BLOG ESSAY TWO- Social Competence

Topic: What skills, attitudes and behaviours are exhibited by people whom we understand to be socially competent? To what extent is it innate? What are the most effective methods for training people in social skills and enhancing social competence?

Word count: 1,494 (excluding abstract, content, headings, quotes, in-text referencing, reference list and appendices).

Content:

- Abstract
- To what extent is social competence is innate?
- Effective training methods to improve social competence
- Conclusion
- Reference List
- Appendix A (Self Evaluation)

Abstract

This essay will explore the skills, attitudes and behaviours that are exhibited by people who are considered to be socially competent. It will also discuss to what extent it is innate as well as some of the most effective methods for training people to improve their social skills and develop social competence.

According to theory, many different definitions of social competence have been proposed (Dodge et al, 1998). In recent years there seems to be an emerging consensus that social competence has less to do with any one set of behaviours, skills or attitudes and more to do with the coordination of cognition, affect and behaviour to successfully handle social tasks (Vaugn & Hogan, 2004). For example Ford & Waters (2003) refer to social competence as the “attainment of relevant social goals in specified social contexts, using appropriate means and resulting in positive developmental outcomes: (Ford & Waters, 2003 cited in Vaugn & Hogan, 2004). Dodge and Sroufe (1998) similarly define the competent individual as “one who is able to make use of environmental and personal resources to achieve a good developmental outcome” (Dodge & Sroufe 1998, cited in Dodge et al, 1998).
Although different cultures and contexts value different social behaviours as important, there is nevertheless some broad consensus in most societies about what is desirable (Mellard & Hogan, 2002). Social competence can be a subjective concept, as what one person believes to be a suitable social skill may be inappropriate to another. For example, the social skills a person exercises with a friend or relative are not the same as with an employee or landlord. According to Bender and Wall (2004), basic social proficiency is reflected in people having the ability to interact appropriately with others in various situations (Bender & Wall, 2004 cited in Smith, 2005). A major component of the definition of social competence is determining appropriate behaviour (Plotnik, 2002). For instance, some people may possess the correct social skill, but may use it at the wrong time or only when it is personally beneficial. A socially competent person can correctly determine which behaviours are appropriate in any given situation (Dodge et al, 1998).

Social competence is being able to possess and use the ability to integrate thinking, feeling and behaviour to achieve social tasks and outcomes valued in the host context and culture (Zins et al, 2006). Social competence plays an integral part in how well a young person transitions in to adulthood. Without adequate social skills a person may experience trouble in the areas of employment, daily living skills, independent living and participating in the community (Pray & Marley, 2004). Employees often claim that social competency is more important than actual experience in the workplace (Holmes & Fillary, 2000). Being able to organise thoughts and questions, having a sense of humour and being able to successfully communicate with co-workers have been stated by employers to be critical attributes for doing well in a working environment (Deagers, 2005). Also poor peer relationships and low social skills have been linked to drop outs, juvenile delinquency, job termination and suicide (Lad & Golter, 1998). Children and adults must display appropriate social skills within the rules of their culture to maintain relationships that will help them to become independent (Plotnik, 2002). Those who display inappropriate behaviours are less appealing to their peers and have been found to have ongoing social problems (Holmes & Fillary, 2000).

Research conducted by Lindsay et al. (2004) suggests that in community life, appropriate behaviour may be even more important than academic or job skills in determining whether one is perceived as a competent individual. For example, Holmes and Fillary (2000) investigated the ability of adult’s with mild intellectual disabilities to appropriately engage in the ‘small talk’ that is part of any workplace. They noted that workers with intellectual disabilities who demonstrate competence in social skills are generally perceived more positively than those who lack such skills regardless of any task-related skill level (Holmes & Fillary, 2000).

Moreover evidence from studies using child interviews, direct observations, and teacher ratings all suggest that popular children tend to exhibit high levels of social competence (Goetz & Dweak, 2006). These students are friendly and cooperative and can engage in conversation easily. Peers describe these students as understanding and helpful.Also, research has found that socially competent children are able to consider others’ perspectives, can sustain their attention to the play task and are able to remain calm in situations involving conflict (Lad & Golter 1998).

To what extent is social competence innate?

