Written Task 1: Short Reflection, 250 words (5%)

Due: 5pm Thursday, 8 August

Foley, Dennis. Too White to be Black, Too Black to be White. Social Alternatives 19,
no. 4 (2000): 44-9.
a. What do you understand by the term social racism? (50 words)
I understand the term social racism as all aspects of racism where there are
negative stereotypes against a particular group of individuals on an ethnic or cultural
basis. This also includes the notion that a persons behavior, skin color or genetic
make up influences their racial classification.
b. According to Dennis Foley, why is physical appearance not a reasonable way
of determining whether or not somebody is Aboriginal? (50 words)
Physical appearance is not a reasonable way of determining whether somebody is
Aboriginal, as Aboriginality is not based on the color of your skin or facial features.
Reasonably, being Aboriginal is a mystical distinctiveness, which is within your identity
that can only be felt by an individual born in an Aboriginal family (Foley, 2000, p. 2).
c. Why is it important for people to understand the negative impacts of
stereotyping and outdated ideas about Aboriginal identity? (150 words)
It is important for people to understand the negative impacts of stereotyping and
outdated ideas about Aboriginal identity as stereotyping stipulates a view that is
commonly limited and biased.
The outdated ideas about Aboriginal identity including labels based on physical
appearance or biological make up, hurt Aboriginal people in a genuine way
subsequently leaving them at a shortcoming. Even after many attempts of removing
themselves from detrimental situations, Aboriginal people are still faced with this
burden that harmfully impacts their lives.
The article highlighted that a student refused to willingly acknowledge their
Aboriginality. Even after the student leaves the situation where they are faced with
negative stereotypes, the effects of managing with that situation remains and has a
lingering inimical impact.
The negative impacts of stereotyping and outdated ideas about Aboriginal identity
does not allow for individual differences and consequently damages groups of
people, therefore stopping us from learning the real truth about real Aboriginal
people.

Written Task 3: Using Written Sources as Evidence, 500 words (10%)

Due: 5pm Thursday, 5 September

Broome, Chapter 9, Controlled by Boards and Caste Barriers

Media articles on LEO

This task requires you to use evidence and examples from the Week 6 set materials to
write 500 words (1-2 paragraphs) answering the question: How did assimilation
policies suppress Aboriginal culture and autonomy, and how are the 21st century
Aboriginal people striving to reverse the impacts of assimilation?

During the twentieth century, Aboriginal people in areas of Australia were controlled
in two modes. The first, a caste barrier. These individuals were against those who
were regarded as Aboriginal by the color of their skin. The second, the Aboriginal
Boards, who operated under special legislation allowing them power to detain
individuals on reserves and coordinated what they did daily including their work life.
They also broke families and deprived them of any respectful rights (Broome, 2010, p.
172).

Assimilation policies greatly overpowered the Aboriginal culture and independence

of Aboriginal people. Public servants ran the Aboriginal Boards thus had great power
over the Aboriginal people. After the 1920s, the board overlooked Aboriginal people
as Indigenous unless they dwelled at the Lake Tyres reserve. By not appreciating the
Indigenous uniqueness of those residing in other reserves it subsequently rejected
Aboriginality (Broome, 2010, p. 173).

Aboriginal recollections of Moore River were adverse during assimilation. Conditions

were pitiable, rations were deprived and people were only adequate for low-skilled
rural laboring (Broome, 2010, p. 174). The Aboriginal Board employed young girls into
domestic services, where they experienced exploitation for being an Aboriginal
female. Like any servant, they were overworked and underpaid and suffered much
misery (Broome, 2010, p. 177). Many girls who had returned from inland services came
back pregnant to the men there.

Since Aboriginality was denied, this led to broken bonds within Aboriginal
communities in the years of assimilation, which at the time citizenship certificates
were being offered. Few individuals applied because it was essential for them to
agree to the European culture consequently discarding Aboriginality. Nevertheless,

the few that did apply were left feeling lonely and further withdrawn. Following, the
European Australians still recognized the individuals as Aboriginal and the Aboriginal
people believed these citizens were being untrue to themselves by changing into the
mainstream Australian (Broome, 2010, p. 188).

The 21st century Aboriginal people are determined to reverse the impacts of
assimilation. Reconciliation of the Indigenous culture is allowing Aboriginal people to
preserve the relationship between their inherited language, culture and with their
land (Pearson, 2013, p. 16). A Murwillumbah dance group is helping young individuals
to reconnect with the Aboriginal culture. The groups instructor, Dennis Walker Jnr
states, were giving the kids whats rightfully theirs, their identity. Back in the old days
it was frown upon to do cultureits like a jigsaw puzzle thats been smashed into
pieces and has been lost forever and you cant get it back. So we need to keep
what weve got and hold onto it (Burin, 2013). Dennis main goal is to support young
Aboriginal people to learn about culture through dance and ultimately find
themselves.

