
ABSTRACT Social media has played an integral role in East Asian immigrants having found and reclaimed their ethnic identities through online communities. Through a shared sense of identity to their homeland, diasporic East Asian communities can come together online with the help of social media platforms. Multiple generations of immigrants come together in creating a conversation around being the other in western countries. This paper discusses, firstly, the unique position of Read more [...]
Indigenous Memes_Conference Paper_PDF   ABSTRACT In 2016, Indigenous activists launched a Facebook page Blackfulla Revolution (BFR) to increase awareness about the impact of colonialism in past through to the present-day Australia. BFR produced and shared a set of memes to illustrate the discriminatory events of colonialism and to invite a wider community to gather online to show solidarity for Indigenous both past and present. Meme creation is one way to produce replicable and spreadable Read more [...]
  Abstract: The Ukrainian Diaspora is one of the largest dispersed communities in the world. This paper describes how the Ukrainian Diaspora has formed over the past century and how its members maintain strong links with the home country. With crisis happening in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Diaspora has connected using social media to bring about real outcomes for Ukraine.   The Ukrainian diaspora has connected and united using social media and modern technology. Read more [...]