This is an interesting and debatable question. Most researchers view social skills development as the result of a dynamic interplay between nature and nurture and conclude that an individual’s genetics and environment often work together in the forming of people’s social skills and social competence (Myers, 2000). The concept of social competence is best understood as a series of complex exchanges between nature and nurture that can change over a lifespan (Plotnik, 2002). Current research evidence suggests that every individual’s phenotype, or directly observable characteristics, is a product of both genetics and the environment (Smith, 2005). Thus this research implies that social competence is a result of both innate processes and personal experiences. Arguably, heritability estimates measure the extent to which individual differences in complex traits, such as social competence, in a specific population are due to genetic factors (Plotnik, 2002). Furthermore some research suggests that how an individual interacts with others often relates to innate behaviours. Arguably however, appropriate behaviours are often learned through life experiences and interaction with others (Plotnik, 2002).

Additionally, some behaviourists and personality psychologists have supported the notion that social behaviours are often learnt through experience and are not in fact innate (Myers, 2000). In social learning theory, the home, the school, the community and mass media continually provide significant models of social competence to children as well as adults (Mellard & Hazel, 2002). Research conducted by Dodge et al. (1998) suggests that children’s relationships with their parents are fundamental to developing social skills. More specifically, parental responsiveness and nurturance are considered to be key factors in the development of children’s social competence (Lad & Golter, 1998). The above evidence suggests that social competence appears to be a learned concept as well as being a result of innate processes.

Effective training methods to improve social competence

As social competence is a crucial concept in one’s personality, an individual lacking social skills can be extremely disadvantaged. Nevertheless there are a number of effective training methods and interventions available worldwide that seek to improve people’s social skills, behaviours and which will enable them to become socially competent people (Gresham & Horner, 2001).

Many programs have been developed to teach social and emotional skills and knowledge (Zins, 2006). According to Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) program (2003), implementation of a social and emotional learning program is aided by taking the following steps: Establishing a steering committee, conducting a needs and readiness assessment coordinating efforts, selecting a program, reviewing and monitoring implementation process and evaluating the programs impact (Zins, 2006). There are several programs that have been developed by psychologists, counsellors and therapists for improving social skills. These include developing improved verbal skills, learning to initiate conversation, expressing positive feelings and learning to listen effectively (Pray et al, 2006).

The use of role-play and scenarios is a useful method that can be used in the classroom and in vocational training for job interviews, group project deadlines, dealing with people and clarifying questions (Dodge et al, 1998). Reward learning systems such as point or token economy systems can be set up to address appropriate work related behaviour in the classroom (Myers, 2000). In these ways classrooms can be set up to address appropriate work habits.

Often it is work related skills that are assumed to have been learned by students with learning disabilities until they have trouble moving in to adulthood (Goetz & Dweak, 2006). Research by Anderson (2000) reviewed a group of training interventions for teaching social skills to adolescents with learning disabilities. Specifically one of the training methods divides social competency into four components: positive peer relationships, appropriate social perception, absence of maladaptive behaviours and appropriate social behaviours (Anderson 2000, cited in Zins et al, 2006). It has been suggested that a teacher or academic figure should use observation to become familiar with the student and be able to specifically address the problem areas (Gresham & Horner, 2001).

As well as classroom techniques and vocational training, many centres and training programs have been found to be successful in improving social skills and social competence among individuals (Vaugn & Hogan, 2004). The Centre on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning is intended to promote social and emotional outcomes for diverse groups of people (Zins et al, 2006). Specifically this program aims to “employ a systematic, integrated combination of intervention approaches to enhance the capacities of children and adolescents to coordinate cognition, affect and behaviour so that they may effectively handle relevant social tasks and create environmental settings and resources that support the promotion of the adaptive behaviour and positive developmental outcomes” (Zins et al, 2006, p.32). The coordination of these personal and environmental resources contributes to the performance of socially competent behaviour. To be effective and worthwhile, social-skills training must result in skills that are socially relevant to every individual’s life (Gresham & Horner, 2001). Also it is important that social-skills training is versatile and maintained over time (Zins et al, 2006).

