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1
Ford, Suzanne, and n/a. "At the intersection of intercultural and organisational communication : a study of communication within ATSIC and between ATSIC and its clients." University of Canberra. Professional Communication Studies, 1998. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060710.123605.
Full textAbstract:
The realm of research into the various aspects of organisations is wide-ranging, offering
any researcher immense freedom to investigate those area(s) which are of particular
interest to him/her. While there are set theoretical parameters for studying
organisations, eg. various theories looking at organisational communication, structure
and networks, the only real limitation lies in the mind of the researcher. That is the
beauty and nature of organisations, they do not have to wholly conform to any set ideal,
rather they have the opportunity to be unique and diverse depending upon the
organisation's purpose.
It seems that most investigations of organisations are one dimensional, ie. reporting on
what actually happens or how efficient processes are or attempting to define aspects of
culture. However, in this thesis a second dimension has been added�intercultural
aspects of communication. Hence, the research evaluates the intersection of the
intercultural communication which exists within an organisation.
For this two dimensional approach, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was chosen. As with most bureaucratic organisations, due to the
size and complexity it is not practicable to look at an entire organisation For this
thesis, a case study of one of ATSIC's twenty-seven regional offices was undertaken.
Details of this follow in the paper; however, the two main reasons for choosing to
complete a case study of ATSIC are 1) because the author is full-time employee with
access to people, facts and inside information that might otherwise not be available and
2) ATSIC is not a typical bureaucracy; rather it is atypical due to its structure and
purpose, which is to further the economic, social and cultural diversity of Aboriginal
people and Torres Strait Islanders. While part of the Commonwealth Government,
ATSIC is founded upon, and is committed to, furthering both intercultural concepts and
the economic status of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. This is
accomplished by ATSIC being the major advisory body to Government; attending
national and international policy forums; raising awareness of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander cultures; and in providing supplementary funding (through both grant
and loan initiatives) which supports other funding that is given to indigenous people or
organisations through Government mainstream programs (health, housing, education,
social welfare etc.).
To further limit the scope of this research, the communication which has been analysed
is that relating to grant administration. As ATSIC plays a major role in providing grant
funding to indigenous people, this area of evaluation is highly important, as it shows
how ATSIC (represented by one regional office) carries out its functions and business:
providing services and assistance to its clients�the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait
Islanders.
The case study includes comments gleaned from both questionnaires and interviews
from staff and managers within the chosen regional office. This also includes views of
indigenous and non-indigenous people as well as views from the elected community
representatives of that region. It is envisaged that by incorporating the views of those
mentioned above, that the data is as complete, valid and reliable as possible As with
any traditional group of people, there are different norms and cultures which permeate
their social and working lives. The information presented in this thesis is based on
views of a non-indigenous person who has collected data from one specific region and
it is not valid to generalise these findings to other regions in Australia.
Communication in ATSIC is highly complex and difficult to explain to those outside
the organisation. A main reason for this is that there are many requirements that both
the Government and the indigenous communities place on ATSIC, and unfortunately
they are often diametrically opposed. This creates quite an ironic and disharmonious
situation for all parties concerned�a bureaucracy versus intercultural perspectives.
These situations are discussed throughout the thesis. It is important for readers to note
that the ideas which are conveyed in this thesis are the author's own and are not
necessarily those of ATSIC, the Government or indigenous people.
This research experience is one which has been extremely beneficial for the author.
While the author's personal views may not be aligned with others, I challenge those
people to read not only this thesis, but other work like it so that they may be in a
position to make their own informed decisions about controversial issues such as
Aboriginal affairs.
2
Hodes, Jeremy. "Torres Strait Islander migration to Cairns before World War II." [S.l. : s.n.], 1998. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/44839600.html.
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Thesis (Master of Letters)--Central Queensland University, 1998."A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Letters in History. Central Queensland University." Cover title.
3
Adams, Michael John. "Sexual and reproductive health problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males." Queensland University of Technology, 2007. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16599/.
