Social Injustice Problem - Case Study Example

Social Injustice – A case study of the admission policy of the of Sydney Introduction: History has repeatedly shown that dominant sectionsof the society have a tendency to deride or at the least have a casual attitude towards backward and weaker sections of the society. Their needs and aspirations are not taken seriously and a form of social injustice can eventually emerge. Such a situation has emerged with regard to the dominant non-Indigenous population of Australia, and the original (but backward) inhabitants of Australia, comprising of the Aboriginal population and the Torres Strait Islanders. This paper is a review of lack of social justice in the University of Sydney with regard to disproportionate number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and how the University tackled the issue. Background of the issue: In spite of being one the premier educational institution, the proportion of students from backward communities is as low as thirty five percent. “THE University of Sydney has admitted it needs to address what it calls its financial vulnerability and broaden its intake beyond elite independent and selective high schools to attract the most talented students” (Sydney Uni seeks talent beyond affluent suburbs 2010). Social justice: Many theories on social justice have evolved over the years, primarily based on equality and welfare for all sections of the society. Notable among them is the theory of distributive social justice by John Rawls (Distributive justice 2007). The fundamental principles according to this theory is that every individual is entitled to equality with regard to basic rights and liberties. Such rights should be provided in such a way that it is most beneficial to the least advantaged sections of the society. Under this outlook, the Aboriginal community is backward in most respects, but are not often provided the same basic rights and liberties. Earlier, even their history is written by Western academic with little regard or understanding of their culture and beliefs. “Many writers had no intimate knowledge of Indigenous society and as such their writings often misrepresented the whole foundation of Indigenous society by their recordings of what they found interesting and ignoring those aspects of our society we consider central” (Wilson-Miller, 2003, 2). The author states that this situation has changed and many new generation writers have tried to be more understanding when studying such communities. But contributions from Indigenous writers are few and only a proper balance of works from people of both local and white people will provide a true and realistic account of their culture and society. This is essential for understanding and assimilation of the community into the dominant non-Indigenous population of Australia. Another criticism is that policy makers depend on the principle of normalization according to Western standards. “The general thesis of the normalisation principle is that all people are entitled to live a lifestyle that other people in their community would describe as ‘normal’. Normal means what most others in that culture usually do, or would prefer to do” (Foreman , 2009, 132), What this indicates is that the Aboriginals of the land should behave in ways which are accepted by non-Indigenous sections of the population. This means, that their original culture, value systems and beliefs will eventually be lost. The authors state that this difference of the Aboriginal population should be preserved and a policy that provides for inclusion (into the mainstream) without eroding this difference should be worked out. Insensitivity and lack of understanding can lead to a feeling of superiority or derision for another culture that is different from the dominant one in a society. The following observation regarding the spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous community in Australia is worth mentioning here. It may provide a new light on what this group of original inhabitants of the country believes in. “Aboriginality is spirituality, the belief in a special way of life, obligations and responsibilities. It is defined by inherent birthright. It is not decided by colour, the amount of blood a person has, or what ‘part’ he/she is. (Appropriate Terminology, Indigenous Australian Peoples General Information Folio 5, n.d., 3). The paper goes on to explain how to use language that is not derogatory or demeaning to the Indigenous population in the country. For example, it is more appropriate to use words like Indigenous and diverse instead of primitive and pre-historic to refer such societies. Another example is to use the word spirituality instead of religion. The article goes on to state that such practices can change the attitude of the dominant sections of the society to be more understanding of a different and diverse culture. Indigenous language: A peer reviewed paper by Hornberger shows that indigenous languages spoken by the original inhabitants in nations around the world are in danger of being ignored and eventually lost to the members of such communities. “Indigenous and immigrant languages are under attack, around the world, subjected to seemingly irresistible social, political, and economic pressures. (Hornberger 1998, 439). The author adds that a proper language policy implemented by empathetic governments can help in preservation of this legacy and cultural heritage of indigenous (and immigrant) population. Even though the paper does not cover the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of Australia, the observations and conclusions from the study could be useful in this context. Some success stories regarding this area is given below. The Comissão Pró-Indio (CPI) of Brazil selects prospective teachers from Amazonian tribes, referring to them as ‘indigenous teachers’. These teachers are taught the basic school curriculum and in turn pass it on to the members of the particular tribe to which he or she belongs. The advantage is that modern day learning is imparted in a language familiar to the local tribes, which will be helpful in helping members to adapt to a changing world. These professors or teachers are also taught to prepare funding proposals. It is assumed that these people are more adept at preparing a curriculum and mode of study since they are familiar with the cultural and social practices followed in the respective tribes. Hornberger adds that using the local dialect for teaching modern schooling academics will be more attractive and practical for children of tribes, who understand no other means of communication. Another example referred is the inclusion of nearly thirty Bolivian dialects into a primarily Spanish based education system. The importance of education: Education that can provide a foundation for advanced studies (or at the least for making a living) in the modern world is important for the development of a society. This apparently is also applicable to the marginalized or backward sections of a community according to Mills. “Education is often perceived to be the great equaliser in an otherwise unjust society. Since the introduction of mass schooling in the mid-nineteenth century, many Australians have looked to public education as a basic right and a vehicle that will furnish them with the rewards and opportunities to experience more fulfilling and satisfying lives”.