Multiple intergenerational identities: Greek-Australian women across generations

Abstract

Abstract

‘Who am I?’, ‘What am I?’ constitute a dramatic moment in self-realization. The posing of the question ‘who am I?’ is a critical step towards the realization of, examination of, and apprehension in the creation of identity. The question of identity is a central issue in social, cultural and psychological studies, and as such is very relevant to migrant communities and their associated issues. Identity is composed, transformed and functioned in the course of life through multiple, polysynthetic interactions with the environment. Identity does not constitute an unalterable perception as it is a product of a dynamic process of psychological, social and historical construction. This article is an examination of three generations of women, who have self-defined themselves in a hyphenated process of identification - as in Greek-Australian - in a multicultural social framework that proves the hypothesis that identity is a strong personal mystification that encompasses multiple stages and incorporates a variety of compound elements for its formation.