Public services as indispensable stepping stones to migrant women's self determination

摘要: This paper argues that publicly funded infrastructure, or the welfare state, were indispensable in enabling a group of migrant women to exercise energetic self determination during resettlement Melbourne between mid 1970s late 1990s. Even though participants my doctoral study extraordinarily resilient, and mostly educated women, they needed service system developed within bi-partisan supported policy multiculturalism which granted access newcomers on basis citizenship rights. The unpacks sufferings migrants who come from communally based societies, lose their former worlds meaningful place society encounter negative representations fuelled by ignorance Australian context. I then present women’s detailed evidence about how network services, as existed up end 1990s Victoria, enabled them not only recapture energies, but also had life affirming reverberations for families community. In contradiction recent divisive, neo-liberal public discourses (Edgar 2001; Mendes 2003), state policies related programs engaged building vibrant diverse civil society. Rather than being drain purse, modest government investments into nation benefit enormous industriousness. After some brief contextual information, will vignettes narratives connecting with variety services. tragically amusing dialogue an isolated woman’s experience poor medical practice provide counter balance discussion.