The need for social competence can be seen in almost every aspect of life. Thus, children, adolescents and adults must be able to deal with a wide range of societal situations to be able to function effectively (Smith, 2005). The mastery of social skills links directly to academic success, stable peer relationships and greater satisfaction in adulthood (Plotnik, 2002). Collectively, research suggests that how an individual interacts with others often relates to innate behaviours. However there is arguably a number of studies and research evidence to suggest that appropriate behaviours are often learned through experience and interaction (Myers, 2000). Consequently, it then can be suggested that social competence is a combination of both personal experiences and innate processes (Dodge et al, 1998). In summary, social skills are essential to both adults and children in a range of everyday settings. Cooperative learning, role-playing, and participation in social and emotional learning programs foster the acquisition of these skills (Pray et al, 2004). In addition a positive school climate supports social learning by providing an environment in which all students feel valued and respected (Goetz & Dwak, 2006). The many training programs that are available should prepare the individual to be able to maintain a range of positive social relationships, refrain from harming others, and contribute collaboratively and constructively to their peer groups, family, school, workplace and community (Deagers, 2005). It is not until such behaviours and social skills are successfully implemented can an individual be truly socially competent.

References

Deagers, J. (2005). Social skills and personality types that are necessary for workplace environments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2, 114-126.

Dodge, F.A., McClaskey, C.L., & Brown, M.M. (1998). Social competence in children. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 312-327.

Goetz, T.E., & Dweak, C.S. (2006). Learned helplessness in social situations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 246-255.

Gresham, F.M., & Horner, R.H. (2001). Interpreting outcomes of social skills training for students with high-incidence disabilities. Exceptional Children, 67, 321-344.

Holmes, J., & Fillary, R. (2000). Handling small talk at work: Challenges for workers with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 476, 273-291.

Lad, G.W., & Golter, B. (1998). Parents’management of preschoolers’ peer relations: Is it related to children’s social competence? Journal of Developmental Psychology, 57, 1168-1189.

Lindsay, E.W., Mize, J., & Pettit, G.S. (2004). Mutuality in parent-child play: Consequences for children’s peer competence. Journal of Social and Personality Relationships, 5, 212-218.

Mellard, D.F., & Hazel, J.S. (2002). Social competencies as a pathway to successful life transitions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 15, 251-271.

Myers, D.G. (2000). Psychology. (7th ed.). NY, Worth Publishers.

Plotnik, T.M. (2002). Personality in psychology (6th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth Group.

Pray, B.S., Hall, C.W. & Marley, P. (2004). Social skills training: Analysis of social behaviours selected for individual education. Journal of remedial and Special Education, 13, 430-49.

Smith, J.O. (2005). Getting to the bottom of social skills deficits. Journal of Educational Psychology, 21, 23-29.

Vaughn, S., & Hogan, A. (2004). Social competence and learning disabilities: A prospective study. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 3, 175-191.

Zins, J. E., Elias, M.J., Haynes, N.M., & Frey, K. (2006) Enhancing learning through social and emotional education. Journal of Creative and Critical Thinking, 9, 18-44.

Appendix A: Self Evaluation

Theory and Research

There is a considerable amount of theory and research in regards to social competence. To adhere to the word limit I had to select the information which I thought to be the most interesting, relevant and valid for my essay topic. The reference list contains fourteen sources, twelve of which are psychological journals from the Psych Articles database and the other two are psychology textbooks. On average my sources are recent and academic. I am happy with the amount of effort I have put in to research and theory for my second blog.

Written Expression

Word Count: 1494

I believe that my blog is comprehensible, concise and interesting. The abstract, body, conclusion, reference list and appendices are set out in a clear format making it simple to follow. I think I have answered the question in much detail and have successfully adhered to the word limit. I used APA style referencing throughout the entire essay and in my reference list and feel I did a good job. I don’t usually include headings in my essays (normally only in lab reports) but I thought an abstract and some headings would make it easier for the reader to follow in the form of a blog. I believe that my expression, spelling and grammar is of a high standard.

Online Engagement

From weeks 8-15 of the semester I feel I have put a much bigger effort into online engagement. As blogging has become more familiar to me, I have enjoyed commenting on other people’s blogs as well as keeping my blog up-to-date with regular posts. Since week 8, I have made 11 comments on other social psychology student’s blogs (I’ve created the separate links for these on my blog however due to some technical difficulties I was unable to make a link to the comment I posted on Brett’s page so I’ve provided the link below instead:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5914738559119839403&postID=6752581816001941315

I have also posted 9 posts on my own blog regarding social competence theory and research, allowing viewers to keep track of my ideas and progression. My posts have had many comments which were great to receive. I tried to make my comments insightful and interesting to help others with their blog topics. I also made a poll for people to have their say regarding a question dealing with my essay topic. I have tried to make my blog interesting by welcoming comments to my posts and adding pictures and visual inspiration to it. I have enjoyed blogging this term and feel I have contributed a great deal of time and effort to online engagement.

