Race and Ethnicity in Australia

Race and Ethnicity

• Historically, race has been associated with biology, while ethnicity is tied to cultural exposures and nationality.
• Both concepts are highly politicized and have been used to exclude and discriminate against certain groups.

Australia's Demographics

• Between 2008 and 2018, the proportion of overseas-born Australians increased from a quarter to nearly a third of the population.
• The top countries of birth for Australians are England, China, New Zealand, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
• Youth and Indigenous Australians are well-represented in the population.

Indigenous Australians

• The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership requires graduate teachers to have knowledge and understanding of Indigenous students and cultures.
• "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures" and "Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia" are Australian Cross-curriculum Priorities.

Key Concepts

• "Othering": a process by which social groups decide who is in and out, leading to racism and ethnic discrimination.
• Ethnocentrism: the assumption that one's own racial or ethnic group is superior to others.
• Prejudice: a hostile attitude towards a person based on their group membership.
• Stereotyping: characterizing someone based on their group membership without regard for individual differences.
• Scapegoating: blaming a group for social problems.
• Discrimination: denying equal treatment based on group membership.

Governance and Race/Ethnicity

• Four myths about race and ethnicity:
  • Myth 1: Humanity is naturally divided into races (debunked: race is a social construct).
  • Myth 2: We no longer discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity (debunked: discrimination persists, often in institutional and cultural forms).
  • Myth 3: Educational outcomes are unaffected by race or ethnicity (debunked: racial and ethnic minorities often face discrimination in education).
  • Myth 4: There is an 'Indigenous Problem' in education (debunked: Indigenous students face systemic barriers, but refugees and others also face challenges).

Resilience and Abuse in Schools

• Australian survey participants born overseas reported being resilient in the face of abuse at school, with 52.3% saying it didn't affect them at all.
• Participants from households where multiple languages were spoken were also more resilient, with 52.2% saying the abuse didn't affect them.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants were less likely to believe their school embraced diverse cultures, even in assessments.

Understanding the differences between race and ethnicity, and their impact on Australian society and education.