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Compared to males in almost any social group in all affluent nations, Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men suffer from substantially more serious illnesses and early death. To date, research done by or in collaboration with Indigenous communities has revealed the extent of the problems that arise from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancers, respiratory diseases, psychological disorders, accidental injuries, violence and other causes. Reproductive health, however, rarely has been studied among Indigenous men. To date, research in this field has been limited mainly to studies of sexually transmitted infections. No data has been published on Aboriginal men's symptoms of prostate disease or erectile dysfunction, nor has the clinical screening and treatment of these disorders among these men been assessed. In-depth search of the worldwide web demonstrated that little information on these issues was available from other Indigenous populations. It does appear that Indigenous men in Australia, New Zealand and North America are less likely than European-ancestry men to die from prostate cancer, or for living cases to be recorded on cancer registries. This may arise because Indigenous men genuinely have a lower risk, or because they are not captured by official statistics, or because they do not live long enough to develop severe prostate disease. We also know very little about other reproductive health problems such as sexual dysfunction and specifically erectile difficulties. One reason for our scant knowledge is that research mainly relies on self-report of sensitive information. The aim of the research study was to improve the understanding of sexual and reproductive health problems experienced by Indigenous men. This is best gathered by Aboriginal males who are inside the culture of middleaged and older Indigenous men, but until now this has not been attempted. In this study we adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for Reproductive and Sexual Health (WHO, 2001). Thus, we consider reproductive system disorders (prostate disease, erectile dysfunction) and related health care-seeking, and also men's perceptions about a "satisfying and safe sexual life". The methodology was framed within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research protocol that advocates respect for cultural, social and community customs. A mixed method design combined qualitative inquiry (4 focus groups and 18 in-depth interviews) and quantitative survey (n=301) involving men living in remote, rural and urban communities (Tiwi Islands, Darwin and north and south-east Queensland). Survey data were compared to recently published self-reports from 5990 randomly selected men aged over 40 years in Australia (Holden et al., 2005, The Lancet, 366, 218-224. The qualitative interviews revealed that most men were silent about reproductive health. They were unwilling to reveal their inner feelings to wives or partners, and they were unwilling to discuss such issues with doctors and other health care workers. Men's reaction to sexual difficulties included shame, denial, substance abuse and occasionally violence. On a positive note many men said they want to learn about it, so they understand how to cope with such problems. The Indigenous men reported symptoms of erectile dysfunction at least as much as non-Indigenous men in other Australian studies. Bivariate analysis showed that erectile dysfunction was correlated with many health and lifestyle variable. However multivariate analysis revealed that only three factors significantly predicted ED: presence of chronic disease, presence of pain when working, and living in a remote geographic location The quantitative survey data indicate that Indigenous men have more symptoms of prostate disease than non-Indigenous men. The syndrome appears to be poorly managed in clinical practice (e.g. rates of PSA testing and digital-rectal examination are only one-third the rate reported by non-Aboriginal men, despite equivalent likelihood of GP visits). The research study adds to the literature by providing better insight and depth into the issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males experiencing reproductive and sexual health difficulties. It also provides a platform to undertake comprehensive research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men to explore a wider spectrum of questions in this important but neglected area. Implications for education of primary healthcare workers and community-based awareness campaigns for Indigenous males are discussed. Most of all, this study revealed "layers" of silence around sexual and reproductive health of Indigenous men. This includes silence in the scientific establishments in health services, and in the community. It is hoped that this study puts the voices of the men forward to help to break down this silence.
4
Grootjans, John, of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, and of Health Humanities and Social Ecology Faculty. "Both ways and beyond : in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker education." THESIS_FHHSE_SEL_Grootjans_J.xml, 1999. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/445.
