Premium Essay

Role Of Assimilation In Australia

Submitted By
Words 466
Pages 2
In the late 1890s settlers were coming in droves to Australia. They were in the middle of building railroads when the government had an idea. They will end the aboriginal culture in just three generations. Their process that they would use was called assimilation, which meant that they would take the children away from their parents so that the culture would die out and the children would be implemented into the white society. Also this entire process was deemed legal by the Australian government as of 1997. The stolen generations have lasted for over 100 years and has caused many psychological traumas for all the aboriginal people involved.

The plan was simple; assimilate the Aboriginal society by taking them and placing them in foster homes, boys and girls homes,or missions. The white Australians thought that they could easily control the children. Although because of this the children were segregated where they lived giving them resentment towards the Australian government. They also mainly focused on the girls because they were the “breeders” of the aboriginal people. They wanted to make it that they wouldn’t repopulate the aboriginal people.

They did give reasons for taking their children. They said that they were malnourished and neglected; even though their parents weren’t paid their proper wages. Some other reasons …show more content…
The children were severely punished if they ever learned or practiced anything of their culture. Some children not only learned nothing of their culture, but some weren’t given an education. Most of the girls became house servants, while the boys became sockman. Many of the stolen children were emotionally, physically, psychologically, or sexually abused. The girls that gave birth, had their children taken away from them. In addition to, those children were looked down upon for being what they originally wanted in the first

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Jedda Essay

...period like and what influence did this period have on the selected film?) How might Aborigines find truer representation in Australian film and other popular cultural mediums? By Danielle Gold Charles Chauvel’s ‘Jedda,’ (1955) is a film firmly placed within the dominant ideology of its time, limited by the otherness of its chosen subject matter. As a medium of cultural production, film has a necessary relationship with the hegemony of its own culture; sometimes progressive and other times simply perpetuating. As a representation of the debate over the ethics and feasibility of assimilation, ‘Jedda’ reflects the failed premise of its time, the hierarchical approach to culture and civilization perpetuated by white Europeans. Despite this hamartia it has been applauded with “the only dignified Aboriginal male lead that has been allowed to exist in a film made by white directors in Australia,” (Johnson, 1987:48) what is certainly a progressive allowance (though the word is problematic). It has become evident that true representation of the Aborigine in Australian popular culture is dependent on undoing the dualistic understanding that establishes their otherness. Culture is a discourse of common iconography. Signifiers of language, appearance, values, history, cuisine, beliefs… are inscribed, developed and perpetuated by popular media. In Nationalism and Literature Sarah Corse uses canonical texts; “the American The Great Gatsby and the Canadian Fruits of the Earth,”...

Words: 2127 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Stereotypes In Australian Film

...the Australia film industry’s beginnings in 1906*there are been a number of prominent genres that have emerged in correlation with eras, events and people that show how Australia . The first prominent genre that emerged was the Aboriginal narrative during the 1950’s where the Australian public began to question the division between the two cultural and began to appreciate the native and traditional ways of the original custodians of the land. One of the films that bought awareness to the public was Charles Chauvels 1955, Jedda, a film that saw a young aboriginal taken into the care of a white family while she figures out her origins and roots. Throughout Australian history, migrants and the influx of other cultures into society have played a...

Words: 618 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

What Is Assimilation Affect A Child's Identity?

...environment, their cultural identity may be the only thing they have left which relates back to their home land. Respecting this cultural identity has been difficult to accept at times in Australia with the push to have immigrants assimilate. Assimilation means they leave their cultures behind and accept the new countries beliefs (Bowes, Grace, & Hodge, 2012, p.25). In the situation of a child who has only these cultural identities to hold onto, this is not respecting their heritage or their journey. Encouraging multiculturalism rather than assimilation means the child can still maintain their cultural...

