"Embedding Indigenous Content and Perspectives Across the Justice Studies Curriculum: Developing A Cooperative Integrated Strategy"

Transcription

1 "Embedding Indigenus Cntent and Perspectives Acrss the Justice Studies Curriculum: Develping A Cperative Integrated Strategy" Dr Belinda Carpenter, Rachael Field, Michael Barnes Abstract: The Schl f Justice Studies in the Faculty f Law, QUT is currently invlved in a challenging prject t embed Indigenus cntent and perspectives acrss its curriculum. The challenge is accentuated in that the Schl currently has n Australian Indigenus fulltime teaching staff. This paper discusses the cperative integrated strategy being develped in the Schl t facilitate the teaching f Indigenus cntent and perspective by nn-indigenus academics. The first element f the strategy fcuses n curriculum cntent and invlves cperative curriculum develpment with Indigenus peple with experience and expertise in justice related areas. The secnd element f the strategy fcuses n perspective. This invlves recgnitin f the cultural cnstructin f whiteness in ur curriculum and teaching practice. As nn-indigenus academics ur bjective is t explre cnstructins f whiteness t facilitate (ur wn and) student understandings f race and its effects. This understanding will cntribute t an understanding f Indigenus perspective in relatin t issues in the Justice Studies curriculum. Faculty Cntext. The Faculty f Law received funding fr a Large Teaching and Learning Grant fr entitled "Assuring Quality in the Assessment f Scial, Relatinal and Cultural Generic Capabilities in the Faculty f Law". During the prcess f wrking n a previus grant abut embedding integrated and incremental generic capability develpment a number f issues arse cncerning the validity and reliability f traditinal assessment methds, and their transferability t, the new imperatives f assessing authentic learning tasks. Added t these cncerns were issues such as quality assurance imperatives such as the creatin f the Australian Universities' Quality Agency and the cnsequential prmtin f prcesses t mnitr assessment practices. The Faculty identified fur areas f generic capability develpment (Grant prject areas) that have prved extremely challenging in terms f develping valid and reliable assessment practices. These were: i. the embedding f Indigenus cntent and perspectives; ii. the develpment f ral cmmunicatin (with particular emphasis n negtiatin, advcacy and interviewing fr externally enrlled students); iii. the infusin f ethical values and knwledge; iv. teamwrk in large classes where students are enrlled externally and internally. Our cntributin t the wrk f the Grant is fcussed n develping assessment practices related t the embedding f Indigenus cntent and perspectives. Befre we can fcus n assessment practices hwever, we have had t wrk n the antecedent issues f ensuring that Indigenus cntent and perspective is embedded in the Justice Studies curriculum. The wrk that is achieved in Justice Studies will

2 QUT cntext Backgrund then prvide a transferable mdel prcess fr embedding Indigenus cntent and perspectives in units acrss the Faculty in rder t achieve Faculty-wide change and develpment n this issue. The Faculty's Grant was received in a cntext f high institutinal supprt fr the embedding f Indigenus cntent and perspectives acrss the curricula available at QUT. Central t this institutinal supprt is QUT's Recnciliatin Statement which includes a cmmitment, thrugh cnsultatin with Indigenus peple, t teaching and learning strategies which incrprate apprpriate indigenus cntent and perspectives. Currently three ther Faculties are als wrking n related prjects and we have frmed a grup wrking party that meets regularly t share infrmatin, ideas, and strategies. Our cntributin t the institutinal develpment f this issue is unique, hwever, in that we are aiming t embed Indigenus cntent and perspective acrss the curriculum. The Faculty f Educatin n the ther hand is creating a cre faculty unit and Creative Industries are identifying key units as well as a cherent set f units in Indigenus Studies. Mrever, in embedding Indigenus perspectives int the curriculum as a whle, we can explre the ntlgical and epistemlgical basis f relatinships that underpin ur understandings f race, and hpefully mve t a higher rder analysis f these issues in the law and justice envirnments. The Law Faculty grant is fcused n the develpment f valid, reliable and transferable assessment methds in fur areas f prfessinal cmpetency identified as challenging t assess: Indigenus cntent and perspectives; ral cmmunicatin; ethical values and knwledge; and teamwrk. T meet this gal, ur Schl has had t identify: Relevant and apprpriate Indigenus cntent A prcess fr embedding an Indigenus perspective Valid, reliable and transferable assessment methds Prcess Our cntributin t the institutinal develpment f this issue is unique as we are aiming t embed Indigenus cntent and perspectives acrss the curriculum. The challenge t embed cntent and perspectives acrss the curriculum is accentuated by the fact that the Schl currently has n Australian Indigenus full-time teaching staff. In rder t manage the task at hand tw issues have been priritised: The develpment f an Indigenus perspective thrugh the cultural cnstructin f whiteness Cnsultatin with Indigenus peple with regard t cntemprary and relevant cntent