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During 1987 my essential beliefs about the nature of the world were challenged by a chance event which led to my arrival in Arnhemland. Working with Aboriginal people allowed me to see first hand the failings of Western ideas in Aboriginal education and health. This is how a 12 year collaboration with Aboriginal people began. The aim was to search for answers to the question, 'Why so many ideas that had been successfully used in the Western world, fail to meet the needs of aboriginal people? My experiences prior to 1995 had led me to believe that Both Ways, an education pedagogy developed in teacher education, was the best approach for empowering Aboriginal Health Workers. I believed Both Ways gave Aboriginal Health Workers a means to develop solutions to aboriginal health issues which valued and respected their aboriginal knowledge. I needed to describe and evaluate the practice of both ways with Aboriginal Health workers for the purpose of proving the benefit of this pedagogy for other educators in this field. This thesis describes how I came to think Both Ways was a good idea; how I defined Both ways; and how I put it into practice. It also provides a description of the issues raised in my critique of Both Ways and in my attempts to provide answers to these issues. Several years of collecting data, including records from action research group discussions, participant observation, interviews with peers and students, and formal evaluations left me with many concerns about Both Ways. As educators follow my journey of discovery I hope that they will recognise experiences and insights that they themselves have shared. The descriptions and discussions in this thesis will add significantly to the overall discourse about health worker education. Similarly, the exploration of ideas beyond Both Ways will add significantly to the overall body knowledge about the power relationships involved in teaching in a cross cultural settingDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Grootjans, John. "Both ways and beyond : in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker education /." View thesis, 1999. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030725.103057/index.html.
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Miller, Gregory P., and n/a. "Teacher education programs, at James Cook University of North Queensland, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students." University of Canberra. Education, 1988. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061110.103136.
Full textAbstract:
In this thesis I propose to address what are, in my
view, significant educational problems: how to tease out
and analyse those principles, concerning equity and social
justice, which underlie a particular program of teacher education. I want to discuss the kinds of principles,
issues and considerations which have to be faced when
designing such a program as the Diploma of Teaching (Early
Childhood Education) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students at James Cook University. The issues I
will address are these:
(a) The extent to which the notion of equality of
educational opportunity is being addressed in the
provision of teacher-education programs in
Queensland in general, and James Cook University in
particular; (chapter 1).
(b) Ways in which the Diploma of Teaching (Early
Childhood Education) p r o g r am aims to produce
teachers able to act as agents of bi-cultural
transmission; (chapters 2 and 3).
(c) The value, usefulness and desirability of James
Cook University setting up a teacher-education
program specifically for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students from geographically remote
communities, thus increasing the participation
rates of Aborigines and Islanders in teacher-education programs; (chapters 4 and 5).
This process of analysis has led me to structure the
thesis around three dimensions:
(i) The historical context of the program;
(ii) The program as one response to the problems
faced by educational institutions in meeting
the educational needs of Aboriginal people;
(iii) A basis for the next phase in the development
of new programs of teacher - education for
indigenous students living in remote
communities.
This is a qualitative research project, based on my
interpretation of available documentation, my use of
relevant literature, and my own involvement as planner of,
and teacher in the program. It is not a quantitative
research project. The structure of the thesis has, as its
introduction, an analysis of the extremely complex situation
which exists at James Cook University. This analysis leads
to a search for a set of principles to provide the
theoretical underpinning of the program, which in turn leads
through a combination of theory and practice to the "praxis"
of the program as a model of equity and educational practice
in teacher-education. The thesis is concluded by the
presentation of the current stage in the development of a
program for teacher-education students in remote
communi ties.
The conceptual framework for my thesis has been
developed through my determination to increase my
understanding of the complexities of developing teacher-education
programs for indigenous students at James Cook
University. The thesis is developed through case study
techniques including: personal observation and recording of
my work as Program Planner; a situational analysis of the
historical background, leading up to the development of the
Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) ; a
discussion of the stages through which the development team
proceeded with intentionality and empathy towards its task
of constructing a specific program of teacher-education; and
my use of existing literature to comprehend the educational
and social problems which the program attemted to
alleviate.
Throughout my thesis the specificity of the "case", and
the eclectic position I have adopted, have acted as
boundaries of my conceptual framework. My thesis attempts
to show that the "case" of the development of teacher-education
programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students at James Cook University, although an idiosyncratic
instance , is valuable as illumination , if not for
generalisation, and thus has a credibility and usefulness.
The characteristics of the case-study method are
frequently more appropriate to expansion is than
reductionist activities, and I have tried to show how the
different perspectives of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
people, together with the beliefs, attitudes and values of
such different interest-groups as university academics,
Commonwealth and State Education Department bureaucrats, and
teachers and parents in schools, have emphasised both the
importance of questioning assumptions and the importance of
critical, experiential understanding.
7
Aldrich, Rosemary Public Health & Community Medicine Faculty of Medicine UNSW. "Flesh-coloured bandaids: politics, discourse, policy and the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1972-2001." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/27276.
