Academic Writing on Australian History

100% originality is essential The purpose of this task is to: • help you clarify, through reading and personal reflection, your understanding of an important aspect of Australian history and contemporary political debate; • develop your skills in critiquing perspectives and evaluating information gained from a variety of sources; and • enhance your written communication skills, especially as they relate to clarifying your own conceptualisation of Australian history, the experience of Indigenous Australians and your work as a classroom teacher. Task : A key element of contemporary 'cultural conflict' in Australia has been the so called 'history wars' in which a key point of contention is how the early years of colonial settlement should be addressed in the school curriculum. Conservatives want a 'grand narrative' of heroism – the taming of a hostile land and the building of a new society based on the values of mateship and egalitarianism. Progressives, on the other hand, want a 'warts and all' version of Australian history – one that acknowledges the dispossession and suffering of Indigenous Australians. The two approaches are exemplified by the following quotes: "The 'black armband' view of our history reflects a belief that most Australian history since 1788 has been little more than a disgraceful story of imperialism, exploitation, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. ... I believe that the balance sheet of our history is one of heroic achievement and that we have achieved much more as a nation of which we can be proud than of which we should be ashamed." John Howard (1996). The Liberal Tradition: The Beliefs and Values which Guide the Federal Government. Sir Robert Menzies Lecture. Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust. "[In response to what eminent Australian anthropologist WEH Stanner referred to as "the great Australian silence"] … revisionist historians represented colonization as a matter of invasion, depicted the frontier as a line between conflicting parties, regarded the conflict as war, treated the Aborigines' response as resistance, and explained the violence of frontiersmen in terms of racism as well as other factors" Attwood & Foster (2003), Frontier Conflict, National Museum of Australia, p.4. Write an extended response. In doing so: • Define what is meant by the term 'history wars' in the Australian context. Who are its principal protagonists? Briefly outline the positions held be each side. (Approx. 200 words) • With reference to the relevant research literature, provide an account of the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the period during which European settlement spread across the Australian continent. (Approx. 1,000 words) • Analyse the view that full Reconciliation depends on a recognition that the alienation and disadvantage experienced by some Indigenous Australians can be linked to the dispossession experienced in the past. (Approx. 400 words) 19 • Assess the claim that the perspective of Indigenous Australians continues to be mediated by those with little or no cultural experience of Aboriginality. Discuss the implications of this observation for your work as a classroom teacher. (Approx. 200 words) Note: Students are encouraged to access at least some Indigenous perspectives directly – Marcia Langton's 'Prologue' to The First Australians would be a good starting point. Plenty of Aboriginal historians/writers/artists have addressed the culture wars in one way or another in their particular representations of Australia's past. Maximum length: 1,800 words