Summary Of Anglo Decline 2

Hage, G. (2000). The Discourse of Anglo Decline 2: The Role of ‘Asians’ in the Destruction of the ‘White Race’. In White Nation: Fantasies of White Supremacy in a Multicultural Society. New York, NY: Routledge in association with Pluto Press

This book, written primarily for an academic audience (7), explains the pre-existing nationalist’s phenomenon called the ‘White Nation Fantasy’. This is the desire of a nation ‘governed by white people’ that could have been achieved were it not for multi-racial immigration (18). Hage’s eighth chapter uses information gathered from interviewing Caucasian-Australians to showcase the white nation fantasy reaction to the recent diversification of Australia’s middle class leading to the supposed ‘decline of
In doing this De Nooy argues that travel experiences do not only shaped the self and the other, but also shapes Australia as a nation of travellers (1). De Nooy examines this through a brief historical overview on the movements of Australians overseas and searches for emerging patterns. What I have gained most from reading this article is an interesting understanding of how travel movement patterns can develop changes in identity through being viewed as the ‘other’. De Nooy introduced me to three different ideas that I might take up further in my reflective essay. Firstly, how the spotlight on the other in this context represents a shifting identity that either increases ‘Australianness’ in a foreign landscape or oppositely enhances the concept of ‘spiritual home’ abroad (2). Secondly, how continuously changing identity effects the returning of the traveller to a changed home nation where they are forced to adapt (2). Finally, the concept of cultural cringe and dismissing your own culture in favour of another nation’s culture, as being a main pattern found in the movement away from Australia. These concepts help make sense of my change in identity as well as my reverse culture shock during my exchange. A minor limitation is that De Nooy’s
Applyby draws upon interviews of eleven Caucasian-Australian males and uses their experiences to argue that the negative Japanese stereotype of single male foreigners being promiscuous affects masculine identity in both social and professional spheres (16). Appleby firstly argues of a distinction between married and single masculinity, as the interviewees experienced marriage to be associated with maturity and integration into all aspects of Japanese domestic life. Secondly, that this distinction leads to married Western men being better integrated and recognised within the education workplace than single men or women (17). Finally, she argues that these define western singles to be represented as perpetual outsiders and too immature to play a significant role in the Japanese interpersonal and institutional domains (18). What I have gained most from reading this article is an understanding of how stereotyping through the ‘Charisma Man’ model negatively impacted their relationships with the Japanese community, including work and social relationships. This challenges me to think more critically about my experiences with Korean people during my exchange experience and their ideas of stereotyping. I might discuss this further in my reflective essay as it would provide new insight into how