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This thesis concerns the relationship between ideology, values, beliefs, politics, language, discourses, public policy and health outcomes. By examining the origins of federal health policy concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1972-2001 I have explored the idea that the way a problem is constructed through language determines solutions enacted to solve that problem, and subsequent outcomes. Despite three decades of federal policy activity Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children born at the start of the 21st Century could expect to live almost 20 years less than non-Indigenous Australians. Explanations for the gap include that the colonial legacy of dispossession and disease continues to wreak social havoc and that both health policy and structures for health services have been fundamentally flawed. The research described in this thesis focuses on the role of senior Federal politicians in the health policy process. The research is grounded in theory which suggests that the values and beliefs of decision makers are perpetuated through language. Using critical discourse analysis the following hypotheses were tested: 1. That an examination of the language of Federal politicians responsible for the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples over three decades would reveal their beliefs, values and discourses concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their health 2. That the discourses of the Federal politicians contributed to policy discourses and frames in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy environment, and 3. That there is a relationship between the policy discourses of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy environment and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The hypotheses were proven. I concluded that there was a relationship between the publicly-expressed values and beliefs of politicians responsible for health, subsequent health policy and resulting health outcomes. However, a model in which theories of discourse, social constructions of people and problems, policy development and organisational decision-making were integrated did not adequately explain the findings. I developed the concept of "policy imagination" to explain the discrete mechanism by which ideology, politics, policy and health were related. My research suggests that the ideology and values which drove decision-making by Federal politicians responsible for the health of all Australians contributed to the lack of population-wide improvement in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the late 20th Century.
8
Peacock, Janice, and n/a. "Inner Weavings: Cultural Appropriateness for a Torres Strait Island Woman Artist of Today." Griffith University. Queensland College of Art, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070327.140720.
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This exegesis examines the context of my studio work submitted for the degree of Doctor of Visual Art at Griffith University in 2004. My art practice reflects my identity, which is complex and many-stranded, but at its core is my identity as a 21st century woman of Torres Strait Islander descent. I also acknowledge multiple heritages and, like many of my contemporaries, I am a descendant of those two thirds of the Torres Strait population who now live on the Australian mainland. Having been born and brought up on the mainland also means that I am connected to, and have been affected by, wider Australian Indigenous issues, particularly those resulting from the alienation and dislocation which stem from colonialism. Therefore, as I draw from both traditional and contemporary modes and theory to explore the appropriateness of my art practice, this exegesis centres on the question: What constitutes culturally appropriate practice for me as a contemporary Torres Strait Island woman?
9
Ah-Wong, Wayne, and w. ah-wong@cqu edu au. "Living between cultures: Reflections of three Mackay Elders: Aboriginal, Torres Strait Island and South Sea Island residents in Mackay from the 1930s to 2000." Central Queensland University. Nulloo Yumbah, 2007. http://library-resources.cqu.edu.au./thesis/adt-QCQU/public/adt-QCQU20081005.163730.
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The Thesis explores the life situations of the three Mackay-based groups: Aboriginal, Torres Strait and South Sea Islander through oral history research and the lived experience of an Elder from each of these groups. Using a combination of oral and written approaches, the project seeks to document ongoing interactions between the three groups from the 1930s and assess their implications for culture, identity and mobility.
10
Joliffe, Edward Keith, and n/a. "Developing a multiple discourse model of analysis through an evaluation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy." University of Canberra. Education, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060802.170810.
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The overarching research problem for this study was the need to improve
upon rational models of policy analysis and delivery, to suit complex postmodern
implementation environments. A theoretical model suited to implementing and
evaluating major education reform initiatives was devised. Called the 'Multiple Discourse Model', it was grounded in systems theory, containing elements
reminiscent of social systems, organisational and structural functionalist research,
especially that of Hoy and Miskel (1982)1. However the model was also designed
to incorporate a parallel naturalistic analysis reminiscent of postmodern critical
pragmatic approaches, such as those explored by Cherryholmes (1994)2. Over a
period of five years, this model was developed through an evaluation of the
implementation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (AEP) in the Australian Capital Territory government secondary schools
sector.
