Aparna Hebbani | The University of Queensland, Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Aparna Hebbani

Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2014

Given the steady rise in the number of Hazara seeking asylum in Australia, the aim of this study ... more Given the steady rise in the number of Hazara seeking asylum in Australia, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of media in their acculturation and to explore whether their level of English language proficiency played a mediating role in selecting certain media platforms over others. Data were collected through 29 participants completing a survey, followed by in-depth interviews with ten Hazara male youths (age ≤18 years) in Brisbane, Australia. The findings suggested that young Hazara men were very selective in their media choice. While some used media to improve their integration into Australia, others consciously chose to separate and be more "Afghan" than "Australian". In this selection process, their self-awareness with regard to English language proficiency, coupled with how motivated they were to learn English, played a critical mediating role; certain participants who had limited English proficiency and wanted to improve it watched English language media to improve their proficiency. These media were avoided by participants with a similar proficiency who had no interest in improving it; participants representing this group resorted to Hazaragi/Dari media for information and news, instead of the local media. In this study, the latter group also displayed a separation approach of acculturation.

Understanding basic cultural differences and developing sensitivity towards such differences are ... more Understanding basic cultural differences and developing sensitivity towards such differences are essential to success in the current global business context. Given the enormous (current and projected) rise in the number and nature of connections between Australian and Indian business, it is imperative that these two nations understand and adapt to each other’s cultures to succeed. In this paper, I overview the current status of work examining the Australian and Indian business communication context, and argue that more work is needed, and will prove highly beneficial to future trade relations between these two nations. It is foreseen that such research could provide insight into current communication occurring in this specific intercultural business context, and has the potential to offer suggestions and tactics to future business professionals to cope with cultural differences. The resulting findings can also prove beneficial to Australian and Indian business professionals to learn...

Although a significant number of Sudanese refugees have migrated to Australia over the past decad... more Although a significant number of Sudanese refugees have migrated to Australia over the past decade, little research has been conducted to identify the experiences and problems they face while settling into a culture significantly different from their home culture. This exploratory study investigated the adaptation and acculturation experiences of 28 women from the Sudanese refugee community and explored a range of issues relating to intergenerational communication since their arrival in Australia. Most participants expressed the following as issues of concern: (a) disciplining and raising children in Australia, (b) relationships with teenage children, and (c) the influence of Sudanese culture on their child rearing practices. The following two key theoretical constructs have been identified for their potential relevance to our findings and future research on this topic: (a) Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and (b) the acculturation process. There are various reasons why refugees are ...

... Putting my best foot forward. Aparna Hebbani (2009). Putting my best foot forward. ... Docume... more ... Putting my best foot forward. Aparna Hebbani (2009). Putting my best foot forward. ... Document type: Book Chapter. Collection: School of Journalism and Communication Publications. Author(s), Aparna Hebbani. Title of chapter, Putting my best foot forward. ...

© 2009 International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies, Department of Communica... more © 2009 International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies, Department of Communication Studies, University of Rhode Island, 10 Lippitt Road, 310 Davis Hall, Kingston, RI02881, USA

This study employed the theoretical perspective of uncertainty reduction (Berger & Calabrese, 197... more This study employed the theoretical perspective of uncertainty reduction (Berger & Calabrese, 1974) to examine the effects of the similarity/dissimilarity of interviewers’ and interviewees’ nonverbal behaviors exhibited during an intercultural hiring interview on interviewers’ perceptions of and hiring decisions about interviewees. Mock hiring interviews were conducted between 15 male Indian graduate student interviewees and 2 male Caucasian U.S. professionals who participated as interviewers. The procedures attempted to replicate real-life interviews as closely as possible. Videotapes of the interactions were rated by trained coders with respect to the amount and similarity of the nonverbal behaviors displayed by research participants. Interviewers completed questionnaires (after each interview) rating their level of attributional confidence and the perceived hireability of the applicant. Regression analyses showed that across the interviewers, attributional confidence was a signif...

This Australian-based study examined demographic and psychosocial factors associated with refugee... more This Australian-based study examined demographic and psychosocial factors associated with refugee parents’ communication with their children. Refugee parents (n = 222) from Ethiopia, Congo, and Myanmar took part in a survey. Logistic hierarchical analysis showed that parents with a higher level of acculturation were more engaged in meaningful and positive communication with their children. Parents’ acculturative stress increased their perception of intergenerational dissonance. Refugee parents’ employment status showed unexpected effects: unemployed parents reported interacting more, and more positively, with their children. Those who were confident in securing a job also interacted meaningfully with their children. Those in the workforce reported that their relationship and communication with children deteriorated.

The Australasian review of African studies, 2015

This article presents findings from an exploratory survey aimed to identify predictors of employm... more This article presents findings from an exploratory survey aimed to identify predictors of employment for Sudanese, Somali, and Congolese former refugees living in the greater Brisbane area in 2009-2010. Quantitative data was collected from 56 participants (25 employed and 31 unemployed men and women). We found that only spoken English language proficiency increased the odds of being employed. Interestingly, we found no statistical significance between employment and demographics (i.e., age, gender, or marital status), length of residence in Australia, time spent in refugee camps, English proficiency (reading, writing or numeracy), or level of education. We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest improvements to policies along with ways to assist refugee employment.

This exploratory student research examines advertising trends in Australia’s top four best-sellin... more This exploratory student research examines advertising trends in Australia’s top four best-selling men's and women's magazines. The key questions addressed in this study were: (a) Are there any trends between the types of product advertised and the relative use of the male or female form to help sell the image, and (b) What degree of sexual explicitness will advertisers in this genre use to achieve their goal. This study created a research methodology to measure the sexualised content of each publication. Comparisons were then made based on these findings. It was found that sexual content was the most prolific form of product advertising across both men’s and women’s magazines. It also found certain products and demographics correlate with the occurrence of sexualised imagery, allowing researchers to theorise why this was the case. The analysis illuminates how, where and possibly why sex is sold to consumers. It also presents a comparison of these trends with regard to both ...

