Overview

This unit develops students' knowledge of Indigenous Australian issues and emphasises the diversity of Indigenous Australia and its people. It provides a solid understanding of the pervasive power of colonial representations and the ways in which these have functioned during the contact period (1770-present) to shape non-Indigenous understandings of Australia's Indigenous peoples. The unit also investigates the impact that representational constructs have had in shaping the lives of Indigenous Australians, and the role of all citizens in this investigation.

Requisites

Prerequisites

50 credit points

Antirequisites
INS20001 Indigenous Representations
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Investigate how Australia has historically created and disseminated knowledge about Indigenous Australians
  • Analyse the power of language in the construction of representational racial and cultural identity and evaluate the implications of these images, stories, stereotypes and tropes on the life choices of Indigenous Australians
  • Build skills to identify, communicate and counteract the extant, pervasive effects of colonialism on contemporary Australian society
  • Develop and apply expansive thinking in issues of cross-cultural relationships in contemporary Australia
  • Research a range of topics relating to Indigenous Australians and present a balanced, supported argument that contributes to informed discussions of Indigenous issues in Australia and inter-cultural discussions in general

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		2.00 12 weeks 24
On-campus
Class		1.00 12 weeks 12
Specified Activities
Various		2.75 12 weeks 33
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		6.00 12 weeks 72
TOTAL141

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Media Watch AssessmentIndividual 30% 1,2,3,4,5 
Museum ExerciseGroup 35% 2,3,4,5 
Research EssayIndividual 35% 1,2,3,4,5 

Content

  • Representing the 'Native' and Aboriginalism: An Introduction
  • Australian Government: Representations - Victoria
  • Aboriginalism in practice
  • The Australian Academy: Indigenous Studies
  • The Power of Anthropology in the Academy
  • 'Modern' Science: The role of The Museum
  • Australian Film - The (In)Visibility of Indigenous Film Representation
  • Australian Sport
  • Australian media - reporting Indigenous people in contemporary Australian society
  • Representations of Aboriginal Australia and the imperative for Self-Reflection

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.