The distinguishing feature of the study's methodology was its multiperspective
analysis, an approach suggested by Mclaughlin (1987)3 to take account
of the differing communities of discourse which exist in a reformist policy
implementation environment.
To operationalise the research problem, dimensions of policy effectiveness
were articulated. These were addressed through a comprehensive set of research
indicators, extracted from the AEP's national policy goals and the local strategic and
operational plans. Data aimed at judging the effectiveness of implementation were
collected from multiple sources using multiple research instruments. These data
were analysed in three stages using a purpose-designed computer program which
could cross-reference between the four interacting dimensions of research
indicators, research instruments, data sources, and potential variables modifying
policy/program outcomes.
It was found that this model produced clear conclusions about the
effectiveness of AEP implementation in the delimited sector, within the framework
of the AEP's own policy assumptions. The model also provided insights into critical
issues which are generalisable to the national context, such as the power of cultural
hegemony and the socio-political predicament of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander dispossession. As a methodology, the model was found to have a number
of technical advantages, including its capacity for focussing on selected areas of the
implementation environment, its provision of access to multiple levels of detail
amongst data and its possession of mechanisms for monitoring its own internal
validity.
The evaluation case study, used as the vehicle for the Multiple Discourse
Model's development, demonstrated that best-practice administration was in place
which enhanced short and medium-term policy/program outcomes. However, the
study's findings also suggested that a fundamental disjuncture existed between the
AEP's policy/administration paradigm and the conflicting assumptions of the primary
target communities, reinforcing the findings of Sykes (1986)4. The research results
suggested that despite measurable successful inputs, the planned long-term
outcomes of the AEP will not necessarily be achieved. No significant administrative
structures or actions were apparent which could resolve this lack of synchrony at the
interface between government delivery systems and 'grass roots' Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander community values. This raised doubts about whether any
systems approach, however well refined, could be socially useful not only for
evaluation, but also as a basis for reform policy and public administration in a
postmodern pluralist democratic setting. The evaluation was therefore used as a
locus for theoretical reflection as well.
A new policy paradigm is suggested, based on a power-sharing 'theory of
community', more in keeping with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples'
aspirations for self determination and more likely to alleviate the so far unresolved
destructive effects of cultural and political dispossession.
11
Turner, Patricia, and n/a. "From paternalism to participation : the role of the Commonwealth in the administration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs policy." University of Canberra. Administrative Studies, 1994. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061109.161356.
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Burgess, Andre, and n/a. "Information needs of the staff delivering higher education and TAFE courses to 'remote' Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students or Northern Australia." University of Canberra. Information, Language & Culture, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060622.103743.
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The present study focussed on the information needs of the academic staff of
Batchelor College.* It examined their access to and the provision of adequate and
appropriate resources for the implementation of the Diploma and Associate Diploma
level courses offered through the College. Batchelor College, an institute of tertiary
education, is situated 100 kilometres south of Darwin, Northern Territory,
Australia.
The content and the modes of delivery of Batchelor College courses are specifically
designed to be culturally and socially appropriate to Aboriginal people, particularly
those from traditionally oriented and 'remote' communities. It can only be within
this framework that informed and sensitive research can be conducted.
The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the information needs of
staff delivering higher education courses to 'remote' Aboriginal students of
Northern Australia. Six distinct areas of study emerged: 1, to identify the
information needs; 2, to analyse the information-seeking behaviour; 3, to assess the
level of satisfaction with current information sources; 4, to identify inadequacies in
the existing information seeking processes; 5, to identify constraints experienced;
and 6, to explore how future information needs may be catered for.
A mailed survey instrument was specifically designed and implemented, and it
attracted a response rate of eighty-seven percent. The population under
investigation was the academic staff of Batchelor College, and the variables of: 1,
location; 2, sex; 3, academic school; 4, designation; 5, tenure; 6, length of service;
and 7, educational background were studied in relation to the questions asked.
Results of the survey were analysed using 'Mystat: Statistical Applications',
(1990). Frequency distributions were computed to determine the number of
respondents who selected each option. A number of questions that elicited a
written response were analysed, as were the many extra comments staff members
made throughout the survey.