Essay Plan

Hello all,
just thought I’d post a structured plan of my social competence essay in numerical order to get my ideas out in the open.
-Abstract
1. Definitions of social competence
2. Origins
3. Prevalence
4. Statistics
5. Skills, attitudes and behaviours that are exhibited by socially competent people
6. Is it a learned phenomenon?
7. Nature vs. nurture
8. To what extent is it innate?
9. Methods and interventions that are available in training people to increase and improve their social skills to enhance social competence.
-Conclusion
-Reference list
-Appendices

There is a considerable amount of research to include so I think I’ll have to divide my word count up between the listed paragraphs. Any comments or improvements you would like to add would be great.

Thanks,
Jacqui :-)

Your votes will be appreciated...

Hey guys,

I've posted a social competence poll on my blog and would be extremely grateful if you vote.
Also any further comments are always welcome.

Thanks heaps,

Jacqui

Social Competence in the Workplace

Hello social psychology crew.

As my last few blog posts have focused primarily on social competence in regards to children I decided to extend my search to social competence and incompetence in the workplace. During my research I found that incompetence in the workplace is a common problem and has a direct effect on organisational work place efficiency. While competence in the workplace has received some research attention, there has been little focus on incompetence. As my topic is based on social competence I figure it would be beneficial to have an understanding of what makes a person incompetent as well.

Competence is a perception of ability in another person or in one’s self (Sandberg, 2000). Incompetence on the other hand is a perception of inability in another person or in one’s self. Variables such as gender and race can affect impressions of incompetence in the workplace. For example, women are generally seen as less competent and are less influential in task groups than men unless there are data available on their performance ability (Olmstead, 2003).

A study conducted by the British Learning and Skills Council comprising of 72,100 employers across 27 industries estimated that more than one in every ten workers in the United Kingdom were incompetent at their jobs (BBC News, 2004). The researchers also found that worker incompetence led to negative organisational outcomes. More than one in five employers reported their workforce was not capable of doing their jobs effectively resulting in higher operating costs and delayed new product development. Inadequate training, a general lack of experience, and low motivation were put forth as possible explanations. Therefore this research suggests that worker incompetence can affect efficiency and productivity in many organisations.

So moving along, part of my blog two question is to explore the skills that are exhibited by people who are socially competent. Social competence has been described in terms of both task-specific skills and general social skills (Sandberg, 2000). Research in the field of psychology and human resource management describe competence in terms of general workplace skills (Baker, 1998). Sternberg (1990) described competence in terms of problem solving ability, verbal ability and social competence and found support for his prediction that individuals consider these factors in their assessment of competence. These same skills, among others, were also found to be the minimum skills required by employees in the workplace (O’Neil, 1999).

I think it is vital for employees to be socially competent in most workplace environments. I currently work in the public service in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and I would consider most of my work colleagues to be socially competent. At work there are information reviews, staff meetings and visitors in our office from all over the world so it is important that each employee has adequate social skills. These social skills are useful during networking evenings, for phone answering skills and to keep the workplace a social and an interesting place be.

In saying this however, when I first started at DFAT I was younger and inexperienced. I believe that I have learnt through experience to become more socially competent in the workplace and that like with anything, it took time to learn the necessary skills. I don’t think social competence is a concept that when personally achieved it is mastered. Rather I think it is something that continues to grow and change through many individual experiences.

More to come soon, happy blogging :-)


Jac

Social Competence in the Classroom and Children with Learning Disabilities

In my research regarding social competence I have found numerous studies that look at the social skills of primary school aged children and also children with learning disabilities. Social competence is the ability to use the appropriate social skills in every aspect of life. For children with learning disabilities, it is often a difficult skill to master. Research suggests that social competency is an area of concern for those who work with students who have learning disabilities. According to a study by Haager & Vqaughn (1995) it is estimated that 35 to 75 percent of students with learning disabilities have social skill deficits. Furthermore, children who are labelled as having learning disabilities are more likely to have emotional problems, low self-esteem, and conduct deficiencies. Due to these findings I think that the development of social competency should be an essential aspect of educational planning for these children. Social competence is something that should be seriously considered in a classroom environment.

When investigating the social skill deficits of children with learning disabilities, the difference between perceptions of what is appropriate to one person and not to another must be addressed. In my research I have found that many educators often dismiss social competency as a skill that cannot be taught and that it is something children learn from their parents, their peers or the community (Anderson, 2000). On the other hand, many schools have recently adopted school-wide behaviour plans to address the need for social skills training in all students. In these plans, guidelines are set to create safe and positive school environments and seek to provide the social skills that are necessary for the future of their students (Lewis & Sugai, 1998).

