This course examines political and social constructions of contemporary Aboriginal Australia and the processes which have shaped them. Contemporary issues which affect Indigenous Australians, such as health, education, criminal justice, land rights and law, will be examined. The structural position of Aboriginal people within Australian society will be contextualised within the theory that colonialism is an ongoing experience for Aboriginal Australians. It will consider the implications for the future of Aboriginal self-determination and decolonisation in relation to contemporary government initiatives.

This course is exploratory and relies on your willingness to carefully read and think about the material set for discussion. When you read the set material in preparation for tutorials and the essays it is useful to take notes about what you think is being said, how these claims might be related to the themes of the course, and whether or not you find the claims interesting or plausible and why. You will need to maintain a close watch on media reports throughout this course in order to stay informed of current developments in Aboriginal Affairs.