Thursday, 1 October 2009

NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR

Postgraduate courses in Integrated Human Studies have been available at The University of Western Australia for a couple of years, and have now been remodelled into six-point units, with a new Certificate option included. We’re excited to announce that our postgraduate courses have gone online in preparation for blended delivery mode (UWA campus) and fully online (distance learning), in 2010.  The blended mode means that while students will have some face-to-face course components, like seminars, they will also be able to access materials and activities online, from home or wherever they have Internet connection. Blended learning, and fully online learning for remote or international students, are a good fit with Integrated Human Studies, where no single textbook exists, and students are required to keep up with a rapidly changing world. Students need to evaluate information available online and discover authoritative sources; our units provide such skills and resources while enabling collaborative learning through networking tools and applications in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE – we are using Moodle).  You can see course outlines at https://learning.ewfi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=8

Many people concerned about global issues feel at a loss about how to help.  We are happy to advertise a specific opportunity for the right person below under the heading “Volunteer required in Dili, Timor-Leste”. Please feel free to send this information around to your network.

Professor Neville Bruce
Director, Centre for Integrated Human Studies

NEXT SEMINAR: FAMILY – A DEAD CONCEPT?: SEPTEMBER 23

“Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do.  With no relatives, no support, we've put it in an impossible situation.”  Margaret Mead

The nuclear family is an aberration in human history, yet it has shaped our perceptions and practices for decades. How is the family faring in the 21st century, and what are its prospects?

Dr Debra Judge looks at the evolutionary origins of the family group; Julie Jackson, Solicitor-in-Charge, Family Court Services, considers legal and policy implications of family definitions; and family law practitioner Penny Keeley shares her professional experience of the effects of divorce.

The seminar is in Seminar room 1.81 at the School of Anatomy and Human Biology, UWA, at the usual time of 5:30 – 7 pm.

NOTES FROM THE LAST SEMINAR, MULTICULTURALISM

Professor Dennis Haskell introduced the topic and pointed out that multiculturalism has been a hot topic for decades, and that the policy itself, introduced in the Whitlam years, had marked a change in Australia’s sense of itself. It was recently, however, a contested policy, with some people worried that the “core” nature of Australian culture was in danger of being put aside.

Suresh Rajan , the Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities Council of Western Australia, began by acknowledging prior ownership of the land by Indigenous Australians, and stating that migrants to WA shared the journey towards reconciliation. After the abandonment of the White Australia policy, assimilation was the government-stated goal for migrants. Language and culture were to be left at the wharf or airport.  From 1975 when multiculturalism was introduced by the Whitlam government and promoted by Al Grassby, it had gone through a number of phases according to the way various governments had stamped it: “rampant” multiculturalism, where the practice of country-of-origin language, culture and religion was enthusiastically encouraged; the “inclusive” multiculturalism of the Keating era; and Howard’s “Australian multiculturalism” which stressed the primacy of Australian law  (multiculturalism “within an overriding commitment to Australia and the basic structures and values of Australian democracy”).

A basic tenet of multiculturalism is retention of language.  Language comprehension is enhanced by knowledge of up to three languages, and a danger of language loss is the social isolation felt by old people who experience reversion to their first language with the onset of Alzheimer’s, and who cannot communicate with their own children whom they have encouraged to learn English exclusively.

One of the problems of multiculturalism now is that there are large numbers of visibly different people, identifiable as migrants by their skin colour or mode of dress. Statistically, WA is the most ethnically diverse state, with 28% of the population born overseas, and 49% having at least one parent born overseas.  However, statistics that record place of birth don’t necessarily reflect the true picture, with many people identifying with diverse ethnic groups being born here or having parents born here, and with people from many nationalities and ethnicities identifying with a religious affiliation. Ethnic descriptors are problematic. The WA Police no longer use ethnic descriptors as they promote stereotypes.

Suresh said multiculturalism is a human right.  Premier Geoff Gallop adopted the West Australian Charter of Multiculturalism which, among other things, set clear values and obligations for government departments, and constituted a substantive equality program aiming at equity of outcome.  This shifted the onus from individuals having to prove discrimination and seek redress from a position of disadvantage.

The Ethnic Communities Council advocates for minority groups but while recognising and respecting diversity of religion and culture, is firm in its commitment not to promote the adoption of Sharia law, and to uphold the status of women.

Maria Grade Godinho shared her personal story and observations about migrating to Australia and began by explaining the Portuguese cultural derivation of her name, where people have both their mother’s and father’s surnames as their own.

Maria first went to New Zealand and recognised that in her observations of a new culture, she tended to view Portugal nostalgically as a perfect society, but after having her eyes opened about Portugal’s historical involvement with slavery, she realised that immersion in a culture made one blind to some things about it.

After meeting her Australian partner she came here, first to South Australia and then to WA.  An initial observation was that New Zealand did a better job of integrating Maori culture into its social fabric than Australia does Indigenous culture.

Maria considered the question of whether Australians were racist, and her own experiences suggested that many were. If she, with her not-so-dark skin and her not-too-bad English, had been made to feel bad on occasion, what must it be like for others subjected to frequent incidents?