From personal experiences of primary school, I can vividly remember the games we used to play which encouraged a lot of social interaction, group work and co-operative learning. I also remember that every Wednesday in year two we would have ‘news’ (a.k.a show- and- tell). I’m sure many of you had something similar to this where you were given a short period of time to talk to the class about anything of your choice. I guess now when I look back to these types of classroom social interactions do I realise the point of them.

I think it is important to realise that not all social skills, social attitudes or social behaviours are always learnt. Many children whether they have a learning disability or not should have adequate education or ‘reminders’ of what is appropriate behaviour in social settings, enabling them to learn necessary skills to assist them in becoming socially competent people.

I would love to hear your thoughts,
Jacqui :-)


Haager, D. & Vaughn, S. (1995). Parent, teacher, peer and self-reports of the social competence of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning
Disabilities, 28(4), 205-215.

Children and Social Competence

Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about my blog two topic and at what age we as humans are likely to develop social competence. Is it something we develop as young children or do we learn to become socially competent through our experiences. Personally as a child I believe I was a chatterbox and on most of my primary school report cards you would be able to read “Jacqui is often distracted by her peers and talks too much in class”. As a child I was fairly extraverted and loved to dance, participate in drama performances and preferred group work and class discussions over class work which we were made to do individually. I’m wondering if these traits have had impact on the development of my personality over the years and what my personality is like today. A question that I am wondering is if we don’t achieve social competence and are not comfortable or confident in group situations at a young age, then will this have negative impact on our lives as adolescents or adults?

Throughout my research I have found that during the past two decades, a convincing body of evidence has found that unless children achieve minimal social competence by about the age of 6 years, they have a high probability of being at risk into adulthood in several ways. Rogoff (2000) suggests that a child's long-term social and emotional adaptation, academic and cognitive development are enhanced by frequent opportunities to strengthen social competence during childhood.
Hartup (2002) notes that peer relationships in particular contribute a great deal to both social and cognitive development and to the effectiveness with which we function as adults. He states that "the single best childhood predictor of adult adaptation is not school grades, and not classroom behaviour, but rather, the adequacy with which the child gets along with other children. Children who are generally disliked, who are aggressive and disruptive, who are unable to sustain close relationships with other children, and who cannot establish a place for themselves in the peer culture are seriously at risk" (Hartup, 2002, p. 1). Research has suggested that the possible risks are poor mental health, dropping out of school, low achievement and other school difficulties, and also poor employment history.

It would be great to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you think that you're socially competent as a result of your childhood experiences or is being socially competent something you have grown to learn over time?

Thanks for reading,

Jac :-)

Hartup, W. W. (2002). Early peer relations: Developmental significance and prognostic implications. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 5(1), 1-18., 405 887.

Rogoff, B. M. (2000). Apprenticeship in thinking: Cognitive development in social context. New York: Oxford University Press.

A bit of visual inspiration for blog two…

Social Competence

Hey everyone,

I hope you’re all having a nice class-free period. I was reading through the list of blog two topics and was particularly interested in the social competence question and decided to go with it for my second blog.

Social Competence question: What skill’s, attitudes and behaviours are exhibited by people whome we understand to be socially competent? To what extent is it innate? What are the most effective methods for training people in social skills and enhancing social competence?

One part of my life I believe to be extremely significant is my social life. I place a huge emphasis and spend a great deal of time socialising and interacting with my family, boyfriend, friendship groups, uni friends and work colleagues. It’s interesting to think about what skills, attitudes and behaviours could be exhibited by people whom we consider as ‘socially competent’. Are these people that come from a large family? Or is it simply part of their personality in that they are outgoing, extraverted or confident individuals?

In my research I found one definition which simply sums up social competence:

“Social competence refers to the social, emotional, and cognitive skills and behaviors that an individual needs for successful social adaptation. Despite this simple definition, social competence is an elusive concept, because the skills and behaviors required for healthy social development vary with age and with the demands of particular situations”.

More to come soon,
Jacqui

BLOG ONE: Stereotypes within Aboriginal and Indigenous Australian Communities

Abstract: The aim of this blog is to discuss some of the stereotypes attached to Aboriginal and Indigenous Australian people. It also discusses how these stereotypes were formed, why they remain at a standstill and possible considerations and implications for changing these stereotypes.

