Full Description
This book is the first compilation of the experiences of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in Australia. It explores the theme of home—from what is left behind to what is brought or (re)created in a new space—and all the complex processes that ensue as a result of leaving a land defined by conflict. The context of the book is unique since it focuses on the ten-year period since the Sri Lankan civil war ended in 2009. Although the war has officially come to an end, conflict continues in diverse and insidious forms, which we present from the point of view of those who have left Sri Lanka.
The multidisciplinary nature of the book means that various aspects of Sri Lankan Tamil experiences are documented including trauma, violence, resettlement, political action, cultural and religious heritage, and intergenerational transmission. This book draws on qualitative methods from the fields of history, geography, sociology, sociolinguistics, psychology and psychiatry. Methodological enquiries range from oral histories and in-depth interviews to ethnography and self-reflexive accounts. To complement these academic chapters, creative contributions by prominent Sri Lankan artists in Australia seek to provide personalised and alternative interpretations on the theme of home. These include works from playwrights, novelists and community arts practitioners who also identify as human rights activists.
Contents
1. Introduction.- 2. Movements of Minorities: AusLankan Struggles for Justice.- 3. Lionheart.- 4. Home, Continuities and Resistance: Memory Activism in the Aftermath of Sri Lanka's Civil War.- 5. My Life - A Fragile Raft.- 6. Tamil Women in the Home away from Home: The Impact of War Trauma on Psychological Wellbeing.- 7. The Struggle Over Memory: The Relational Dimensions of Traumatic Memory in the Lives of Tamil Asylum-Seeking Adolescents.- 8. Naren.- 9. (Re)creating Home: The Lived and Gendered Experiences of Tamil Women in Sydney, Australia.- 10. Tamil Weekends: Intergenerational Perspectives on Belonging.- 11. Bittersweet.- 12. Conclusion - (Re)creating Home: Remembering the Past, Looking to the Future.
