Cultural Issues In Business Practices: Closing The Gap Between Aboriginals And Non-Aboriginal Australians

The impact of colonisation on Indigenous Australians

Cultural Issues in Business Practices: Closing the Gap Between Aboriginals and Non-Aboriginal Australians

The sovereignty and economic well-being of the aboriginal Australians is significantly affected by the seven destructive phases by colonisation. The historical awareness of the colonisations significantly informs about the oppression and inequities that Australian aboriginals have faced. Various scholars and researchers have conceptualised that colonisation had been a multi-layered phenomenon consisting of seven different parts and their negative impact on socio-economic status of Aboriginal people. This essay will follow the framework of seven distinct phases of colonisation that have impacted the socio-economics aspects of life of Indigenous people and will discuss that how indigenous people are still unable to achieve the similar socio-economic status as non-indigenous population.

Studies have identified that there is a significant gap between the socio-economic outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous population of Australia. This gap has occurred due to the different detrimental effect of the history of colonisation and lack of sovereignty among Indigenous people. Therefore, without clear and detailed understanding of the colonial causations and the different phases of colonisation that affected Indigenous people, remedies for closing the gap could not be developed (Alford and Muir 2004).

The first part of the process of colonisation is the incursion of the colonisers in the geographical areas. In this phase the colonisers acquired the lands of Indigenous people and the customs, belief, legends and stories of the Indigenous people originally experienced a sense of denial. Alford and Muir (2004) and Austin-Broos and Macdonald (2005) also identified that colonisation also affected their health and well-being, because the invasion of the white settlers brought many diseases with them and their destructive policies generated the sense of isolation among indigenous people.

The second distinct part of the process of colonisation was the destruction of the socio-economic structures of the Indigenous groups. Alford and Muir (2004), identified that social and economic destruction was led by the dispossession of lands, displacements from their own lands, suppression of their religious systems, belief, culture and languages and destructions of the families and kinship tradition through Stolen Generations. This significantly affected their sense of well-being, as the colonisation affected their emotional and economic dimensions. According to Clark, Frijters and Shields (2008), “Income matters for wellbeing not just because of what it allows one to consume, but also for the way it positions a person in society” (p. 137).

The third distinct part of colonisation was the increased external political control, for example, colonisers refused to enfranchise Indigenous peoples at Federation, they were denied their right to vote and were treated as children and idiots (Alford and Muir 2004). In the current situation, this phase of colonisation increased their welfare decency (Altman 2006), which became the fourth phase of the process of colonisation. The effect of the economic dependency was that Aboriginal Australians became economically dependent on the mainstream for their own welfare and wages due to the destruction their economic system (Biddle 2011). Some of the direct consequences of this phase was increased unemployment and poverty. The indirect consequences of this economic dependence were poor mental and physical health, increased substance abuse and poor self and community esteem.

Understanding the seven phases of colonisation

Alford and Muir (2004) identified that fifth phase of the process of colonisation was the availability of the inadequate social services for socially and economically dependent colonised groups, which led to disparities in health and education. According to Paradies (2016) Such disparities continue to increase the level of unemployed population within these groups and lack of policies for their productive engagement continued to separate them from mainstream economic system. The massacre and genocide led to the feelings of frustration and anger among the survivors and affected their mental health (Understanding the 7 phases of Aboriginal history and the 5 stages of dying).

Another significant aspect or the phase of colonisation was the deterioration of social interaction among the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population, which resulted in the increase in racism, discrimination and biases (Alford and Muir 2004).  Racism and discrimination are some significant aspects that affect the mental well-being and increases anger and anxiety. Alford and Muir (2004) had defined racism as “Racism represents an underlying ideology or set of distorted attitudes that perpetuate myths and myopic policies” (p. 102). Racism and discrimination also result in refusing the assess to effective, social and economic activities.