Australia is a diverse community where among many people have strongly held beliefs, values and attitudes. Australians generally pride themselves on being a multicultural society (Giddens, 1993). It is a nation of immigrants and ethnic minorities who usually are welcomed into Australian life extremely quickly (Reynolds, 2005). However there are many stereotypes held about different minority groups within Australian society. These stereotypes are often expressed in sentences beginning with “All Australians” or “All women” almost always followed by a broad statement. While this statement may be true for a number of people of a particular culture, there are many within each culture for which it is not true (Reynolds, 2005, p. 13).

One of the problems with stereotypes is that they become the principle identifying characteristic for a person from a particular culture and distort further understanding of a particular culture (Baumeister & Bushman, 2008). Whilst a stereotype such as "All Australian’s love the beach” is harmless enough, a statement such as “All Aboriginal people are dole bludgers” can have serious implications. Stereotypes are incomplete and inaccurate beliefs that some people hold about groups of other people (Giddens, 1993, p.212). Australian politicians often do this when they speak of “Australian values” and condemn other values as “un-Australian”, even when they are held by Australian people. Stereotypes are influenced by others; they lead to prejudice and create barriers in society (Kunda & Oleson, 1995).

There are a number of stereotypes of Aborigines circulating within Australian society and popular culture (Narayan, 2004). For example, that they are primitive and lack complex laws and social organisation, are all alike and racially more prone to alcoholism, that they are violent, ancient, emotional, criminal, mindlessly cruel, lazy, simple, mystical and so on. It seems that even defining Aboriginal culture invariably involves judgements (Yarwood & Knowling, 2005). When the British invaded Australia in 1788 there were anywhere between 300,000 and 1,000,000 of our ancestors living in a diverse range of ecological environments. Although completely isolated, Aboriginal culture did not change for more than 40,000 years (Giddens, 1993). They lived a survival lifestyle, spending most of their time gathering food. They did not farm and had almost no technology, no competition or contest. The land was declared empty and claimed for the British (Narayan, 2004).

Today Aboriginals being original inhabitants of Australia make up less than one percent of the population, but controversies surrounding them occupy far more of the nation’s attention than their numbers would suggest (Morton, 2006). Public views of Aborigines have veered between two extremes. Recently as new phases of Aboriginal affairs are prevalent, Indigenous Australians are known by the public as radically different types of people (Smith, 1998). On one hand, people may be flooded with material about dysfunctional communities composed of drug and alcohol abuse and violence. On the other hand, sometimes people might routinely hear about Aboriginal culture being ‘the oldest living culture in the world, or that Aboriginal people are sharing, caring and look after their country, and the admire the profound standard for Aboriginal art (Behrendht, 2002).

A major government commissioned report into attitudes toward Aboriginal people in 1985, supports this assessment “The predominant stereotype is of a primitive, nomadic people who are passive and lazy, and have become virtual alcoholics under the influence of white society” (Narayan, 2004, p. 36). Furthermore research has suggested that one of the most consistent representations of Aboriginal people made through the media was in association with alcohol and that they’re all ‘drunks’. Most of these stereotypes can be formed and maintained with the help of the media (Bessant & Watts, 2002).

Racial stereotyping in the media is institutional. It results from news values and editorial policies. Contrasting representations express the view that the image of any Aborigines stand for all Aboriginal people, that Aboriginal persons first and foremost represent themselves as individuals or a group engaged in a particular activity at a particular time, in a particular context, but a race and a culture that is different to the dominant Anglo-Celtic realm (Reynolds, 2000).

Moreover, there are many reasons why these stereotypes are maintained in society. Representation of Indigenous people by and in the media has been the subject of both concern to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (Minogue, 1996). Evidence documented to the Report of National Inquiry into Racist Violence by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission highlighted that Aboriginal and Islander people were keenly aware of media images which they felt were racist (Yarwood & Knowling, 2005). The evidence that was presented to the Inquiry suggested serious concerns of Aboriginal people in relation to the media. There was evidence of discriminatory reporting and racial stereotyping. It was argued that such stereotypes promote violent measures against Aboriginal people (Yarwood & Knowling, 2005).

