Abstract
In this chapter considers the issue of homesickness. The data presented here suggests that homesickness arises relationally for First Nations boarders. Rather than an atomistic model that perceives homesickness as emerging from a longing for people or place, the narratives here indicate that for many young people, homesickness went to the heart of belonging. Whereas homesickness has been described as a transitory affliction the effects of which dissipate over time, participants here report that the term covers a range of complex issues which directly impact a young person’s sense of self, their identity. These can become more pronounced the longer a student is away from home. They include loss of language and culture; assimilation to different social norms; the diminution of connections at home, and worry about the failure to fulfil responsibilities to loved ones; a sense of losing control over life choices; confusion over identity and the conviction that nobody, either at home or at school, understands their situation.
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O’Bryan, M. (2021). Homesickness. In: Boarding and Australia's First Peoples. Indigenous-Settler Relations in Australia and the World, vol 3. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6009-2_8
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