The study found that the academic staff of Batchelor College are most affected by
the location variable. It appears that how staff members use, regard and value the
information sources used to inform their academic practice is affected by where a
staff member is located. That is, the more isolated a staff member was, both
geographically and professionally, the more significant were the findings of use of
information sources.
The study concludes with considerations of future planning strategies that could
improve the access to and use of information. The study also identifies areas for
further research. * Batchelor College, an institute of tertiary education, is situated 100 kilometres south of Darwin,
Northern Territory, Australia (see Appendix 3).
13
Robinson, Raymond Stanley, of Western Sydney Nepean University, and of Social Community and Organisational Studies School. "Dreaming tracks : history of the Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Scheme, 1972-1979 : its place in the continuum." THESIS_XXX_SCOS_Robinson_R.xml, 2000. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/76.
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Dreaming Tracks was chosen for the title of this history because of its reference to the journeys and routes taken by the ancestral founders of each of the extended family clans. As they travelled they recorded the events and situations they encountered along the way , which they left in story, painting, song lines and dances for the future survival of their people. The history of the Aboriginal/Islander Skills Development Scheme also pertains to a journey. This journey records the events that brought about the establishment of the longest surviving, urban Indigenous dance organization. It's a voyage that identifies the obstacles and accomplishments of its founding members, who dedicated themselves to the hard work to ensure the continuum of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance. It was their dream, to have an Australian Black Dance Company that would create a link between past and present, traditional and urban. The pathways they created equipped urban Indigenous Australians with a unique dance identity of their own, and established the path to continued contact with the traditional owners. Dreaming Tracks is contemporary Dreaming lore that begins with the contention for land rights in the early 1970's and follows the progress of the Aboriginal/Islander Skills Development Scheme to the end of the decade. It records the desires, dreams and conflicts that brought this organization into being. In parallel, the concerns of the founder, Carole Y. Johnson, sets the path for the journey, which by the end of the twentieth-century witnessed the establishment of an accredited dance course, two dance companies (The Aboriginal/Islander Dance Theatre and Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australia) and students who are key participants in the artistic design of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney AustraliaMaster of Arts (Hons) (Performance)
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Robinson, Raymond Stanley. "Dreaming tracks : history of the Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Scheme, 1972-1979 : its place in the continuum of Australian indigenous dance and the contribution of its African American founder, Carole Y. Johnson /." View thesis View thesis, 2000. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030604.085603/index.html.
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Thesis (M.A.) (Honours) -- University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 2000.A thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Honours) - (Performance), School of Applied Social and Human Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Nepean, 2000. Bibliography : Vol. 1, leaves 202-209.
15
Burn, Geoffrey Livingston. "Land and reconciliation in Australia : a theological approach." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10036/117230.
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This thesis is a work of Christian theology. Its purpose is twofold: firstly to develop an adequate understanding of reconciliation at the level of peoples and nations; and secondly to make a practical contribution to resolving the problems in Australia for the welfare of all the peoples, and of the land itself. The history of the relationships between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Australia has left many problems, and no matter what the non-Indigenous people try to do, the Indigenous peoples of Australia continue to experience themselves as being in a state of siege. Trying to understand what is happening, and what can be done to resolve the problems for the peoples of Australia and the land, have been the implicit drivers for the theological development in this thesis. This thesis argues that the present generation in any trans-generational dispute is likely to continue to sin in ways that are shaped by the sins of the past, which explains why Indigenous peoples in Australia find themselves in a stage of siege, even when the non-Indigenous peoples are trying to pursue policies which they believe are for the welfare of all. The only way to resolve this is for the peoples of Australia to seek reconciliation. In particular, the non-Indigenous peoples need to repent, both of their own sins, and the sins of their forebears. Reconciliation processes have become part of the international political landscape. However, there are real concerns about the justice of pursuing reconciliation. An important part of the theological development of this thesis is therefore to show that pursuing reconciliation establishes justice. It is shown that the nature of justice, and of repentance, can only be established by pursuing reconciliation. Reconciliation is possible because God has made it possible, and is working in the world to bring reconciliation. Because land is an essential part of Indigenous identity in Australia, the history of land in court cases and legislation in Australia over the past half century forms an important case study in this work. It is shown that, although there was significant repentance within the non-Indigenous legal system in Australia, the degree of repentance available through that legal system is inherently limited, and so a more radical approach is needed in order to seek reconciliation in Australia. A final chapter considers what the non-Indigenous people of Australia need to do in order to repent.