The way the media and journalists report racist stereotypes is one way in which Indigenous people are misinterpreted by the public (Kunda & Oleson, 2005). However by Indigenous people being able to experience work in the media has recently generated new ways of telling Indigenous stories in the non-Indigenous and Indigenous media (Minogue, 1998). For journalism, this has focused on understanding, respecting, and representing Indigenous world-views in reporting about or for Indigenous people. The inadequacy of common sense and common knowledge as means to make sense of historically produced situation of Aboriginal people and its political implications for all Australians cannot be seen as the sole responsibility of the media (Kunda & Oleson, 2005). That is, the failure of the education system to create an awareness and understanding of Aboriginal history, culture, and the implications of colonisation within children is likely to cause the uncritical acceptance of media reports and images (Morton, 2006).

For all of the reasons that have been mentioned above, it is important to try to change these common stereotypes. Many programs need to be developed to promote knowledge and understanding (Behrendht, 2002). The long-term Government initiated public education campaign about Aboriginal affairs which aimed to lift European Australia out of its ethnocentric indifference is of equal seriousness (AMIC, 1985). The AMIC study of 1983 commissioned by the Federal Government, which examined community attitudes to Aboriginal issues discussed that a campaign is desperately needed. The following is worth quoting in length “much of the opposition to land rights in middle Australia is founded on lack of knowledge and understanding, compounded by underlying fears and prejudice. A campaign is desperately needed. Black rights generally, and land rights in particular, represents the most divisive and potentially explosive issues we have ever had to deal with. Continued silence by the Government means that those vested interests in opposing land rights will retain the initiative and community attitudes will harden and divide further” (AMIC, 1985, p. 5).

Furthermore, a critical goal of the Commonwealth Government by the year 2001 was the reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian people (Crook & McLean, 2005). However this long-term reconciliation cannot be achieved and maintained unless negative stereotypes are reduced or erased with effective education. Today, employees of educational institutions are accountable for providing Indigenous perspectives in to their teaching curriculum (Narayan, 2004). The National Statement of Principles and Standards for more culturally inclusive schooling in the twenty-first century states that schooling should be socially just so that “Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander students have equitable access to, and opportunities in, schooling so that their learning outcomes improve and, over time match those of other students. It also states that “All students must understand and acknowledge the value of Torres Straight Islander cultures to Australian society and possess the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to, and benefit from, reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian” (Narayan, 2004). If these factors were integrated and enforced in schooling then it may help to change or reduce the common stereotypes of Indigenous Australians.

Thus, it is vital for an individual to have Aboriginal cultural awareness. Having this awareness means having knowledge, understanding of Aboriginal people’s histories, values, beliefs systems, experiences and lifestyles (Lloyd, 2003). It is important that both children and adults be educated about the lives of Aboriginal people. They need to be informed about the hunting and gathering lifestyle practiced by Aboriginal people and their self-supporting economy to which all members of their group contributed (Reynolds, 2000). Nevertheless more education and interventions need to be conducted regarding the fact that Aboriginal people were forced in to British settlements through much conflict and hardship (Bessant & Watts, 2002). It would also be beneficial to promote opportunities for individuals to work with Aboriginal people or within Aboriginal communities. By living in Aboriginal communities or working with Indigenous people would give one the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and form their own opinions (Yarwood & Knowling, 2005).

Due to individual knowledge, personal opinions, media coverage and pressure to conform to particular views or ideas, stereotypes regarding Aboriginal and Indigenous Australian people have flourished. To some extent, all of our interactions in cross-cultural domains bring about different values and assumptions based on our own heritage, education, families, upbringing and previous experiences. Therefore an understanding and acceptance of different cultures and beliefs is essential if Australian’s want to live in a harmonious country and interact with each other effectively in any cross-cultural situation. People are people. Aborigines are not specimens of humanity that are left behind, nor are they dole bludging alcoholics with political grudges. Until many urban Australians lose their racial stigmas attached to Aboriginal people, then these stereotypical associations will unfortunately be maintained.

References

Australian Mining Industry Council, (1984). Aboriginal Land Rights. Canberra: AMIC.

Baumeister, R.F., & Bushman, B.J. (2008). Social psychology and human nature. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth.

Behrendht, L. (2002). Aboriginal Women and the Criminal Justice System, Judicial Officers Bulletin, 6, 41-44.

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Appendix A

Self evaluation of Blog

Theory and Research

During my research I was able to find fourteen sources to include in my blog. There is a substantial about of information on Aboriginal Culture so I read through a lot of literature which I found extremely interesting. Most of my sources were from journal articles, textbooks and reports. I found these useful, up-to-date and informative. As I didn’t provide many research studies I did include some interesting historical dates and statistics. I believe that for an essay of only 1500 words I included sufficient research on possible ways of changing negative stereotypes and how and why theses are usually maintained in society.