(Mills, 2008, 261). Mills then goes on to provide two important factors that contribute (either intentionally or unintentionally) towards social injustice with regard to socially and economically backward sections of a society. The first is that many schools (in Australia in the Miller study) are dependent on income from parents, they naturally tend to ignore students whose parents who are not financially capable of paying the fees required for school education. The second more significant fact is that many teachers in Australian schools are trained to provide ‘Anglo-Australian’ methods of teaching. The indication is that even though sincere, the teachers are not trained to handle the diversity in socio-cultural differences between the White and Indigenous population in the country. In this context, training of ‘indigenous teachers’ as seen in the Brazilian context mentioned above would be very effective in attractive and motivating the children belonging to the Aboriginal population to attend basic school training and also to move on to advanced studies. It can be argued that cultural superiority can also be an impediment to learning with regard to cultural schemata as propounded by Jean Pieaget. “Without exposure to new information different from the beliefs already held by a student, their cognitive development could be slowed due to a lack of new information to interpret and assimilate. Furthermore when views in the classroom are silenced the educational system serves to reinforce the culture of the hegemony because only the mainstream views are discussed and those on the margins are left to perish” (Maciejewski n.d.). The above observation stresses on two points which are given below. One is that it is not the lack of education (or information) that is available, but the lack of cognitive ability of the student to understand and interpret it. The second is that the superior or stronger culture or system will effectively silence the marginalized ones into becoming passive learners. Unless this culture is attuned towards the needs of the downtrodden or the marginalized, they will remain subservient and inferior and will not be taken seriously. Byrne and Hopgood, in a paper published by the Australian Education Union have several criticisms of the current policies followed by the government with regard to education of children belonging to the Indigenous community in the country. One is that the expenditure allocation for their education is actually coming down causing parents and school authorities to look for funds elsewhere or deprive children of further schooling. Another drawback according to the authors is that there is insufficient interaction with community members regarding their needs and aspirations for their children. “The deficit model where Indigenous students are constantly cajoled to play ‘catch up’ has failed. Therefore it is time for the Australian education system to investigate its own inherent structure and establish the means through which it can engage more effectively with Indigenous people”. (Byrne & Hopggod, n.d. 45). The authors also recommend among many things, government assistance to non-for-profit private, a monitoring system for Indigenous education programmes, and proper accountability of school and government officials. Organization: Studies have shown that a particular group or tribe that has been culturally and socially marginalized due to various reasons can create a situation where this marginalization can be reduced. It can also help such groups to integrate into the dominant ruling class, which in this case is the White population of Australia. Here again, the study is not about the Aboriginal community in Australia, but the following example can be used to bring down social injustice through self-help groups. For example, “Filipino immigrant activists [in the United States] saw the importance of organizing themselves to further develop their political consciousness and activist identities” (Aguirre & Lio, 2008, 3). ( Couldnt find this article, could you please sent it to me as an attachment to your message? ) Such organized activity with the help of the economically and socially advanced sections of the population can be a great help in integration of the Aboriginal community in Australia, with the end result of bringing down social inequality and injustice in the country. Steps taken by the University and further suggestions: Several steps have been taken to improve the educational quality and admissions of Aborginals into the University. One is the five point award given to every disadvantaged student so that their scores will be acceptable to the University. 1500 students (up from 600 the previous year) had volunteered for the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME). “. AIMEs goals are to improve Year 10 completion rates, Year 12 completion rates and university admission rates for all participating students (1500 students sign up to Indigenous mentoring program, 2010). The above steps are admirable and will go a long way in improving Aboriginal admission in the University. This in turn will provide a better life for such students and also be an example for other Aboriginal students to aspire for a University degree. But parental interaction, better communication, and preservation of the difference (of culture and beliefs) are also recommended. These will help in improving the confidence of the students and their parents because they will be confident that the children can a lead a better life but without losing their original identity. Helping the students to form an organization will also be helpful. It can create an atmosphere where resources can be shared and also provide a platform for integration into university life for new students. References 1500 students sign up to Indigenous mentoring program (2010). The University of Sydney, retrieved 02 March 2010, from, http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=4617 Appropriate Terminology, Indigenous Australian Peoples General Information Folio 5 (n.d.). Indigenous Australian Studies for Primary Pre-Service Teacher Education. School of Teacher Education, University of New South Wales, Provided by student. Byrne, P & Hopgood, S (n.d.). Back on track: A way forward for Australia, Australian Education Union, Provided by student Distributive justice (2007). Stanford University, retrieved 01 April 2010, from, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice-distributive/#Oth Foreman, P (2009). Education of students with an intellectual disability: research and practice, Information Age Publishing Hornberger, NH (1998). Language policy, language education, language rights: Indigenous, immigrant and international perspectives, Language in Society, (27), 439-458. Aguirre, A & Lio, S (2008). Spaces of mobilization: The Asian American/Pacific Islander struggle for social justice, Journal of Social Justice, (35) 2, Retrieved 01 April 2010, from, http://www.socialjusticejournal.org/pdf_free/112Intro.pdf Maciejewski, A (n.d.). The classroom as community, Education and Social Justice Journal, retrieved 02 March 2010, from, http://www.geneseo.edu/~esjj/Fall2005_2.html Mills, C (2008). Making a difference: moving beyond the superficial treatment of diversity, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, (36) 4 261-275. Sydney Uni seeks talent beyond affluent suburbs (2010). The Sydney Morning Herald, Retrieved 01 April 2010, from, http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/sydney-uni-seeks-talent-beyond-affluent-suburbs-20100305-popd.html Wilson-Miller, J (2003). Re-thinking Aboriginal history: Self-concept for a nation, Self-concept Enhancement and Learning Facilitation Research Centre, 2003, provided by student Read More