Words: 538 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

English

...the titular character, and thus gain sympathy for her position. Likewise, The Outsider, a painting by Gordon Bennett, uses his own emotions to impact on his painting, creating a highly personal artwork that provides insights into the Indigenous Australia hardships endured during assimilation polices. Hence it can be seen that history and memory are interconnected and together portray a more cohesive picture of past events. Insights into Queen Elizabeth II's emotions during the aftermath of Diana's death can be gained through observing the interplay between the collective and personal memories of the event. Frears' imagined interpretation of the Queen's vulnerability challenges the public's collective memory of Diana's death. Frears' perspective is immediately depicted in the opening intertextual quote from Shakespeare's Henry IV: "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown". Sympathy is created as Frears suggests the difficulty of the Queen's role of being a leader, a role that she interpreted as having to be stoic and strong. This is supported by Robin Janvrin's confession to Blair, body language and expression secretive: "this public reaction has completely thrown her". The Queen came onto the throne at the age of 27, and it was a role that she had become accustomed to by the time of these events, believing she needed to be powerful in the face of adversity. Realising that this was suddenly not wanted by the public perplexed her. This is demonstrated as Frears selects events...

Words: 982 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Impact of Multiculturalism on Western Societies

...Multiculturalism is a public policy approach for managing cultural diversity in a multi ethnic society, officially stressing mutual respect and tolerance for cultural differences within a country's borders. As a policy, multiculturalism emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures, especially as they relate to one another in receiving nations. The word was first used in 1957 to describe Switzerland, but came into common currency in Canada in the late 1960s. It quickly spread to other English-speaking countries. Looking at the term broadly, it is often used to describe societies, especially nations which have many distinct cultural groups, usually as a result of immigration. Citrin,J., Sears,D., Muste,C and Wong,C. (2001 p.249) describe multiculturalism as “the presence of people of diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds within a single polity.” This paper will look at the impact that multiculturalism has had on western societies and the different changes that have occurred in societies as a result of multiculturalism. It is very important to think about what we mean by ‘culture’ because it is the main part of ‘multiculturalism’. So, multiculturalism means that there are many different kinds of cultures in one society. This can lead to anxiety about the stability of national identity, yet it can also lead to cultural exchanges that benefit the cultural groups. Such exchanges range from major accomplishments in literature, art and philosophy to relatively token...

Words: 2290 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Australia Post 1945

...Australia post 1945 - Key terminology – * Assimilation Policy – official government policy which aims to integrate minority groups into the dominant culture group. This results in a loss of culture, tradition and languages. * Balance rites – Aboriginal rituals that aim to make a supernatural connection with ancestral beings from the dreaming * Crown land – Public land owned by the commonwealth of Australia and managed by Australian government * Dispossession – The forced removal of aboriginal people from their native land. * Dreaming – Aboriginal spiritual beliefs about creation and existence. The dreaming establishes the rules governing relationships between people, land and all things for Aboriginal people. It links together the past, present and future. * Freehold title – Absolute and permanent ownership of the land. * Half-castes – An offensive term referring to a person of mixed decent or ethnicity. * Land rites – Property rights pertaining to land. * Meta-temporal – the trinity of the past, present and future. * Native title – Form of land title, which recognises aboriginal people as rightful owners of their traditional land. * Protection policy – official government policy stating in the late 19th century. Removed aboriginal people from unsuitable environments and placed them under the protection of the state. * Sacred sites – Places of spiritual significance to Aboriginal people as they are connected with ancestor beings...

Words: 2188 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Australia Multiculturalism

...backgrounds. Multiculturalism is more significant because of the larger claims it made about the actual or preferred character of the Australian people and national culture. These embellishments were promoted by a relatively small coterie of elites, as Mark Lopez has painstakingly documented,1 and became standard formulations used in official accounts of Australian national identity and citizenship. While the sting has gone out of multiculturalism and the national debate has moved on to issues of citizenship and refugee policy, multicultural formulations still inform official documents. According to this view, Australia is now made up of people of diverse cultures that should be given equal status with the Australian mainstream. Australian citizenship is then invoked as the glue that binds these different groups into a national unity. The multicultural account of Australia as a nation of diverse cultural groups has been taken over by the Australian Citizenship Council in its prescriptions for Australian Citizenship for a New Century.2 The Citizenship Council eschews any notion of common national identity or shared culture in favour of 'public acceptance of diversity' and abstract civic values. Such values underpin citizenship, according to the Citizenship Council, and these together define and unite Australians. In the following paper we give a critical account of the evolution of multicultural policy and...

