Tag: Indigenous

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The age at which Indigenous Australians undertake qualifications: A descriptive analysis

Author/s: Nicholas Biddle

Edition: Volume 46, Number 1, April 2006

Summary: Reducing disparities in education outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is one of the main ways in which the relative disadvantage Indigenous Australians face will be overcome. Relative and absolute participation rates in all forms of education have improved, however they are still unacceptably low. Those Indigenous Australians who do undertake post-school education do so for the most part at a later age than the non-Indigenous population. This paper gives a descriptive analysis of the age at which Indigenous Australians are currently undertaking education, and the age at which Indigenous Australians obtained their qualifications in the past, making comparisons where appropriate with the non-Indigenous population. It also examines how certain characteristics of students vary across different age groups.

Keywords: Indigenous, disadvantage, post-school education, characteristics, students, age groups

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Developments in intellectual property and traditional knowledge protection

Author/s: Jane Anderson

Edition: Volume 49, Number 2, July 2009

Summary: In order to protect indigenous/traditional knowledge, intellectual property law must be leveraged in a way that is responsive to the dynamic inter-relationships between law, society and culture. Over the last decade, increased attention to Indigenous concerns has produced a wealth of literature and prompted recognition of the diverse needs of Indigenous peoples in relation to law, legal access and knowledge protection. There is much more that needs to be done, especially in closely considering what the consequences of legal protection are for the ways in which traditional/indigenous culture is understood and experienced by Indigenous communities and others. This paper considers the latest developments within this field and discusses what possibilities for further legal action exist within both international and local contexts.

Keywords: Indigenous, traditional knowledge, intellectual property law, society, culture

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 49_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

 

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Literacy practitioners’ perspectives on adult learning needs and technology approaches in Indigenous communities

Author/s: Michelle Eady, Anthony Herrington and Caroline Jones

Edition: Volume 50, Number 2, July 2010

Summary: Current reports of literacy rates in Australia indicate an ongoing gap in literacy skills between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adults, at a time when the literacy demands of work and life are increasing. There are many perspectives on what are the literacy needs of Indigenous adults, from the perspectives of community members themselves to the relatively under-researched perspective of literacy practitioners. This paper provides the insights, experiences and recommendations from adult literacy practitioners who work with adult Indigenous learners in communities across Australia. Focus group interviews, using an online synchronous platform, were used to elicit views about the literacy needs of Indigenous adults in communities and the successes in and barriers to meeting those needs. The practitioners also shared their views on the use of technology in literacy learning. Together, these views can inform future directions in curriculum design and teaching approaches for community-based Indigenous adult literacy education.

Keywords: literacy, Indigenous, practitioners, online, synchronous platform

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 50_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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A critical race and class analysis of learning in the organic farming movement

Author/s: Catherine Etmanski

Edition: Volume 52, Number 3, November 2012

Summary: The purpose of this paper is to add to a growing body of literature that critiques the whiteness of the organic farming movement and analyse potential ramifications of this if farmers are to be understood as educators. Given that farmers do not necessarily self-identify as educators, it is important to understand that in raising this critique, this paper is as much a challenge the author is extending to herself and other educators interested in food sovereignty as it is to members of the organic farming movement. This paper draws from the author’s personal experiences and interest in the small-scale organic farming movement. It provides a brief overview of this movement, which is followed by a discussion of anti-racist food scholarship that critically assesses the inequities and inconsistencies that have developed as a result of hegemonic whiteness within the movement. It then demonstrates how a movement of Indigenous food sovereignty is emerging parallel to the organic farming movement and how food sovereignty is directly related to empowerment through the reclamation of cultural, spiritual, and linguistic practices. Finally, it discusses the potential benefits of adult educators interested in the organic farming movement linking their efforts to a broader framework of food sovereignty, especially through learning to become better allies with Indigenous populations in different parts of the world.

Keywords: organic, farming, farmers, educators, food scholarship, Indigenous, adult

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 52_3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.