Socio-Cultural and Historical Context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

This research paper explores the socio-cultural and historical aspects associated with the Aboriginals of Australia. It analyzes their background, laws, and the impact of discrimination on their community. The paper also discusses the 1967 commonwealth referendum, the stolen generations, and the issue of racism in Australia.

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Socio-Cultural and Historical context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander
Australians

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Introduction
In order to know the contemporary aspect of Australian, it is quite important to understand
about their culture, life and need. Australian Aboriginal have a great culture history. Land is a
basic need for any indigenous people. Their land ownership are different from European legal
system, women has a traditional rule (Preston, 2018). They have very complex relationship
with each other in a group.
The research question associated with the research is as follows:
What are the socio cultural and historical aspects associated with the aboriginals of
Australia?
The objectives of the research paper are:
 To analyse the background of the aboriginals in Australia
 To examine the law associated with the aboriginals in the country
 To analyse the impact of discrimination on the aboriginals
Data method
In order to analyse the objectives of the paper, deductive approach has been taken into
consideration, where information from the previous researches on the topic would be used to
analyse the aim of the paper. Based upon the set objectives, secondary data in the form of
books, journals, and peer reviewed articles have been used. Qualitative data has been
retrieved from such secondary sources so that the answers to the set objectives and aim of the
paper are provided appropriately.
Findings
Background of the Aboriginals
The Torres Straits is in between Coral Sea and Arafura Sea. They live their permanently in 18
communities as well as in every location of Australia. The Torres Strait economy was land
and agriculture and fishes. These are their basic work. When they starting hunting then they
also start trading of food. They were also a good sailor. Torres history has two parts-
‘bepotime’ time before and the time after ‘Christ-a time’.

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The language of Torres Strait as kala lagaw ya and Torres Strait kriol. Both the language are
widely using in Australia today. When the land almost occupied then the food supply down
due to European food. Then they their own kinchip system to exchange labour of goods.
They also face disease problem due to working on poisoned land. Due to high death rate and
low birth rate they become servant to dominate society.
The 1967 commonwealth referendum
The 1967 Australian Aboriginal people got full citizenship right. In 1997 after a political
change their cultural identity become control and gaining a new significance but due to
Racism they again started recover (Franklin, et al., 2016). Government of Australia also made
some important policies for them civil right and indigenous right also.
The stolen generations: Colonisation has many negative and aspects. The removal of
Aboriginal children from their family. From any indigenous family most one generation of
them are forcefully eliminate from their family and that child become a part of white society.
Decent, country and kinship: The kinship system of Aboriginal family relationships is not
only with their family or with a group of people but with the entire country. The Aboriginal
relationship with their country are very deep and spiritual but they do not seem to reciprocate
similar feelings with the Australians (Franklin, et al., 2016). The Aboriginal people are very
spiritual and decent.
Racism
Racism is a big issue in all over the countries. Australia is a well-developed country but still
facing the issue of racism. Racism has three terms individuals, culture and institutional.
Institutional racism is different from cultural racism (Clark, 2017). Rate of unemployment
had increased thereby leading to a lower average income. Moreover, there was high rate of
assert and imprisonment which also reduced the development of country as some of the
population remain unemployed as a result of racism. The word” race “described as a
scientific aspect i.e. social race. There are so many racism definitions it could be cultural,
social, institutional physical (Mannan and Abdul, 2015). Racism among the people measure
by physically like black or white. In institute the behaviour of others are different from them.

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It’s based on biological difference. In workplaces and schools they face different behaviour
with them by white society.
Racism in Australia
Australia is a well-developed country and there is also founded the cases of racism. It’s a
biological discrimination with the other one. Government of Australia made many rules,
regulation and policies (Mannan and Abdul, 2015). Due to generation of new policies, there
is a reduction in the practise of racism and increase in the rate of employment. According to
Australian survey the rate of racism is declined. To make a law of racism is very difficult for
Australia. In most of the study and survey. Racism is in every field. School, collage, cultural,
workplace and socially etc.
Conclusion
History and cultural shaped the contemporary life of any country. Whether it’s developed,
under developed or fully developed. Australia is a developed country but indigenous people
face discrimination in institutional as well as in workplace. They are facing cultural stress,
living stress, forcible removal of children and racism. Government of Australia started so
many policies and racism declined.

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References
Clark, A., 2017. Teaching and Learning Difficult Histories: Australia. In Teaching and
Learning Difficult Histories in International Contexts (pp. 95-108). Routledge.
Franklin, P., Reid, A., Olsen, N., Peters, S., de Klerk, N., Brims, F., Threlfall, T., Murray, R.
and Musk, A., 2016. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma in Aboriginal people in Western
Australia. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 40(4), pp.383-387.
Mannan, D. and Abdul, K., 2015. Controversial issues of Aboriginals in Australia: An
Analysis of Regulatory Perspectives. Asian Journal of Indigenous Studies, 1(1).
Preston, M., 2018. The Indigenous Art of Australia: Art in Australia: A Quarterly
Magazine (No. 11). ETT Imprint.