This Australia-based study examines demographic and psychosocial factors associated with refugee ... more This Australia-based study examines demographic and psychosocial factors associated with refugee parents’ communication with their children, especially in the context of their children’s educational and career aspirations. Refugee parents (N = 222) from Ethiopia, Congo and Myanmar completed a questionnaire-based survey and logistic hierarchical analysis showed that parents with a higher level of acculturation were more engaged in meaningful and positive communication with their children. Nevertheless, parents’ acculturative stress increased their perception of intergenerational dissonance. Employment related experiences impacted in an unusual manner. Those unemployed perceived themselves as interacting more with their children. Similarly, those who were confident in securing a job also interacted meaningfully with their children. However, those in workforce saw their relationship and communication with their children deteriorating.

This is the final report of the ARC linkage research project Refugees' employment aspirations... more This is the final report of the ARC linkage research project Refugees' employment aspirations and inter-generational communication about future occupational pathways. The project was based in South-east Queensland and was conducted over three years (2013, 2014, and 2015). The lead chief investigator was Dr Aparna Hebbani from the University of Queensland. The project had three overall aims. Aim 1: To investigate the employment experiences of recently arrived refugees. Aims 2 and 3: To investigate refugees' aspirations for themselves and their children's educational and occupational futures. Specifically, this study focused on the experiences of refugee settlers from Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia, which are among the top ten source countries for offshore humanitarian entrants (DIBP, 2013).

This study analysed public perceptions surrounding the announcement of the pioneering 2012 Commun... more This study analysed public perceptions surrounding the announcement of the pioneering 2012 Community Placement Network initiative by the former Australian Labor Government, through which an asylum seeker could spend six weeks with an Australian family while their bridging visa application was being processed. Using a Leximancer-supported content analysis of 455 comments from six online Australian news sources, we found that 1) comments did not discuss the article content but discussed other issues related to asylum seekers; 2) in most cases, negative comments outnumbered positive comments; 3) two of six article headlines inaccurately referred to the asylum seekers as refugees; and 4) most comments were negative towards the then Labor Government, Labor politicians and improper expenditure of tax dollars. We conclude that the space available for comments was used as a vehicle to voice dissent towards the then government, its leaders and immigration policy instead of a space to engage ...

From 1998 to 2008, a total of 3,543 Somali and 24,447 Sudanese settlers came to Australia, most o... more From 1998 to 2008, a total of 3,543 Somali and 24,447 Sudanese settlers came to Australia, most of them under the refugee status. This intake is, to some extent, reflective of Australia’s most recent approach to humanitarian resettlement that has fostered a shift of policy priority, with approximately 70 per cent of all entrants since 2003 arriving from Africa. Hence, as a growing and visibly different minority group, many African arrivals have been a focal point in recent research about the impact of their racial visibility in discrimination. While subject to multiple forms of marginalisation as refugees and as Africans, many have also been stigmatised on religious grounds because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and perhaps, more recently, due to some extremist activities in Australia. Therefore, this paper, which leans on the work done by Colic-Peisker and Tilbury (2007), examines the role of racial, religious, and tribal visibility and the resulting marginalisation on the Somali an...

Faculty of Health Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Early Childhood School of Psychology Counselling, 2015

In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of people seeking asylum in Australia, resul... more In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of people seeking asylum in Australia, resulting in overcrowded detention centres in various parts of the country. Appropriate management and assistance of asylum seekers has been an issue of major socio-political concern. In mid-2012, the Australian ruling government introduced a 'first of its kind' community placement initiative, which involved relocating low-risk asylum seekers from detention centres to homes of those Australian families who volunteered for this program. The present study investigated host families' motivations for volunteering into this scheme and their resulting experiences. Twenty-four men and women from all over Australia were interviewed in person or over the telephone. Consistent with theoretical frameworks of altruism, acculturation, and intergroup contact, thematic analysis indicated participants' interest in diversity/humanitarian issues were major factors that motivated them to host asylum seekers. Language and cultural barriers were reported as challenges, but generally, participants found the experience positive and rewarding. The initiative was regarded as an excellent avenue of learning about new cultures. The hosts played a strong role in promoting the English language proficiency and intercultural settlement of the asylum seekers. The scheme was considered as one way of diffusing fear/biases against asylum seekers prevalent amongst the Australian community at-large. Participants also provided suggestions to improve the scheme.

Journal of Intercultural Communication, Mar 1, 2012

This study investigated acculturation challenges that Sudanese former refugees faced as a consequ... more This study investigated acculturation challenges that Sudanese former refugees faced as a consequence of settling in SouthEast Queensland, Australia. A total of 28 females and 11 males participated in focus groups. The findings indicate that both women and men face acculturation issues relating to successful settlement. The women were particularly challenged by low English language proficiency and parenting issues, while the men faced challenges to their traditional gender role within the family, as breadwinner, and their role outside the home-at work and in the public sphere. Thus, the research offers important insights into acculturation issues faced by both genders.

Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2014

The Australasian review of African studies, 2015

Faculty of Health Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation School of Early Childhood School of Psychology Counselling, 2015

Journal of Intercultural Communication, Mar 1, 2012

Presentation from the original work of Aparna Hebbani, Levi Obijiofor and Helen Bristed of the Un... more Presentation from the original work of Aparna Hebbani, Levi Obijiofor and Helen Bristed of the University of Queensland. Paper is available in ARAS Vol. 31 No. 1 June 2010.