Essay Topics

Question 1: Diversity: Explain how diverse contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies are. Your answer can discuss geography, creative industries, cultural practices, kinship, belief systems and any other issues that distinguish diversity within Australian Indigenous societies. You can answer this question by focusing on one characteristic or cultural dialogue, for example the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts.

Question 2: Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights: Choose one or two case studies and describe what happened that went against Intellectual Property Rights, and just as significantly spiritual beliefs or economic opportunity. Your answer can discuss solutions such as Copyright, and any other measures that resolve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ideas being protected.

Question 3: United Nations: What kind of protections are there for Indigenous Australians as characterized in treaties and declarations in the United Nations. In what ways are these important for establishing rights and positive results? You can use court cases, the United Nations website, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Social Justice Commissioner papers etc.

Question 4: Australian Policies: What kind of policies have worked against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?  Examine two states in detail and critique their policies of segregation and exclusion. You can continue by looking at policies regarding Assimilation, as well.

Question 5: Aboriginal Day of Mourning: What was the Aboriginal Day of Mourning? Why is the Aboriginal Day of Mourning so important in terms of the history of activism and the call for citizenship? Your answer can incorporate an overview of activism from an Aboriginal context, and can highlight significant milestones in gaining traction. Your study can include up to 1967.

Question 6: How have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people been stereotyped, and misrepresented not only in the media, but in ordinary Australian society? How have the effects of this kind of view of caused the “Pathologizing” of Indigenous Australians, so that in many social indicators they remain on the backfoot? You can use newspaper articles, internet resources and contemporary media to help answer this question. However it is expected that at least half your references come from academic articles and texts.

Question 7: The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody: Reconstruct the narrative of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and describe and analyze the findings.  Have things improved?

Question 8: Mabo: Why was the Mabo decision so important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. Your answer should include a short biography of Eddie Mabo as well a critique of Mabo v Queensland (No.2)

Question 9: What is Reconciliation in an Indigenous Australian context? Explain Reconciliation in terms of its history, and its outcomes to date. You can include aspects of Reconciliation such as Reconciliation Action Plans, and government initiatives, such as the National Apology.

Question 9: negotiate your own question.