The main issues in Indigenous Australia

The main issues in Indigenous Australia Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are the original habitants of Australia. They have been living in this country for more than 60.000 years.1 At the time the Europeans came to settle the Indigenous population decreased dramatically. Reasons for this decline include the battle for land and the introduction of foreign diseases. Although this is more than 200 years ago, the problems within the Indigenous community have not been resolved yet and the Indigenous people's position in the mainstream Australian community is still marginal. Their health conditions are appalling. There is a lower attendance of Indigenous children in school; there is high unemployment among Indigenous people and their disproportionate involvement in crime is a serious problem. The Australian government is attempting alleviate the situation, but is it really getting better? In this paper I will explore several important issues in contemporary Indigenous Australia. In particular, this paper examines the problematic issues surrounding land rights, health and criminality. I will discuss these problems and analyse the government's engagement. I will discuss how his engagement seems to address these issues and what this engagement suggests about the status of Indigenous people in current-day Australian society. I will argue that lives of Indigenous Australian

  • Word count: 1804
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Politics is power - the Iraq inquiry. A good example of power within politics is the Iraq inquiry, which is looking at the events, which occurred in the run up for the invasion to the present date

Politics is Power - The Iraq Inquiry A good example of power within politics is the Iraq inquiry, which is looking at the events, which occurred in the run up for the invasion to the present date, which dates from 2001 - 2009. It scrutinises the reasons for going to war, weather or not the troops were properly prepared, and any planning for the war's consequences. Arguments against the inquiry consist of why it has taken so long to begin especially seeing as there was strong opposition to the war in 2001. More military figures are seen to be needed within the inquiry to answer questions involving troop preparation and planning. The main reasons for the inquiry surround the legitimacy of going to war in the first place, after the cease fire which ended the first gulf war, and the fact that '179 British service personnel were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2009. Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians died over the period, though estimates vary considerably.' (bbc.co.uk, 2009) All this for a war, which currently seems illegitimate. There have currently been 6 people give evidence since the start of the inquiry, ranging from Sir Christopher Meyer (ambassador to the United States from 1997 and 2003) to Tony Blair's foreign policy adviser, Sir David manning, who said 'absolutely prepared to say he was willing to contemplate regime change if [UN-backed measures] did not work'

  • Word count: 1148
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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History Extension Major Work Postmodernism . It is the feature of postmodernism and examples of texts or artistic pieces that encompass these techniques that is the basis of my essay. I have chosen to refer the techniques to art, novels, poems, music an

Title Contents Synopsis 3 Essay 4 Source Evaluation 15 Pulp Fiction Analysis: 15 Fight Club Analysis: 16 French Lieutenants Woman Analysis: 17 History Extension Project Proposal 19 Enquiry Questions: 20 Preliminary Research: 20 Research Intentions: 21 Bibliography 24 Internet Sites: 24 Films: 25 Novels and Poems: 26 Video Games: 26 Synopsis There is a dynamic relationship between postmodernism's development through societal events and its affect on art and text. I intend to examine the techniques postmodernists use to compose postmodern works as well as the history behind these techniques. It is the feature of postmodernism and examples of texts or artistic pieces that encompass these techniques that is the basis of my essay. I have chosen to refer the techniques to art, novels, poems, music and films. I have chosen to focus most heavily on films as film has existed mainly in the postmodern era unlike the others. I also feel film is currently the most widely experienced form of textual expression as well as the most obvious way to express postmodern techniques. Film also contains within it the story of novels and music thus adding to its ability to express postmodernisms affect on text and art. The essay will outline the key techniques used by postmodernism to shape art and text as well as the history behind these techniques and their effect on society in

  • Word count: 5648
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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What is the purpose of a museum? Answer with reference to at least three examples

What is the purpose of a museum? Answer with reference to at least three examples Museums are essentially institutions that collect and care for objects of historical or cultural importance and make them available for public viewing. Museums are very accessible to the public, often with free admittance and the information available is easy to read. There exists a wide range of topic and scope for which a museum is dedicated to. Despite a diverse range of themes, they all more or less have in common how they function, their contribution to society and their purposes. To explore the latter is the topic of this essay. Perhaps the most immediate function of a museum is to physically store historical artefacts, artwork etc. and intervene in the decay of such important items. The generic format for most museums is exhibits of artefacts, usually in lit vacuum display cases, are shown with bold, easy-to-read information regarding the artefact next to it. The cases are safely sealed, protect the artefact and allow for viewing. Museums are a popular days out to people of all ages, intellect and historical knowledge. In addition to the exhibits and aesthetics of the place, there are usually other activities that should be pleasurable. Properties owned by the National Trust are a prime example of this and host seasonal events like at Halloween and Easter, days out for kids and

  • Word count: 1345
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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What did the Cronulla riot of December 2005 and its aftermath reveal about Australian society?

What did the Cronulla riot of December 2005 and its aftermath reveal about Australian society? Australia is renowned for being a land of multiculturalism, a country rich in culture and diversity, and accepting of the belief systems of their citizen, however the events of the 11th of December 2005 when a crowd of roughly 5000 Anglo Australian took to the beaches of cronulla attacking anyone of "Middle Eastern" appearance, as response to an incident the previous weekend in which two lifesavers were injured after a confrontation with a group of Lebanese men. 1 What followed for several days were retaliation attacks by Middle Eastern groups, and constant fighting and bantering by both sides with young Australians travelling into the shire from other areas of Sydney to participate in the both sides riots.2 Through the cronulla riots and its aftermath, we see aspects of Australian Society questioned and ridiculed through media not only nationally but also on the international stage. Key to the organization of the riots and also the retaliation attacks were forms of media in which organizations of rioters and also communication between rioters was made. The use of text messages by the rioters was seen as the most practical form of communication between members of the mass conflict. Text messages varied with a few simply stating "Bash a leb day" and with others stating " This

