Posted: March 11th, 2024

Major essay, Aboriginal activist Gary Foley has declared that any engagement

Answer ONE of the following essay questions:
1) Aboriginal activist Gary Foley has declared that any engagement with the government or the dominant economy is ‘anti-Aboriginal’ and assimilatory. Countering these Aboriginal leaders such as Warren Mundine and Marcia Langton have argued that the ‘mythical noble savage ideal of Indigenous Australia’ is detrimental to contemporary Aboriginal people. On the one hand it is argued that Aboriginality is fixed in the past and on the other that Aboriginality changes. Through your understanding of notions of cultural ‘change and continuity’ and essentialism critically evaluate both arguments and illustrate your answer with appropriate examples.
2) It is argued and to a certain extent borne out by statistical data, that policies introduced in the early 1970s based on self-determination have not delivered better outcomes for Aboriginal people. Critically discuss this claim by • evaluating the benefits and costs associated with self-determination • explaining what self-determination is and evaluating the range of views being expressed about self-determination. Page 5 HAB102 Contemporary Indigenous Australia
3) Noel Pearson asserts that the ‘legacy of colonisation’ argument is not an adequate explanation for the current health status of many Indigenous people. Critically assess this claim. In your answer identify and explain the range of causal factors that impact on the health of Indigenous people and demonstrate how these factors interrelate to contribute to poor health outcomes. In your answer consider initiatives that are attempting to improve the health profile.
4) One of the recommendations of the 1997 Bringing them Home report was to implement an Indigenous Child Placement Principle (ICPP) to guide the placement of children requiring out-of-home care. Critically discuss the rationale behind the Principle, explain why it is considered important, and evaluate its outcomes. In your answer, you may also like to consider arguments about transracial placements in comparable countries such as North America.
5) A sound education is regarded as essential for Indigenous students in order to redress disadvantage. However, it is claimed that contemporary education presents a ‘double bind’ for Indigenous students and is detrimental to their culture. Critically discuss this dilemma. In your answer outline initiatives, such as Aboriginal Learning Styles theory (Harris 1982) and culturally appropriate curriculum, that have attempted to address this dilemma and assess their capacity to do so.

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