Words: 10374 - Pages: 42

Free Essay

Cultural, Media and Arts

...summers, drinking beers and watching or participating in sports. It refers to “the values, ceremonies and way of life characteristic of a given group and the place of sport within that way of life” (Jarvie, 2006). Cricket is one of Australia’s most popular summer sport that has been around since the colonial days. It is one of the many sports that clearly identify our Australian culture with the influence from media advertisements in local newspapers to television, Foxtel, radio and internet, “it is part of the social and cultural fabric of different localities, regions and nations” (Jarvie, 2006). A case study that was conducted by Nathan Saad on the Sydney cricket ground (SCG), demonstrates the roles of understanding the significance of sport in Australian cultural identity. This ground is seen as a cultural icon for Australia’s sports such as “cricket (both test and one day matches), AFL, rugby league, rugby union fixtures” (Saad, 2011). Saad goes on to explain how the SCG It is seen as a product of traditional Australian culture dating back to the British colonial heritage. I agree with Saad...

Words: 1446 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Multiculturalism

...Ethnic stereotypes and multiculturalism. Summary of course   "Ethnic psychology" Contents:                                   1. The concept and properties of ethnic stereotypes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 4 2. National prejudices. Types etnostereotipov ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .7 3. 4. Variants of the reactions to cultural diversity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 5. Advantages and disadvantages of multiculturalism ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16       Bibliographic list ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 20 Introduction. Considering the cultural differences in thinking, beliefs, attitudes and behavior, it is easy to succumb to cognitive and emotional reactions to the material to begin to make generalizations, to form negative stereotypes about other people and even pre-make judgments about these differences, and people who are inherent in this behavior before you really understand what lies at its core. These processes and reactions are common in today's world, and to describe them often use the terms ethnic stereotypes, prejudice, multiculturalism, discrimination. Unfortunately, these terms are often used without a clear idea about them, which only exacerbates the problems that they need to clarify. Some of today's most pressing social issues associated with these processes, as boundaries between countries and cultures are becoming more permeable as...

Words: 4386 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Aboriginal Review

...Copyright © eContent Management Pty Ltd. Contemporary Nurse (2007) 24: 33–44. Telling stories: Nurses, politics and Aboriginal Australians, circa 1900–1980s ABSTRACT The focus of this paper is stories by, and about (mainly non-Aboriginal) Registered Nurses working in hospitals and clinics in remote areas of Australia from the early 1900s to the 1980s as they came into contact with, or cared for, Aboriginal people. Government policies that controlled and regulated Aboriginal Australians provide the context for these stories. Memoirs and other contemporary sources reveal the ways in which government policies in different eras influenced nurse’s attitudes and clinical practice in relation to Aboriginal people, and helped institutionalise racism in health care. Up until the 1970s, most nurses in this study unquestioningly accepted firstly segregation, then assimilation policies and their underlying paternalistic ideologies, and incorporated them into their practice. The quite marked politicisation of Aboriginal issues in the 1970s in Australia and the move towards selfdetermination for Aboriginal people politicised many – but not all – nurses. For the first time, many nurses engaged in a robust critique of government policies and what this meant for their practice and for Aboriginal health. Other nurses, however, continued as they had before – neither questioning prevailing policy nor its effects on their practice. It is argued that only by understanding and confronting the...

Words: 7343 - Pages: 30

Premium Essay

Aboriginal Rights

...Changing rights and freedoms and human wellbeing By Yasmin Hayward On Australia Day’s 150th anniversary, in 1938, William Cooper, a member of the Aboriginal Progressive Association, declared the day a “Day of Mourning”, alluding to the annual re-enactment of Phillip’s landing. Aboriginal people call it ‘Invasion Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’, ‘Survival Day’ or, since 2006, ‘Aboriginal Sovereignty Day’. The latter name reflects that all Aboriginal nations are sovereign and should be united in the continuous fight for their rights. Aboriginal people refused to participate in the re-enactment because it included chasing away a party of Aboriginal people. “I refuse to celebrate, and every Australia Day my heart is broken as I am reminded that in the eyes of many, I am not welcome on my own land.” —Nakkiah Lui, Aboriginal woman “We won't stop, we won't go away / We won't celebrate Invasion Day!”—Chant during protests on Australia Day 2012 “January 26th marked the beginning of the murders, the rapes and the dispossession. It is no date to celebrate”—Michael Mansell, National Aboriginal The Day of Mourning Speech. The Aboriginal perspective of Australia day was that is was not a celebration Aboriginal people but in fact a commemoration of a deep loss. The issues outlined in the Day of Mourning speeches in 1937 led by three Aboriginal men were for the Aboriginal people to be able to access the same citizenship rights as those of white-Australians. This included their land being returned...