Regarding the multicultural community, she suggested an analogy where many vegetables might be in the same pot, but something had to happen for them to come together to make a delicious soup.  Her own experience of finding that sharing her knowledge about Portugal was affirming for her made her work to establish the Diversity at University group, where students from other places talked about their culture. Providing this space for people to share their experience was like preparing the soup vegetables so they could mix.

Dr Daniel Stepniak of the Law School at UWA said that the law reflected government policies about migration and community interaction, and had changed over the years with changes in policy already described by Suresh.  The law has some difficulty with concepts of multiculturalism, however, for a couple of reasons.  One is that the law reflects a dominant culture and entrenches its norms, whilst allowing for exceptions and exemptions that still reinforce the status of the norm.  There is also a difficulty with the very notion of equality: the idea that different people may need to be treated differently makes us uncomfortable.

Laws that required a person to confront the person who has discriminated against them and to establish a case are problematic.  The law likes neat categories but real life situations are complex.  People who are discriminated against may not have the resources to establish a case.  Geoff Gallop’s Charter shifted the onus to require government organisations and departments to remove and prevent discrimination.

Another problem is the historical refusal to enshrine in law a charter or bill of rights. Australia follows the British rather than the US model. Parliamentarians speaking about it actually rejected the notion that all people were equal, just as religious leaders actively oppose freedom of religion in Australia (typically they want freedom only for the “nice” religions).  A just society would require all sectors to be accommodated rather than simply tolerated, as was the case under the “reasonable person” test in law which allows exceptions for people who don’t quite fit the dominant cultural norm.

Daniel mentioned the “Courageous Conversations About Race” texts which had been produced after a workshop, and which gave a real understanding of the experience of discrimination and how it affects people – to the extent that the public display of the Australian flag could induce fear. He stressed the importance of education in civic values, so that people could engage effectively in discourse about such issues as the introduction of a bill of rights, which he believed was necessary to ensure every citizen’s right to the same protection under law.

Questions and comments included:

  • A minority group cannot expect to change the law of a host country, but people’s views of Sharia law are coloured by ignorance.
  • There is a rabbinical court that operates to allow women to access property overseas, and a similar council of imams.
  • The soup analogy has often been described as the melting pot or the salad bowl – which is better? (Maria’s answer is that the soup should be a minestrone, with a common base containing recognisable chunks!)
  • Race allows people to pigeonhole others from a distance because of their skin colour or style of dress, but other factors such as accent can also be revealed and consign people to pigeonholes.
  • There is no religious vilification law as there is a racial vilification law, so people abused for their religion have no recourse.
  • Australians appear to be uncomfortable with people speaking other languages around them.  In other multicultural countries it is normal for many languages to be spoken in public places.
  • Will Australians overcome racism eventually?

GETTING HERE

The School of Anatomy and Human Biology is two doors south of Shenton House on the eastern (Matilda Bay) side of the UWA campus, opposite the Matilda Bay kiosk. There is a map on our website. Bus routes Nos 23, 79, 98, 99,102 and 107 pass UWA on Stirling Highway; after alighting you will enjoy a five-minute stroll through the campus. Go past the Guild Village and turn left immediately after the Psychology building. You’ll be facing the School of Anatomy and Human Biology and will see the lift to the left of the glass doors. The seminar room is on the first floor opposite the lift door. Bus route No 97 also loops around the campus, with stops on Hackett Drive. It starts at Subiaco Station. If you are driving , we are closest to Hackett Entry No 2 to Carpark No 4. Free parking is available after 5 pm in ticket parking areas in UWA, and after 6 pm in Council ticket parking areas. When you arrive at the School, go to the rear and use the lift to come to the first floor.

VOLUNTEER REQUIRED IN DILI, TIMOR LESTE
HIAM-Health is a not for profit organisation working to rehabilitate children and families suffering from malnutrition and offering education to prevent future malnutrition.  Part of our program includes teaching permaculture vegetable production so people can live sustainably on a minimal income.  We have built a Malnutrition Rehabilitation and Education Centre in Dili which includes 900 square metres of permaculture garden.  A young man from Perth has spent five months volunteering at our centre preparing the garden area.

We are seeking a self funded volunteer to continue this work.  We can offer accommodation.  If interested please contact Jill Hillary at [email protected]

For more information about HIAM-Health www.hiamhealth.org

ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR INTEGRATED HUMAN STUDIES

You can find out more about the Centre and about IHS at our web site https://www.ihs.uwa.edu.au/
blocked::https://www.ihs.uwa.edu.au/"> www.ihs.uwa.edu.au . If you are interested in enrolling in postgraduate courses in IHS, please contact the Director, Prof Neville Bruce on 6488 3292 or email mailto: [email protected]
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TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Please feel free to give us your comments, thoughts or suggestions for future seminar topics by emailing Karen on mailto: [email protected]
blocked::mailto: [email protected] "> [email protected] Also, if you know people who might be interested in IHS or our seminar series, forward them this e-newsletter.

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