(600 Words) …/11 marks
This reading was both shocking and educational. I was surprised to discover the extreme discrimination and its duration towards the indigenous Australians. It enlightened me personally to the injustice and prejudice behaviors and legislations towards the indigenous people. It removed me from the safety of my rose colored cocoon into the harsh reality of discrimination in Australia in recent times. The article developed an understanding that was previously absent and established a want for further knowledge. Further research emphasized the contrast between the struggles of my white ancestors to the Indigenous Australians.
In the 1890’s my ancestors faced devastating depression and wars in contrast the indigenous people had every aspect of their life controlled and governed by the Aborigines protection act. It was expected that the Aboriginal population would die out and eventually become extinct. Under this act every aspect of the Indigenous people lives was controlled including where they lived, what they did and how they did it. Alcohol consumption, voting, owning property and living in conjunction with white people was prohibited. They were treated as children with no independence and adult dignity. In contrast my white ancestors enjoyed independence and freedom. They endured the hard ship of depression of war however they enjoyed the freedom and independence to vote, to travel and to work.
Further, from 1950 to 1972 my descendants were enjoying television, Olympic Games and urban development in comparison the Aboriginals were expected to assimilate and integrate into white society. When it became clear that the aboriginal culture would not die out and become extinct a policy of integration was established. It was expected that the aboriginal population would leave behind their culture, their language and their heritage and live within the white society adopting white culture and beliefs. This was expected to occur without the benefit of equal rights, citizenship and privileges. This made the policy unrealistic and impractical. Understandably the aboriginal population was unenthusiastic and outraged at the expectations placed on them and the sacrifices that were expected to make. The majority of the white population who were thriving in development and growth lived without the awareness of this policy and the impact on a culture and race that was historically overlooked.
Finally from 1972 my white family was enjoying peace and prosperity whereas the Indigenous were fighting for citizenship, the vote and independence. My white ancestors automatically enjoyed Australian citizenship as they were born here. In contrast in 1967 the indigenous population finally received citizenship in a nation that was always their own. During this era they were finally recognized as a distinct cultural group with the rights to determine their own future. It was finally acknowledged the damage that white interference had had on the health, wellbeing and housing of this population. Although money was poured into remedying this issue a lack of qualified personal hindered these endeavors. In compassion my family enjoyed the education and wealth of a developing nation and continued to progress and improve our qualifications and standard of living.
It is clear that further development, understanding, education and work is essential to equalize the standard of living, health, education and qualifications between the aboriginal culture and that of white Australians. Greater understanding of the issues faced by the indigenous people will help the progression and attainment of this goal.
Word count: 551
Step 2:
Write a reflection on your reaction to BOTH tutorial readings in week 4 and what you learned from the activities.
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How did you feel during/after the tutorial?
- What did the material covered in the readings and discussed in the tutorials mean to you?
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What insights did you gain into yourself AND others? (200 words) …/3 marks
To be honest I was having difficulty understanding the issue of discrimination as it has not been part of my life. I have many multicultural friends and have always considered them equal. The issue of discrimination is a difficult one to explain and grasp unless you have experienced it personally. Although out tutorial have attempted to explain this issue it has resulted in arguments and emotional distress causing tears. This highlights the fact that discrimination is an emotionally charged issue that stimulates sadness, aggression and distress. As a result of the heated discussion the articles were not fully evaluated and explained. This unfortunately did not assist in the students understanding the extent of discrimination within Australia.
I read, evaluated and researched the article myself which resulted in a surprising understanding and reaction to the issue. Discrimination has never been part of my life however the minor discriminatory issues such as ageism, size and sexism have impacted my life but not to the frightening extreme that was faced by our Indigenous population. It was horrifying to me to discover when this culture received the vote, citizenship and independence. It is not history, it is an ongoing battle. For a country that is considered to thrive on equality, it is clear that we have a long way to go.
Word count: 217
Notes on Grading:
No part marks will be given
2 marks awarded for submission and correct presentation + 14 marks for content and completeness of the entries
Total out of 16 marks =
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