Written Expression:

Word count: 1,486

The references in the body of the essay as well as my reference list were consistent with the APA style of formatting. I added a concept map which provides a brainstorm of my ideas prior to the submission of my blog (however sometimes it seems to disappear, but is accessible by clicking the ‘x’ in the top left corner). The concept map is a good way to show the class where I was at and the sorts of things that would be included in my blog. The internet and adding URL’s to homepages is not really a strength of mine. It took me a while to construct the concept map and then when I finally worked out how to post it, it did not appear as desired. I will be sure to practice and improve my concept maps for my second blog. Overall I think the abstract, paragraphs, reference list and appendices are clear, concise and easy to read.



Online Engagement:

As it was completely new to me, it took me a while to get in to blogging. I created my page fairly quickly in to the semester but took a while to actually get it going. I’ve enjoyed reading and viewing a lot of the other blogs. A number of interesting issues have come up which confirms my interest in social psychology. I would have liked to comment more on other people’s blogs and also have added many more posts to my page. As I’ve become more familiar with blogging, I feel that I will be able to contribute further to my second blog. On my page I updated my interests, email, occupation and a short greeting to class members. My first post gave an overview of my topic and listed some of the common stereotypes in Aboriginal culture which according to the comments, my peers seemed to connect with. My second post was a link to a video of traditional Aboriginal culture. I was intrigued by this footage and believe it should be shown in educational institutions, particularly to children who are often undereducated about Indigenous Australian culture. I also listed a blog question for general interest to try and encourage class communication.

Concept Map Trial #1

A look in to Aborignial Culture...

Good evening social psychians,
In my search for interesting information I found a website with a short video clip which I thought would be beneficial to watch. It's sbout 2 minutes in length but can show viewers a brief clip of Aboriginal culture before colonisation of Australia affected their lives. It may be appealing if you’ve never come across this sort of clip before.

http://dl.filmaust.com.au/module/662/

More to come shortly,
Jac :-)

Stereotypes in Aboriginal Communities

Hi all,

I’ve been researching some of the blog 1 questions for a few weeks and decided I’m going to stick with my original topic on stereotypes. I believe that stereotypes are a considerable problem in society and that there are many stigmas attached to even the littlest things, which can influence or change our opinion on an issue, person or race almost immediately. I’ve thought about a few stereotypes which I could include in my blog, but as I have a close friend who is of Torres Straight Islander Background I thought it would be interesting to focus on stereotypes in either Torres Straight Islander Communities or regarding Aboriginal people. Lately as most of you are aware, there has been a lot of upheaval in the Australian Government with the prohibited alcohol issues for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. Moreover, there are currently a number of stereotypes of Aborigines circulating within Australian society and popular culture. For example, that indigenous Australian people are primitive and lack complex laws and social organisation, are all alike, that they are racially more prone to alcoholism, violent, ancient, emotional, criminal, mindlessly cruel, lazy, simple, mystical, and live in a timelessness state.
I believe that there is a lot of ignorance, intolerance and misunderstanding uncovered by research towards Aborigines generally and land rights more specifically. On a broader scale however, the continued lack of recognition of indigenous rights and reconciliation manifests aspects of the ongoing processes of colonisation in Australia.

During research on Aboriginal culture for my first blog, I have found the following stereotypes which I thought were extremely degrading and disrespectful.

-Aboriginal people get too many handouts.
-Aboriginal people get more than the whites.
-Land rights are just one more handout.
-Aboriginal people are like spoilt children.
-Aboriginal people don't use the land.
-Drinking rights are to blame.
-Aboriginal people drink their money.
-Aboriginal people were immigrants like the rest of us and thus don't deserve land rights.
-Equal opportunity = equal treatment.
-We are not responsible for the past.
-We don't owe them anything.
-Aboriginal families are like leeches and drain away each others' resources.
-Real Aboriginal people = full-bloods.
-Full-bloods are gentle people; part-Aboriginals are grizzlers.
-Part-Aboriginals have bad blood and are whingers and stirrers.
-Do-gooders are to blame; Aboriginal people are being manipulated by communists.
-Aboriginal people are problems and Aboriginal people have problems.
Do you have any thoughts about these stereotypes that are profoundly common in Australia?

Jacqui