History of Treatment of Indigenous Australians and its Impact on Engineering Ethics

This paper reflects upon the history of the treatment of Indigenous Australians and discusses its impact on the ethical practice of engineering. It explores the use of the DIEP strategy to understand the history and how it can influence an engineer's communication with Indigenous communities. The paper also discusses the implications and the application of this knowledge in future practice.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Engineering Innovation and
Ethics
Student’s Name:
Student’s ID:
Subject:

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SOCIOLOGY
Introduction
The primary purpose of the paper is to reflect upon the history of the treatment of Indigenous
Australians over the last century. With the help of DIEP strategy, it will discuss the impact of
history upon the ethical practice of engineering. Moreover, based on this particular framework
strategy the paper will discuss how history will influence an engineer in communicating with the
Indigenous representatives and communities. Thus, the paper will focus on the facts that have
been learned through such insight. Therefore, it will execute a plan on how to apply this new
learning in practice in the future.
DIEP strategy
The DIEP is determined to be a strategy that is helpful in writing an academic or critical
reflection in four paragraphs. In this approach, the four steps are to describe the history of the
treatment of Indigenous Australians over the last century, by interpreting and evaluating it and to
plan on how it may convert to future learning or practice (RMIT University 2018).
Describe
I learned that indigenous Australians are poorly understood and treated as they are culturally
complex. The elderly indigenous people in Australia were not given food by an aged care
program administered by the regional council and funded by the Australian government (Helyer,
2015). I got to know that the entire community that includes elderly and children survived
without food. However, it resulted into malnutrition, thus doctors seek to provide an anti-
inflammatory for curing an infection, but doctors failed to treat the patients as they do not
possess enough food that makes the patients unable to ingest the tablets. Due to this, the
indigenous people in Australia develop mesothelioma as they get a fiber of asbestos in their
lungs.
I gathered knowledge that the entire community deals with physical starvation that leads to
traumatization. The Australian government seeks to break down their traditional life and values.
The ill-treatment of the Indigenous people in Australia puts an impact on the wellbeing and
health of communities (Raheem, Khandwala, Sur, Ghani & Denstedt, 2017). Moreover, in
Western Australia, the policeman was found responsible for the subsequent burnings and death

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of bodies of Aboriginal people. Therefore, it changed my thinking as I realized that Indigenous
people were treated poorly that resulted in various unacceptable situations.
Interpret
The realization may have significant relevance for three reasons such as it may affect the
perception of an individual in order to stay in Australia. Another reason is that there could be a
misconception regarding the Australian government as they have treated Indigenous Australians
poorly (Casinader, 2016). It also implies the ethical consideration of Australia that negatively
puts an impact on the ethical considerations of engineering. As a result, I believe that the
possible implication is that the Australian government must focus upon the areas where the
Indigenous Australians faced legal injustice within the current political climate.
Another implication is that the Australian government must develop structures and organizations
in order to help Indigenous Australians. According to the ethical considerations of engineering,
the citizens must demand constitutional change to allow the nationalization of Indigenous policy.
I believe that these implications will helps Indigenous Australians to lead a better life.
Moreover, by learning about the poor condition of the Indigenous Australians, I was shocked as
the people were mistreated by the Australian government. On the other hand, people also
experienced starvation and poverty that made people commit suicide (Howard-Wagner, 2018).
However, I felt happy as the intervention policy helped the Indigenous people to receive federal-
legislated land rights. This focuses upon the Indigenous communities and families along with
required food, medical assistance, education and legal equality. Moreover, the League of Nations
focuses upon the treatment of Indigenous Australians that puts the issue on the international
agenda that makes me feel satisfied.
Evaluate
The concept of the history of the treatment of Indigenous Australians is valuable as demonstrated
an understanding of the ill-treatment done by the Australian government to the Indigenous
people (McDonald, Jonson & Dixon, 2016). It will change the way I approach the scientific
principles to design and build various processes for the betterment of Indigenous Australians.
The concept will be helpful for me in gaining various skills such as technical skills and soft skills
that could be applied in the future.

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This understanding regarding the Indigenous people in Australia is significant for me in various
ways as it provides a deeper understanding of the struggles of the Indigenous Australians and
their rights that refers to national character and honor. It is also important as it provided an
understanding of the connection among the Aboriginal community and the government (Heard,
Love, Sing & Goerke, 2017).
However, this insight is linked with theoretical approaches of engineering as it determines the
application of knowledge regarding the Indigenous people in the form of empirical evidence and
science. The inter-cultural differences of the Indigenous relationship to the scientific principles
of engineering theory and knowledge. Moreover, history must put an impact on the ethical
considerations of engineering as it deals with scientific investigations based on the cultures and
values of the Indigenous people (Stefanelli et al., 2017). Based on the scientific principles of
engineering it increases the capacity of research to enhance human wellbeing and development.
Plan
The insight will be helpful for me in the future as it helps in understanding the problems faced by
people due to various scientific interventions. It will help me to enhance my professional growth
by developing integrity as well as honesty. The engineering disciplines related to the insights and
concepts of the history of the treatment of Aboriginal Australians help in ensuring that the
system fulfills the intended needs of the people (Plage, Willing, Skrbiš & Woodward, 2017). It
will help me in the future to apply the knowledge effectively by making use of various structural
elements.
Such engineering disciplines will be helpful for me in the future while interacting with the
Indigenous representatives and communities as an engineer. The engineering design processes
will help me in gathering relevant knowledge regarding the problem faced by the Indigenous
people along with their requirements. Communicating well with the Indigenous people will be
helpful in finding relevant solutions to mitigate the problem and meet the needs of the people
(Hinkson & Vincent, 2018). However, an engineer is entirely responsible for identifying,
understanding and interpreting the constraints of the people. Therefore, all these techniques
would influence me to communicate well with Indigenous representatives and communities.

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Conclusion
The paper helped in investigating the history of the treatment of Indigenous Australians over the
last century with the help of DIEP strategy. Based on this strategy it helped in describing the
history as well as the importance of the insights. On the other hand, it also interprets a deeper
understanding of the insight and possible implications based on the history of the treatment of
Indigenous people. Moreover, it evaluated the concept that proved to be valuable in various ways
and is connected with the engineering theory by relating to scientific principles. It discussed the
fact that history must put an impact on the ethical practice of engineering. Furthermore, it
presented a plan where the learning could be applied in the future that will be helpful in a
professional engineering context.

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References
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destinations of the past?. Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of education, 37(3),
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Heard, I., Love, P. E., Sing, M. C., & Goerke, V. (2017). Learning to build relationships for a
better Australia: Indigenous reconciliation in action in the construction and resource
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Helyer, R. (2015). Learning through reflection: the critical role of reflection in work-based
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Hinkson, M., & Vincent, E. (2018). Shifting Indigenous Australian Realities: Dispersal, Damage,
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Howard-Wagner, D. (2018). Governance of indigenous policy in the neo-liberal age: indigenous
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Stefanelli, R. D., Castleden, H., Harper, S. L., Martin, D., Cunsolo, A., & Hart, C. (2017).
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