  • Word count: 1910
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Is Reality For Historians

Is it misleading to speak of the 'peasant community'? Community studies point to forms of peasant organisation; self-regulation, mutual support, resistance, ceremony, collective piety, but it also implies remoteness, insularity and shared assumptions.1 In this respect, communalism is frequently associated with specific 'cultural' or 'normative' peasant values, which can be distinguished from Marxian categories of analysis. As Scott notes 'the proletariat has to create its class subculture in a new environment while the peasantry, like traditional artisans, inherits a far greater residue of custom, community, and values which influence its behaviour'.2 It will be argued that 'communalism' provides a useful conceptual tool for understanding how peasant communities had 'agency' in producing and reproducing social relationships. In particular, how the self-activity and self-regulation of the peasants provides a challenge to approaches emphasising their passivity and domination. The concept of 'communalism' also suggests a more flexible and accommodating understanding of social- relationships than in presented in frameworks of class-analysis. Anthropologist Bailey note that 'the small politics of everyone's everyday life is about reputations; about what it mean to 'have a good name'; about being socially bankrupted; about gossip and insult and 'one-upmanship'; in short, about

  • Word count: 3279
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Decision Points by George W. Bush and A Journey by Tony Blair. Are political diaries and memoirs useful contributors to the historical record

Are political diaries and memoirs useful contributors to the historical record? The use of a diary or memoir and its usefulness in contributing to the historiography of an event is a topic that is much debated by historians as whilst they do provide one with the motives behind the decision taken by a politician there are many unforeseen problems that a historian must comprehend before a true understanding can be gleaned. These problems can include bias and also the stance taken by an author who is most likely to have been a key influence on the event. This is especially true if the author was a former leader. If for example the decision that they took was criticised then it is likely that the stance the author adopts would be defensive thus jeopardising the truthfulness of the event as the author portrays them. Likewise, this would also be the case if the decision taken by a politician proved to be popular as it has the potential for the author to expand on the truth so that they seem to be an even bigger influence than they actually were. With this in mind, a project has been undertaken to determine the effectiveness of political diaries or memoirs in its contribution to the historical record with an analysis made of two more recent memoirs - "Decision Points" by George W. Bush and "A Journey" by Tony Blair - so that an understanding can be provided for the decision to

  • Word count: 6412
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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The Nuclear Arms race between the USA and the USSR

The nuclear arms race has, with quite considerable justification, been looked upon as the most dangerous characteristic of the Cold War; certainly, to see it as the defining event of that conflict would not be far removed from the truth. For the first time in history, nuclear weapons threatened the extinction of the entire human race; their sheer magnitude of destruction meant that millions of years of history could be wiped out in the event of a nuclear war. Yet it was precisely because of this magnitude that the nuclear arms race remained an arms race: two nations competing for nuclear supremacy, without trying to hurt the other. They did come close to doing to - the Cuban crisis in 1961 and the Yom Kippur war in 1973 - but in the end the bluster of leaders on both sides about nuclear war remained largely rhetoric. Thus we have to look at how the arms race managed to bring about this potential for destruction and the forces which moved the arms race along. In examining the nuclear arms race and why it precipitated such a "mad momentum", there are four areas of study to be considered: the conception of an arms race, the principle of action-reaction, the strategic and political concerns of the superpowers and the nuclear arms race in the larger context of the Cold War. Once President Truman ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima, the nuclear arms race started

  • Word count: 2884
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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European Union

As elections for the ratification of the European Constitution approach it is interesting to look at what direction Europe is headed in. While some scholars argue that the rallying of the euro and the possible passage of the Constitution show signs that Europe is a "superpower in the making" I fail to see this reality. The current trends and factors in Europe include problems with enlargement, the EMU, and the failed Lisbon agenda, point to the EU becoming "a ruined fortress". The current economic performance of EU countries is horrific, with economic growth some 50% lower than the United States and unemployment hovering around 10% in France and Germany. While there are no simple answers to the question of Europe's future it is clear that there are both advantages and disadvantages of enlargement, the EMU, and the Lisbon Agenda. The argument for the EU being a "superpower in the making" is supported by the benefits in expansion, the creation of a single currency, and the push for economic revitalization. As Europe drives to become a superpower it has met many problems in managing its growth both internally and externally. The failed policies of the EU will lead to "a ruined fortress" in the near future, possibly even this summer with a "no" vote on the constitution. Enlargement has been a key question in Europe as the EU pushed to the east in 2004 by admitting Poland,

  • Word count: 2165
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Is History a Science

Examination number: HJ427 Is History a science? Recently uses of the term "science" have in the 21st century been applied to fields of which are not canonically sciences. One of which being history. The idea of history being considered a science is one, which has been debated since the concept of science historiography was derived by historians such as Niebuhr, F. A. Wolf and Ranke. In order to evaluate whether history is a science or not, it is important to assess how both of these studies work. The question, what is history? Seems straightforward enough an enquiry, but it is often a concept hard to define. History, in the broadest sense of the word can be easily vaguely defined as simply the study of the past. This study is concluded by dates and facts that are put together to creative a piece of narrative history. For example it is a historical fact that the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066. This is a fact that we accept without question. E.H Carr defines these dates, facts and figures as the "backbone" of history. History would be nothing without them, they are essential factors in the piecing together of a historical narrative. Whether history can be considered a science or not is debatable. History can however be defined simply as accounts of what happened in the past. This is an absolute truth. It can also be more generally identified as an academic

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  • Word count: 4745
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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