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
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7 comments:
Hi Jacqui, Thanks for tackling this topic. How do you think we can tackle the issue? It seems to me that one of the most potentially powerful methods is direct contact, however most of us live segregated from much direct contact with Australian aboriginal people. I wonder how much difference its made to you have an TSI friend?
My other thought, a different approach, is to help non-Aboriginal people to understand their own aboriginality. We are all indigenous (i.e., a lot of Australia we have a meaningful genetic and cultural heritage from UK/Europe), but most Australians are disconnected in consciousness about our cultural and genetic past. Rediscovering that we too have an indigenous reality and identity might help to break down "indigenous" stereotypes.
Hi Jac,
Very interesting topic that you are doing. The treatment of Aboriginal people is obviously a massive issue within Australian Society and one that we rarely seem to get right.
I was lucky enough to travel around Australia for a few months when I was in primary school and managed to spend some time in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. It was a fantastic experience and great to see their culture first hand, attending a Corroboree when I was 8 or 9 years old is something that I will never forget.
One dishearteneing experience I had at the time was going to an Aboriginal settlement with my old man in search of a Didgeridoo, we were lucky enough to be given one of their ceremonial ones and also see them make us one in front of our eyes, my father offered to pay them and we were told that we could buy them a drink. This was not what my old man had in mind so if I remember correctly we bought them lunch instead.
There are many issues in Aboriginal communities and there is no doubt that European settlement is responsbile for many of them, however I personally feel that the Aboriginal people need to help themselves to rid their communities of certain problems.
This should be done in conjunction with the Australian government however it requires the government to listen to the Aboriginal people and work together with them to achive a positive outcome.
I believe Austraians need to embrace the traditional owners of our land and work harder to reduce the prejudice and discrimination that they face.
A bit of a random story and waffle but a point of view none the less.
Good luck with your blog!
Sam
Hey Jacqui,
I was just reading over some of the issues and stereotypes you have touched on in your blog. I am also researching Aboriginal stereotypes for my blog and i have found some stereotypes very similar to those you have mentioned.
I think it is very sad that some Australians segregate or distance themselves from aboriginal communities simply based on these stereotypes. I look forward to reading your essay to see if we come up with similar ideas on how and if some of these stereotypes can be changed.
Please feel free to read some of my blog entries... i would be interested to see if you agree with some of my thoughts.
Talk soon... Emma
Hi Jacqui,
I am currently doing a culture project on the aboriginal community and was wondering if you have any more research, or articles you could send me?
The problems issues, etc, we have to cover in our assignment are the prejudices and stereotypesthat arise about this community, unique features of this cultural community (eg customs, values, religion and history) culturally relevant ways of inteacting with the cultural community. We also need to identify available resources, organisations and/or programs specific to this cultural community. What are they?
I need to know any appropriate health care practictices that will be useful information for me to know as a health care worker. How would i acces interpreter services, and who are the comminity leaaders for this cultural community and their role.
Hi Jacqui, my name is Stephen, I am student doing a Diploma of Community Service, an online course and I have this culture assignment that is due pretty soon. I am to study a culture and I have chosen to study the Aboriginal culture. There is a question asking what 3 stereotypes and labels are attached to the Aboriginals. I know your blog post is quite old, but reading through it, I am just wondering what 3 stereotypes/labels is best to study?? I also then need to then write down the accuracy of each one. Are you able to give me any assistance please?
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