16
Nancarrow, Heather. "In search of justice in domestic and family violence." Click here to download PDF file, 2003. http://www.noviolence.com.au/public/archivednews/insearchofjustice.pdf.
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Walker, Roz. "Transformative strategies in Indigenous education a study of decolonisation and positive social change." Click here for electronic access, 2004. http://adt.caul.edu.au/homesearch/get/?mode=advanced&format=summary&nratt=2&combiner0=and&op0=ss&att1=DC.Identifier&combiner1=and&op1=-sw&prevquery=OR%28REL%28SS%3BDC.Identifier%3Buws.edu.au%29%2CREL%28WD%3BDC.Relation%3BNUWS%29%29&att0=DC.Title&val0=Transformative+strategies+in+indigenous+education+&val1=NBD%3A.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2004.Title from electronic document (viewed 15/6/10) Presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Western Sydney, 2004. Includes bibliography.
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Gilligan, Conor. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: an examination of smoking during pregnancy." 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/29578.
Full textAbstract:
Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)After decades of discrimination and deprivation, Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population faces social circumstances and health status which resemble that of a third world population group. With a wide range of health risk factors and morbidities among this population, a logical place to begin tackling the health problems is at the beginning of life. With increasing recognition of the influence of the intrauterine environment upon health, not only during infancy but into adulthood, improving health during pregnancy offers substantial benefit for present and future generations. The poor health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is deeply ingrained in social deprivation, poor mental well-being, and an array of modifiable risk factors. Smoking is one risk factor at the centre of this complex web. Smoking is often accompanied by, or used as relief in, stressful situations associated with socioeconomic status, mental health, illness, and other addictions. In order to determine the most appropriate way to tackle the smoking issue among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, a series of studies were conducted. Initial literature reviews found limited evidence derived from methodologically rigorous studies in mainstream populations, and even less evidence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or other Indigenous groups. Exploration of the knowledge and attitudes of these women in relation to antenatal smoking was conducted to identify the most appropriate targets for intervention. The findings from extensive background studies were drawn upon to design an intervention which aimed to be culturally appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, providing intensive support to assist these women to quit smoking during their pregnancy. Pilot data from the resulting intervention is presented in Chapter 8 of this Thesis. The social network among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities appears to play a central role in the behaviour of individuals. With an array of risk factors and influences found not only in the individuals surrounding women, but in their socioeconomic circumstances and overall environment, it may be that the most important approach for achieving health and behaviour change among this population is the mobilisation of social support and efforts to intervene with multiple elements of that environment.
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Batty, Philip. "Governing cultural difference: the incorporation of the Aboriginal subject into the mechanisms of Government with reference to the development of Aboriginal radio and television in Central Australia." 2003. http://arrow.unisa.edu.au:8081/1959.8/28909.
Full textAbstract:
In 1970, the Federal Government made preliminary moves to establish a broadcasting service in the Northern Territory for Indigenous Australians. However, Aboriginal people would not be invited to run this service themselves, nor would it be used to 'maintain' Aboriginal cultural traditions. Rather, these new facilities would deliver programs that 'informed' Aboriginals about 'plans for their future advancement'. By 1985, the position had changed dramatically. The government was now funding 'Aboriginal-controlled' media organisations throughout the country 'to restore and rebuild' Aboriginal 'cultural identity'. It was also underwriting the launch of an Aboriginal-owned commercial satellite service covering a third of the Australian continent. In this thesis, I have attempted to understand the policies that led to this remarkable change in government thinking. In undertaking this work, I have not attempted to construct a 'resistant' Aboriginal 'voice', positioned against 'the media establishment' and the state to explain these transformations in Aboriginal policy. Although such a voice routinely appears in the literature on Aboriginal broadcasting, I argue that such an approach simply replicates the rhetoric surrounding the state's own policies of 'Aboriginal self-determination' and, more problematically, masks the complex operations of government itself. It also assumes the pre-discursive existence of a particular kind of Aboriginal agency, without considering the specific conditions that gave rise to it. In this study, I have sought to demonstrate how this agency was largely constituted through the policies of Aboriginal self-determination. I