Compulsory Aboriginal/Torres Straight Islander culture uni course proposed (1 Viewer)

[MissSarajevo]

I personally believe this is a good idea to know more about abos. Right now I dont know a single aborigne person, and never spoken to one in my entire life.

 

[Silver Persian]

I feel that the lack of a compulsory uni course about homosexuals is homophobic.

Am sending a letter to my local member about it.

 

[Kwayera]

I personally believe this is a good idea to know more about abos. Right now I dont know a single aborigne person, and never spoken to one in my entire life.

Go to Redfern.

 

[withoutaface]

I feel that the lack of a compulsory uni course about homosexuals is homophobic.

Am sending a letter to my local member about it.

I feel that the fact that my local member is heterosexual is homophobic.

 

[Salem O'Brien]

Your own responses show why such a unit is needed

 

[greekgun]

^ Regardless of opinions, students should not have to enroll in units which have nothing to do with their subject.

 

[Hagaren]

I'd rather learn about a culture that actually contributed something to modern day culture, the day they try to make me do this is the day i get an F on my transcript.

 

[withoutaface]

Your own responses show why such a unit is needed

Yes, if they make me spend six months studying them (after numerous courses in primary and secondary school) I will respect them a whole lot more.

 

[bell531]

I thought thirteen years of it was enough, especially seeing as it seems to be popping up in almost every subject at high school; in the last two years - legal, english, geo + history.

I can see something like this actually causing more resentment towards Aboriginals by students who's time and money is being wasted.

I'm already feeling it now. There's only so much to learn, and forcing this on us is no way to guarantee racial harmony. There is a point where this cultural respect is going to go overboard, and mandatory education from the ages of 5-25 is that point....

 

[Salem O'Brien]

maybe it pops up in almost every subject because of its relevance to Australia's history and present state??? I agree that undertaking the course shouldn't be a financial burden to the students if it was to be compulsory.

 

[bell531]

maybe it pops up in almost every subject because of its relevance to Australia's history and present state??? I agree that undertaking the course shouldn't be a financial burden to the students if it was to be compulsory.

There is only so much history that is relevant/important, and that is well and truly covered in school, and Aboriginal culture has absolutely no relevance to me or, I assume, many others who will have to go through more of this. Does anyone know the actual intention of this proposition?

EDIT:

The main goals were access and retention and addressing individual or institutional racism.

Maybe access schemes (such as the many Indigenous access schemes already available!) are an adequate means of increasing access and retention, but not this. Also, I don't see how teaching us about Aboriginal culture will make people less racist.

 

[Hagaren]

maybe it pops up in almost every subject because of its relevance to Australia's history and present state??? I agree that undertaking the course shouldn't be a financial burden to the students if it was to be compulsory.

There is no fathomable reason as to why we should implement this course of action whatsoever, it would most likely have negative effects rather than positive ones.

Forcing people into trying to understand something they don't want to doesn't work.


At the end of the day the 'problem' and i say this in complete honesty, does not lie with us. I see more racism coming from the aboriginal community than from white folks these days, wish we would just hand over tasmania to them as they probably wouldn't survive more than 5 years.

 

[bell531]

There is no fathomable reason as to why we should implement this course of action whatsoever, it would most likely have negative effects rather than positive ones.

Forcing people into trying to understand something they don't want to doesn't work.

Exactly my feelings. But from what I could gather from the article it sounded as though Gillard was merely humouring the Indigenous Student Committe (or whatever it's name was) and is not entirely serious about this, which is fortunate.

At the end of the day the 'problem' and i say this in complete honesty, does not lie with us. I see more racism coming from the aboriginal community than from white folks these days, wish we would just hand over tasmania to them as they probably wouldn't survive more than 5 years.

Hahaha, great plan. + rep

 

[Will Shakespear]

maybe it pops up in almost every subject because of its relevance to Australia's history and present state??? I agree that undertaking the course shouldn't be a financial burden to the students if it was to be compulsory.

What I don't understand is, like, how come we kept having to learn about Aboriginals in history at school?

You can argue about what history is, but among other things it focuses on the written record of human activities in the past

But firstly, the abos didn't have writing
And secondly, they didn't have any events to record... they pretty much just sat around doing fuck all for 40,000 years (and nothing's changed)

So until white ppl arrived, they didn't rly have a history... i mean you can describe what their culture was like, but that's about it. There's no events to learn about, because they did fuck all

And if no one had thought to look at what was on this continent, they'd still be doing fuck all

Aboriginal history? No such thing.

 

[Salem O'Brien]

The fact that you say they had no history until european colonisation is either just ignorant or aragont of you, perhaps both. The idea that you are looking at 'History' from a purely european perspective and not considering others leaves your argument flawed when dealing with such a topic. But even through a european perspective 'History' may usually be studied through written records but any archaeologist or anthropologist would tell you that they study History through the use of methods others then literary.

As far as i remember, or atleast from what I was taught in high school, all that we did learn about Aboriginal culture/history was through interaction with white Australian history anyway or history since European colonisation.

The comments about sending them all to Tasmania just further highlights why such a course is being considered to counter the ignorance and disrespect of a culture and people that have occupied and survived in Australia for a scientifically agreed minimum of 40,000 years.

 

[Kwayera]

Woah, Salem. Learn to sarcasm.

 

[katie tully]

The fact that you say they had no history until european colonisation is either just ignorant or aragont of you, perhaps both. The idea that you are looking at 'History' from a purely european perspective and not considering others leaves your argument flawed when dealing with such a topic. But even through a european perspective 'History' may usually be studied through written records but any archaeologist or anthropologist would tell you that they study History through the use of methods others then literary.

As far as i remember, or atleast from what I was taught in high school, all that we did learn about Aboriginal culture/history was through interaction with white Australian history anyway or history since European colonisation.

The comments about sending them all to Tasmania just further highlights why such a course is being considered to counter the ignorance and disrespect of a culture and people that have occupied and survived in Australia for a scientifically agreed minimum of 40,000 years.

Yeah but, here is where I am concerned.

Who fucking cares if they were here for 40,000 years before us. What did they achieve? What is this culture you speak of? If white's hadn't "invaded", where would they be today?

As I've said numerous times, as of 200 years ago they hadn't worked out that if it's round it rolls. They didn't write anything down and they had imaginations that rival most retarded 3 year olds.

Cool culture.

 

[Salem O'Brien]

To reply to 'Katie Tullie', the reason for the current state of the Aboriginal community in general is because of the European colonisation of Australia, the argument that they're better off because off because of it is ridiculous. "where would they be today" if not for coloinisation? Not in a state of 3rd world poverty sniffing petrol, thats where.

The idea that you portray their culture as somehow stupid and basic is absurd. Anyone with even the most basic grasp of highschool cultural studies or history would be able to tell you that cultures are different from eachother and just because a certain culture is lacking in similiarities in comparison to another does not somehow make it inferior as you are suggesting.

"What is this culture you speak of?"
The very question itself aswell as other remarks made throughout this thread further highlight why such a course could probably be only a good thing. But to answer your question Aboriginal culture is just as encompassing as any European culture if you wish to learn what this culture is I suggest you get a book on it or undertake a course as the Government is suggesting .

 

[kokodamonkey]

Tossing up between either Myself or Keith Windschuttle to teach the course...

 

[whatashotbyseve]

I would go if Keith Windschuttle taught it.

"Nothing happened, kids!". Lecture would be over in five minutes.