Cultural Studies: Comparative at A.T.E.C.
Abstract
The following Cultural Studies program has been working at A.T.E.C., Batchelor, for two years. The initial fears (how are you going to teach Aboriginals about their own culture? etc.) have been laid to rest and the course entered its second year in a very strong position with a lot of support coming from students.
The structural components of the course come from three areas: Paulo Friere’s Education for Critical Consciousness, Beattie’s Other Cultures, and documentation from the East West Centre, Hawaii, on Cross Cultural Orientation Techniques.
The course runs for four years and is based on a spiral concept with eight subjects discussed each year: law, politics, leadership, economics, kinship, family, language, religion.
References
Freire P. : Education for Critical Consciousness. Sheed and Ward , London, 1973.
Trifonovitch G.J. : On cross-cultural orientation techniques. Topics in Cultural Learning. East West Centre, Honolulu, 1973.
Beattie J. : Other Cultures. Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd . Broadway House, London, 1964.
Permission to publish from students’ work received from: Jabarula J., Ngalingali Elaine , Jabarula Peter , Yarmirr Jessie , Winunguj Milark , Rosas Madge (all A.T.E.C. students, 1978).