argue that under these policies, the state would no longer act on Aboriginals as it had in the past. Rather, Aboriginals would be invited to act on themselves in managing programs proffered by the state. Through these means, the Aboriginal 'self' became an indispensable element in the operations of the government. However, since the Aboriginal self would be expected to carry out the work of the state, it also became the object of intense governmental scrutiny. Here, I show how a multiplicity of governmental technologies emerged throughout the 1970's that served to regulate, channel and enhance Aboriginal subjectivity in accordance with a number of governmental ends. In undertaking this task, I have focused primarily on the development of the 'incorporated Aboriginal association'. I will argue that such bodies not only allowed Aboriginal people a degree of 'self-management', but also provided the state with an institutional framework through which it could constitute both a competent and verifiable Aboriginal agency. The Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, CAAMA, was one of numerous bodies established under these governmental technologies. The development of this complex organisation will serve as the main case study in this thesis. In taking this analytical approach, I have adopted one of Michel Foucault's primary objectives which is to examine the ways in which the human subject is constituted through relations of power, and attempted to respond to the following set of queries Foucault poses: How was the subject established, at different moments and in different institutional contexts, as a possible, desirable, or even indispensable object of knowledge? How were the experiences that one may have of oneself and the knowledge that one forms of oneself organised according to certain schemes? How were these schemes defined, valorised, recommended, imposed? (Foucault, Subjectivity and Truth, 2000:87)
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Kowal, Emma Esther. "The proximate advocate: improving indigenous health on the postcolonial frontier." 2006. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/1625.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis presents an ethnography of white researchers who work at the Darwin Institute of Indigenous Health Research. This group of ‘proximate advocates’ is made up of predominantly middle-class, educated and antiracist white health professionals. Their decision to move from more populated areas to the north of Australia, where Indigenous disadvantage is most pronounced, is motivated by the hope of enacting postcolonial justice so long denied to the nation’s first peoples.This ethnography thus contributes to the anthropology of postcolonial forms, and specifically benevolent forms. The Darwin Institute of Indigenous Health Research is an example of a postcolonial space where there is an attempt to invert colonial power relations: that is, to acknowledge the effects of colonisation on Indigenous people and remedy them.
The thesis begins with an account of suburban life in contemporary Darwin focused on the figure of the ‘longgrasser’ who threatens to create disorder at my local shops. This is an example of the postcolonial frontier, the place where antiracist white people encounter radically-different Indigenous people. Part 1 develops a conceptual model for understanding the process of mutual recognition that creates the subjectivities of Indigenous people and of white antiracists.
Drawing on critiques of liberalism and postcolonial theory, in Part 2 I describe the knowledge system dominant in Indigenous health discourse, postcolonial logic. It is postcolonial logic that prescribes how white antiracists should assist Indigenous people by furthering Indigenous self-determination. I argue that postcolonial logic can be understood as the junction of remedialism (a form of liberalism) and orientalism. The melding of these two concepts produces remediable difference: a difference that can be brought into the norm.
In Part 3 I describe how white researchers at the Institute experience radical difference, or at least its possibility. These experiences challenge the concept of remediable difference. If Indigenous people are not remediably different, but radically different, the process of mutual recognition breaks down, and the viability of a white antiracist subjectivity is called into question. The ensuing breakdown of postcolonial logic threatens to expose white antiracists as no different from their assimilationist predecessors.
Part 4 explores the underlying dilemmas of the postcolony that are revealed when postcolonial logic unravels. The dilemma of historical continuity emerges when the discursive techniques that enact historical discontinuity between postcolonisers and their predecessors break down. The dilemma of social improvement is the possibility that the practices of the self-determination era not only resemble assimilation, but are assimilation. It is the possibility that any attempts to extend the benefits of modernity enjoyed by non-Indigenous Australia to Indigenous people will erode their cultural distinctiveness. The postcolonial condition is the experience of living with these aporias.
In the conclusion, I consider the implications of my argument for the current Australian political context, for the project of liberal multiculturalism, and for the broader problem of power and difference. I look to friendship as a deceptively simple, perhaps implausible, and yet powerful trope that can relieve the postcolonial condition and offer hope for peaceful coexistence in the postcolony.