Places From Which To Speak

摘要

This paper concerns the ambivalent nature of the relationships between informal archives organisations representing diasporic communities and more formal archives institutions within the professional context of increased emphasis on agendas of 'inclusion', emanating from both government and professional bodies. The reasons for this ambivalent attitude to 'inclusion' are explored, and are seen to stem from a perceived absence and misrepresentation of diasporic communities on the part of formal heritage organisations. Strategies and patterns of resistance to assimilation are centred around the use of archives to control discourse, and through the use of the archive as a symbol or symbolic space. This resistance is shown to be viable, workable and located within grounded practice.