On being Australian: Exploring the role of Anzac museum and heritage interpretive experiences in developing visitors' sense of national identity (2013-2015)

This project advances theory in relation to the role of museum and heritage interpretive experiences in visitor identity-building. It applies constructs from identity process theory to explore the ways in which 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Australian visitors engage with, reflect on, assimilate or reject national collective memories regarding the Anzac story in their sense of Australian identity. As the Anzac centenary approaches, the project will identify the aspects of interpretive experiences at museums and heritage sites that facilitate identity-building and best meet the needs of visitors in today's multicultural society. The research will be conducted at the Australian War Memorial (Canberra) and Anzac commemorative site (Gallipoli).