013992 Aboriginal Sydney Now

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Education: International Studies and Global Societies
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade, no marks

Anti-requisite(s): 013993 Aboriginal Sydney Now

Note

Subject to COVID restrictions, students are encouraged to attend one to two public Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events. Students who are studying remotely will be given online options as an alternative to attending events in person.

Description

This subject focuses on contemporary Aboriginal Sydney as a means for exploring current and historical ideas about culture, Country and community. Within a broadly transformative, social justice framework, the subject aims to foster students' curiosity about Indigenous ways of knowing and being in Sydney today. Students use online resources including three recorded lectures, television drama and scholarly literature to (re)discover Aboriginal Sydney. Students learn to identify ways Indigenous perspectives and knowledges intersect with their particular area of study and potential profession, and begin to develop some skills required to work collaboratively with Indigenous Australians. Throughout the subject students are encouraged to develop their analytical and critical skills.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a.	Inquire about contemporary Indigenous notions of culture, country and community
b.	Discuss the implications of colonisation for contemporary Indigenous Australia
c.	Investigate methods that professionals from your discipline use to collaborate respectfully with Indigenous peoples
d.	Reflect on the relationship between culture and worldviews, including your own
e.	Analyse and effectively communicate information gleaned from primary and secondary sources relevant to Indigenous knowledges and perspectives.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Critical and Creative Inquiry (2.)
Indigenous Competencies (4.)
Effective Communication (6.)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject addresses the following FASS Graduate Attributes:

1. Professional Readiness

2. Critical and Creative Inquiry

4. Indigenous Competencies

6. Effective Communication

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching in this subject will occur online through Canvas. Student learning and curiosity will be guided by a set of structured, weekly activities including, listening to the recorded lectures, and viewing episodes of the television series Redfern Now. Students will also be required to read course material, and respond to online quizzes and inquiry questions.

In this course, Assessment 1(A1) requires students to respond to quiz questions related to the weekly online video learning prompts and readings. For assessment 2 (A2) students will be required to critically analyse an Aboriginal place in Sydney, and for Assessment 3 (A3) students will respond to a question in the form of an exposition style essay.

Content (topics)

The content for this subject includes an introduction to Aboriginal history and contemporary culture, Country and community, with an emphasis on the Sydney area. The subject also touches on the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students begin to learn about protocols for developing professional partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We use theories such as human rights and social justice approaches and critical race theory. As well the subject introduces the notion of the cultural interface.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Weekly Online Quiz

Objective(s):

a, b, c, d and e

Weight:

30%

Length:

5-10 questions each module. Students will need to listen to lectures and complete weekly readings in order to respond to the quiz questions. This will take about an hour of your time for each module.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Depth of understanding of Indigenous Studies concepts	50	a, b, c, e	4.
Application of theory to practice	25	d	1.
Integration of literature	25	e	2.

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Critical Analysis of an Aboriginal Place in Sydney

Objective(s):

a, b, d and e

Weight:

25%

Length:

750 words (plus references, photos, pamphlets and other items of interest)

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Relevance of place and /or object selected and understanding of Indigenous perspectives	20	a, b, d	4.
Insightfulness of analysis	30	a, b, e	2.
Integration of subject materials and readings	10	a	2.
Depth of research and integration of additional relevant source materials and readings	10	a	2.
Coherence of written expression	10	e	6.
Authenticity and originality of written expression	10	e	6.
Accuracy of referencing	10	e	6.

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Essay and Professional Reflection

Objective(s):

a, b, c, d and e

Weight:

45%

Length:

1400 words.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Detail and accuracy of reporting on the Aboriginal event / Aboriginal organisation	10	a, b, c, d, e	4.
Insightfulness of analysis	20	a, b, c, d, e	2.
Professional reflection	20	d	2.
Integration of subject materials and readings	10	a	2.
Depth of research and integration of additional relevant source materials and readings	10	a	2.
Coherence of written expression	10	e	6.
Authenticity and originality of written expression	10	e	6.
Accuracy of referencing	10	e	6.

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Required texts

Required readings for each module are detailed on the Canvas site.

Recommended texts

Recommended readings for this subject can be found on the Canvas site.

References

Brown, L. (2010). Nurturing Relationships within a Space Created by" Indigenous Ways of Knowing": A Case Study. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 39, 15-22.

Dillon, S. C. (2007). Maybe we can find Some Common Ground: Indigenous Perspectives, a Music Teacher's Story. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 36, 59-65.

Hemming, S., & Rigney, D. (2010). Decentring the new protectors: transforming Aboriginal heritage in South Australia. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 16(1-2), 90-106.

Moreton-Robinson, A. (2005). The house that Jack built: Britishness and white possession. Australian Critical Race and Whiteness Studies Association Journal, 1(1), 21-29.

Nakata, M. (2007) The Cultural Interface, Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 36, 7-14.

Nakata, M. (2006) Australian Indigenous Studies: A question of Discipline. Australian Journal of Anthropology, 17 (3), 265-275.

Rigney, L. I. (1999). Internationalization of an Indigenous anticolonial cultural critique of research methodologies: A guide to Indigenist research methodology and its principles. Wicazo sa review, 109-121.

Wright, S., Lloyd, K., Suchet-Pearson, S., Burarrwanga, L., Tofa, M., & Country, B. (2012). Telling stories in, through and with Country: engaging with Indigenous and more-than-human methodologies at Bawaka, NE Australia. Journal of Cultural Geography, 29(1), 39-60.

Other resources

There are a range of additional resources available in the Canvas site.