Words: 1467 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ghjgkhjgjghjg

...It would be difficult to disagree that for one of the smaller representing populations in Australia, Indigenous Australians are at disadvantage in many areas. Areas ranging from employment, housing, justice and education among many more. There have been innumerable efforts at overcoming the disadvantages Aboriginal people have to face. For the purposes of this Essay, literature will be discussed in addressing the social inequality and disadvantage of indigenous people in relation to refining the gap in life expectancy (as a social-economic indicator) and what essential elements need to be considered for the process to work successfully. There are contending ideas in relevant literature as to what is the cause for the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, which also gives dissimilar arguments as to how to address the issue, with one side taking a view of longevity and the other a holistic method. It is argued that Indigenous Australians health inequalities could be narrowed with the improvement of the differences in health service access, provision and use. As the inabilities gain adequate health care due to, distance, cultural and availability barriers, thus leading to indigenous health problems being constant and prolonged (Healey 2002). However Eades of the of the Indigenous health research unit (2000, p.468) argues ‘that a complete tactic to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders involves understanding the close relationships...

Words: 1446 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The Not so Wonderful World of Eurodisney

...1. The first year of Eurodisney in Europe was disastrous for many reasons. Actually, the first one could be the weather. People who are going on vacations to have a good time, but more importantly to enjoy the weather. People in Europe or from everywhere are not going to vacation at a spot where the weather is going to be irregular; they choose a place where they have more chances to enjoy the journey. France get cold in the winter, therefore going to Disney World in Orlando would be more logical. It will be cheaper and the weather is going to be decent for whenever you choose to go. Secondly, European and other people haven’t got the same Fairy-tale culture. In France, they have their own characters and stories. Maybe it’s because of that Mickey did not create reason or attraction enough for the European community, unlike at the sister theme park Tokyo Disneyland. The diffenrence of price could be also a reason of this failure. For example, if we compare how much can pay a French and a Japanese family to enjoy a whole day in family in Eurodisney, the gap is really big ($280 and $600). The macro-environmental scanning of namely, the political, the cultural, and the economic aspects of Europe had been grossly miscalculated. They definitely had to change their way of seeing European people like American people and adapt Eurodisney to the European culture. For the Hong kong one, I think the most important thing is that the designers didn’t create the park as the population...

Words: 1441 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

The Empire of Good Intention

...points demonstrated in the video. The video indicates the way, in which the noble principles of the British Empire were not appropriate for handling the situations in India. Although the empire was supposed to provide benefits associated with Western civilization, the inhabitants of Ireland and India endured poverty because of the laissez faire economic policy. The lack of religious sensitivity, famine and mutiny resulted in the conflict between Indians and Britons. Moreover, the great Irish potato famines led to mass migration from Ireland to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and America. According to Simon Schama, Britain witnessed the establishment of the liberalism ideology and fast development of political institutions in the mid-19th century. As Britain continually developed and the public attained more freedom, liberalism was distributed to different colonies, in which settlers in New Zealand, Canada and Australia established their political institutions. In India, however, the British Empire intended to civilize the society in India. The empire used virtues rather than military or forceful approaches to occupy India, and focused on getting rid of poverty,...

Words: 1237 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mabo Case Study

...DISPOSSESSION 1768 an English naval officer Lieutenant James Cook, was instructed by British navy to gain ‘the consent of native’ before taking of the Land in the name of Great Britain 1770 Cook attempted sever landings along eastern coast of Australia (more than once, his landing parties were repelled by Aboriginal people) Colonists, as representatives of the British government ignored the sovereignty (supreme power or authority) and strong resistance of Aboriginal people and claimed ‘discovery of ‘new land’ Further-more, the British declared the place terra nullius ‘land belonging to no one’ From then Aboriginals who had existed uninterrupted for tens of thousands of years- were to ‘be no more’ Terra Nullius was, still is a deliberate social construction designed to enable European settlement without compensation for the dispossession of the Aboriginal peoples SEPARATION (1869) Sometimes called ‘segregation’ or even ‘protection’ Aboriginals were removed from their traditional...

Words: 739 - Pages: 3