Racism negatively affects the mental well-being and normal functioning of individuals. Lower level of socio-economic participation, unemployment and lose of family members reduces the level of emotional well-being (Biddle 2011). The seventh phase of the process of colonisation was that resistance of Indigenous people towards the accumulating effects of colonisation is weakened over time. Although there has been a strong resistance towards land dispossessions, but destructive force of colonisation had resulted in long-term and cumulative effect on social, emotional and spiritual well-being of Indigenous people. Alfred (2009) has also identified that colonisation has increased state dependency for Australian Aboriginals, impacting their economic status.

The key cultural issues, biases and racism also influence the self-concept for Indigenous people. Biddle (2011) identifies that individual’s own agency and ability to make life choices is significant for enhancing their social and economic participation. However, the destruction of culture, religion, languages and customs have affected the capabilities and abilities of the Indigenous people and due to this Indigenous people are even unable to meet their and their family’s dietary needs. Capability approach to welfare is significant for developing positive self-concept and to overcome external environment constraints for their participation in economic context (Alfred 2009).

According to the reading- ‘Understanding the 7 phases of Aboriginal history and the 5 stages of dying’, policies and programs developed for Indigenous people have failed to recognise their traditions, values, belief and customs that are significant for positive cultural self-concept and confidence. This is the reason that sense of depression affects these people due to the loss of culture and beset the Indigenous people in all socio-economic aspects. The crisis of identity due to the loss of traditions and culture is something that needs attention for enhancing subjective well-being and developing the concept of capabilities (Biddle 2011).

The socio-economic gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations

A framework for developing better cultural awareness can be derived from the inclusion and study of the seven phases of process of colonisation in policy making for enhancing cultural awareness. The next step should be to develop the treaties that can codify the right, self-determination and sovereignty of Aboriginal people. The third step would be increase public expenditure on health, education and employment for Indigenous people. Strength based capacity building for regional and local communities and ownership of intellectual properties can enhance Indigenous participation (Altman, 2004). Strengthening the political system is also a significant aspect of resolving complex economic issues.

Conclusion

This essay focused on discussion the seven phases of the process of colonisation and its impact on the culture, well-being and socio-economic status of Aboriginal Australians. The impact of colonisation could be identified on the life of Aboriginal people, as it destructed their lifestyle religion, languages, customs, laws and society as whole. The impact of destructive history was seen in the form of poor well-being, confidence and reduced resistance. The cultural attitudes and biases, such as racism and discrimination had resulted in isolating Aboriginal people and thus impacting their socio-economic status and resulting in poor self-concept. Cultural attitudes result in causing depression, isolation, stigma and anger, which beset Aboriginal people from achieving economic stability and remains excluded from the mainstream economic system. Therefore, the detailed analysis if the history of colonisation and its impact on the life and well-being of the Aboriginal people remains significant for understanding their presence in economic system and for promoting their contribution.

References

Alford, K. and Muir, J., 2004. Dealing with unfinished Indigenous business: the need for historical reflection. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 63(4), pp.101-107.

Alfred, G.T., 2009. Colonialism and state dependency. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 5(2), pp.42-60.

Altman, J., 2006. The Future of Indigenous Australia: Is there a path beyond the free market or welfare dependency. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, Australian National University, Canberra. Compendio internacional de prácticas, 185.

Altman, J.C., 2004. The economic status of Indigenous Australians. ‘The economic status of Indigenous Australians’. ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR). Accessed 13 February, 2019. Available from: https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/40098/2/2000_DP193.pdf 

Austin-Broos, D. and Macdonald, G., 2005. Culture, economy and governance in Aboriginal Australia. In Proceedings of a workshop of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia held at the University of Sydney (Vol. 30).

Biddle, N., 2011. Measures of Indigenous wellbeing and their determinants across the lifecourse. Income, Work and Indigenous Livelihoods.

Clark, A.E., Frijters, P. and Shields, M.A., 2008. Relative income, happiness, and utility: An explanation for the Easterlin paradox and other puzzles. Journal of Economic literature, 46(1), pp.95-144.

Paradies, Y., 2016. Colonisation, racism and indigenous health. Journal of population research, 33(1), pp.83-96.

Understanding the 7 phases of Aboriginal history and the 5 stages of dying.