The lack of respect disadvantaged Aboriginal people of their potential embrace of

modernism. The Aboriginal people have become sentient that education is a vital
key into the future of their children. Three primary schools within the Cape York
Australian Aboriginal Academy have been established. Three domains of learning
are being taught including one on culture where students concentrate on traditional
language and cultural knowledge. There is also a mainstream class domain allowing
students to be equipped for the global economy while the culture domain
encourages students to learn about their identity and language. These types of
schools support and help Aboriginal people and their culture to grow and show in
Australia once again (Pearson, 2013, p. 16).

Written Task 5: Critical Response, 500 words (10%)

Due: 5pm Thursday, 10 October

Re-read: Foley, Dennis. Too White to be Black, Too Black to be White. Social
Alternatives 19, no. 4 (2000): 44-9.
Review: The short answers to the questions you gave in Written Task 1 access this via
LEO.

Use the reading to answer questions a, b and c; use your submission for Written Task 1
to respond to question d:
a) What do you understand by the term social racism? (100 words)

Negative stereotypes against a group of individuals on an ethnic basis, is social

racism. Including the notion that an individuals behavior, skin color or genetics
influences their racial category. There are many forms of social racism involving
verbal abuse, harassment or interpretations in the media that provokes enmity
concerning a group of individuals. Social racism can intensify through physical abuse
and violence and also arise at an influential level through policies that detriment
certain groups.

Social racism expresses through prejudice for example, Aboriginal characters

commonly lowered to insignificant or stereotypical roles and are continually
overlooked by white characters (Warren, 2011, p. 2).

b) According to Dennis Foley, why is physical appearance not a reasonable way of

determining whether or not somebody is Aboriginal? (100 words)

According to Foley, physical appearance is not a way of determining Aboriginality,

as Aboriginality is not centered on the color of your skin, facial features, the size of
your brain nor your biological make up. Realistically, being Aboriginal is a mystical
distinctiveness that is felt inside yourself; it is within your identity. This exclusive
sentiment is difficult for an individual not born in an Aboriginal family to understand
(Foley, 2000, p. 2). Foley (2000, p. 2) also explains that Aboriginality is as much to do
with culture and life understandings, as it is to do with ancestry.

c) Why is it important for people to understand the negative impacts of stereotyping

and outdated ideas about Aboriginal identity? (200 words)

For people to confidently say who they are, they must openly express their
uniqueness and relate to their history. Aboriginal people are victims of untrue images
created by non-Aboriginal Australians. Its important for people to understand the
negative impacts of stereotyping and outdated ideas about Aboriginal identity as
stereotyping stipulates a view that is limited.

Stereotyping about Aboriginal identity includes labels based on appearance or

biological make up. For example, Warren (2011) stating that, Aboriginal men were
used as guidesexploiting their survival skills and knowledge of the country (p. 2).
Also the label black tracker (Warren, 2011, p. 2) used as a belittling insult to
Aboriginal people.

People need to realize that stereotyping hurt Aboriginal people in a genuine way. It
not only affects the process of finding their true identity but how they question it
consequently Aboriginal people may feel they are on the bridge between two
creations black and white. These impressions and ideas stop us from learning the
real truth about real Aboriginal people.

d) Now look back at how you answered these questions in Written Task 1. Have your
ideas changed since you answered these questions in week 2? Why do you think
this may be? (100-200 words)

My ideas have not changed since week 2, though I now had the opportunity to learn
about real Aboriginal people.

Social racism today reminds me of the discrimination towards Indian people. Like
Indigenous people, Indian people are differentiated on the basis of their behavior,
employment, skin color and accent. It is sad to see that this type of judgment is still
occurring today. Social racism and negative stereotypes cannot be abolished until
individuals learn about the many different cultures in the world and about the real
people.

I still agree with Foley that physical appearance is not a way of determining
Aboriginality. It was odd to discover how people longed to obliterate physical
characteristics in-order to be less Aboriginal, but in reality Aboriginality is within you.

It is similar to being homosexual. There are no physical characteristics rather it is

something that is only felt by you regardless of how you look or your genetic makeup.

I never realized how important it was for a person to find their identity until I reanswered question C. There are many Aboriginal people that still do not know their
story or history and by hearing about negative stereotypes and outdated ideas
about Aboriginal people, it can greatly affect their community and the development
of their identity.