3 Cultural Cnstructin f Whiteness A pre-requisite t nn-indigenus academics being able t embed Indigenus perspectives in the curriculum is t explre their wn racial psitin thrugh an understanding f the cultural cnstructin f whiteness. This bdy f knwledge ffers bth practical and theretical pprtunities t explre whiteness as a race and clur. It als enables us t identify the cultural cnstructin f whiteness in ur cntent, perspectives and teaching strategies. A cultural cnstructin f whiteness includes, but is nt limited t an understanding f: the universality f whiteness and the unacknwledged raced psitin frm which white peple view the wrld as well as the effects f such claims t universality the invisibility f whiteness as a race r clur the inherent privilege that cmes with whiteness, and that whiteness clurs privilege (and the differences within white privilege alng class and gender lines) the ways in which blackness is part f the cnstructin f whiteness white/black, gd/bad, nrm/ther the "Western-ness" f whiteness In Justice Studies we believe this can be dne irrespective f the cntent being taught and that it is central t the capacity f nn-indigenus teachers t bth recgnise the whiteness in their curriculum and teaching strategies and t embed an Indigenus perspective. Fr this reasn the cultural cnstructin f whiteness will be trialled initially in 4 units in the first year cre units - 2 law/gvernment and 2 scilgy/criminlgy. Discussins arund the cultural cnstructin f whiteness can lead t: engaging in the inherent justice f universal terms like human rights, ethics, and the law and their unacknwledged subject psitin. challenging nrmative rules f behaviur as bjective as ppsed t culturally specific (parenting, husing etc). examining the neutrality f language (that black kids can be as racist as white plice - nt supprted by a systematic idelgy f dminatin inherent in whiteness). examining the exercise f discretin acrss the investigative, adjudicative and crrective arms f the criminal justice system. In all f these situatins there is bth a persnal/theretical and a practical pint t be gleaned - based n the awareness f all student's vcatinal rientatin and the imprtance f linking these ideas t graduate capabilities. Cnsultatin with Indigenus peple The imprtance f cnsultatin is central t an apprach t cntent which mves beynd prblematising Indigenus peple. Mre specifically, access t the utcmes f structural inequality via academic and ther written surces necessitates an engagement with Indigenus prblems, and psitins Indigenus peple as passive victims f clnialism, capitalism, racism. In cntrast, engaging Indigenus peple in the cnstructin f the cntent f a curriculum creates a cntent based n actin, survival and empwerment. It als makes it mre relevant, and thus mre challenging and nn-steretypical.

4 Cnsultatin als ffers a capacity t explre analyses f Indigenus perspectives frm bth White and Black psitins. Mre specifically, the white cncept f an Indigenus perspective is a macr cncept and this carries with it dangers f essentialising and hmgenising Indigenus experiences. An Indigenus cncept f an Indigenus perspective is a mre micr r persnal/subjective ne based n the individual's experience. In practical terms this means highlighting the ways in which cmmunities are dealing with issues and prblems in new and innvative ways as ppsed t histrical accunts which fcus nly n past victimisatin, inequality and dminatin. It als means that imprtant and real issues fr Indigenus peple are discussed. Fr example: Murri Curts, ATSIWLS, Family and cmmunity breakdwn, vilence, Alchlism and substance abuse, suicide Living acrss 2 cultures Assessment The assessment framewrk guides the relatinship between chice f cntent, curriculum design and pedaggical appraches and will wrk at three levels: knwledge f cntent, understanding f perspective and applicatin thrugh prfessinal examples. Despite a cmmnsense understanding that applicatin shuld be left till 2 nd and 3 rd year, in Justice Studies all three will prceed at all stages f the degree. Such an apprach: increases the relevance f the issues decreases the bredm f an emphasis n cntent and understanding enhances an bligatin t the prfessin by the staff and the students. wrks n real life examples which pen the dr t psitive mdelling and cncrete learning experiences Outcmes Assessment items which ther faculties and universities have trialled t successfully measure the cultural cnstructin f whiteness include: nging reflective exercises n persnal subjectivities prtfli's f evidence frm the media, persnal experience stries f identity frm self and thers case studies which identify prblems and strategies/slutins Such appraches enable the assessment f an Indigenus perspective as a graduate attribute in an academically rigrus manner because f the higher rder analysis that is implicit in the reflectins f perspectives and jurneys. In Justice Studies this apprach will be used in a cnsistent manner acrss the first year cre curses t ensure the perspective is embedded. 1. A psitive impact n student learning utcmes fr bth Indigenus and nn- Indigenus students:

5 With regard t nn-indigenus students, the prject aims t increase their wn prfessinal cmpetency in law and justice areas thrugh a greater understanding f Indigenus and crss cultural perspectives n scial and criminal justice. With regard t Indigenus students, the embedding f Indigenus cntent and perspectives will ffer a mre inclusive curriculum that aims t increase their engagement with the curriculum and create a mre meaningful learning envirnment 1. Emplyment f Indigenus peple in bth full time and part time/casual psitins within the Schl as well as specifically fr this prject in terms f curriculum design, pedaggical appraches and issues f cntent and perspective. 2. Staff develpment in terms f a cmmitment t scial justice fr indigenus Australians and t indigenising the curriculum f Justice Studies 3. The creatin f an assessment framewrk thrugh the develpment f apprpriate cntent and the engagement with an Indigenus perspective that can be used as a mdel fr the Faculty f Law.