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Identity politics: the elephant in the room at the Cape York Institute's inaugural conference
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 22:18 authored by Moore, TCThe Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership is dedicated to research and policy advice relevant to the remote Aboriginal communities of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Its inaugural conference, entitled 'Strong Foundations: Rebuilding Social Norms in Indigenous Communities', addressed widespread problems of social dysfunction that manifest in failure to attend school, substance abuse and sexual violence. Keynote addresses explained the dysfunction as an outcome of dependency on welfare, disincentives to work, poor governance and dispossession. They made a number of worthwhile proposals, including governmental intervention, recognition of shared Australian-ness and humanity, abandonment of victimhood and cultural security. However, they made only tangential allusion to Aboriginal identity politics, which I argue play a crucial role in constituting the dysfunction and, if understood, open new avenues to Aboriginal development. This essay constitutes a plea for more rigorous examination of the politics that present such a barrier to Aboriginal development.
History
Publication title
Australian Journal of Political ScienceVolume
43Issue
4Pagination
649-65ISSN
1363-030XDepartment/School
Aboriginal LeadershipPublisher
RoutledgePlace of publication
CanberraRights statement
Copyright 2008 Australian Political Studies AssociationRepository Status
- Restricted