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Inevitably, for Sudanese refugees, the transition from the war-torn, Third World country of Sudan, to the First World country of Australia is a difficult one…Not only do the Sudanese encounter cultural and language barriers, but the social and physical environment of New South Wales is also significantly different (in particular, the city) …Initially, Sudanese refugees are often taken aback by the cultural hybridity of the society; surprised but not opposed to the multicultural society of Australia. As observed by my Sudanese interviewee: “ after having seen many different peoples I was wondering to whom Australia belongs.”… In this way, acculturation involves cultural, economic and linguistic shifts …Along with inevitable language barriers and different social etiquettes, cultural differences arise from the way power and authority is expressed in ‘Australian’ and Sudanese culture. Difficulties occur during acculturation when Sudanese try to meet Australian cultural expectations as well as their own. Issues of power and authority manifest themselves in areas such as gender, family, and interaction with law enforcers…In Sudan, during socialisation, children learn gender-distinct tasks which they master at a young age. However, these traditional gender roles are disrupted when new tasks arise with which neither men nor women are familiar, as well as the need to perform old tasks in the new context of New South Wales…Where once men and women operated relatively independently of one another in organising their daily lives, they must now cooperate.
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