What is ‘racial science’
Racial science is a form of scientific racism in an attempt to cooperate the jurisdiction of science to justify prejudice.
Race is a product of culture and imagination, it drives a lot of social and political outcomes although has no scientific bases or justification. People are segregated with superiority with the intent to create a uniformity throughout racial categorisation despite forms of identity being based on cultural characteristics, geographic location, life experiences, hobbies or chosen affiliations.
The main goal of scientific racism was to categorise one group as less human then another group, this includes intelligence and personality.
Within the 18th and 19th century the scientific and industrial revolutions created a shift in the cultural environment in the western world, simultaneously the Atlantic slave trade, the poliferation of European imperialism and indigenous genocide in America amplified racious discourse. Racial science allows for “scientific” justification for racial exploitation.
Background history of racial science
During the initial British invasion and colonisation in 1788 to 1890 Indigenous populations suffered massacres. Murders, poisonings and a wide spread of European disease was imposed on the First Nations people during this time. The Indigenous people were disposed and dislocated from their own traditions, culture, families and identity during the colonisation and colonialism. Policies including segregation enforced racist narratives and used to cause harm to the Indigenous people. They were referred to as ‘uncivilised’, ‘savage’ and ‘inferior. Racial science supported the necessity of groupings to segregate the whites from blacks to structure a belief of one group being inherently superior and the other being inherently inferior.
Today there is a large confusion of what is and what is not considered unconscious, bias and racist, to give a better idea on these categories here is a structured format on the operations of racism.
In the reading ‘Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on Indigenous people’ the author states and outlines the 4 processes of racism being 1.Categorisation involves differences in physical features and appearance. Eg facial structure, build, skin, eye and hair colour etc. 2. Stereotyping occurs when individuals are assigned cultural characteristics based on their genetic background. Eg the perception is that aboriginal people are not hard workers due to their genetics. Therefor aboriginal people cannot handle hard work. 3. Evaluation assigns these stereotypes a group as a whole, which gives rise to misconceptions such as ‘Aboriginal people are poor employment prospects’. 4. Behaviour sees these beliefs discriminate against members of the group. Government policies have focused on the racial background of aboriginal individuals
Influences on institutions
In many ways racial science has immensely influenced institutions and systems which structure Australian society. Factors that have been affected due to this include the absence of Indigenous people within the workforce, a preconceived idea and opinion from health professionals and inadequate self awareness surrounding cultural competence.
Indigenous people express an absence of cultural safety in hospitals, experiences of isolation and loneliness, mistrust in the health system and association of hospitals with death as a key reason for an under-representation of Indigenous people in the medical workforce. Only 1.3 percent of nursing and midwifery professionals are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, this is much less than the 3.8 percent of the nation's overall population of First Nations people.
With the preconceived opinions from health professionals towards Indigenous people create a lack of understanding and deterring approach to treatments and prescriptions. A great example of this is culturally unsafe care Naomi Williams was provided with at the Tumut Hospital. In January, 2016 Wiradjuri woman, Naomi Williams who was 6 months pregnant died of septicemia after making 20 visits in the previous 7 months due to feeling unwell. On her last visit to the hospital, despite being in immense pain was sent home with two panadols and no examination from a doctor which resulted in her death in just 15 hours post hospital visit. Naomi’s death was a result of implicit bias, lack of Indigenous representation and consideration and an unjustified lack of care. She felt very unheard, discriminated against and stereotyped. She was also referred to mental health services and drug and alcohol services although she and her family were determined she never had a drug and alcohol problem.
The last factor to be addressed is the inadequate self awareness surrounding cultural competence not just in a professional setting but in personal settings also. Cultural humility involves an ongoing process of self-evaluation through exploring and reflecting on their own beliefs and behaviours. Healthcare professionals in particular need to improve their awareness of implicit biases and obtain an approach to their patients characterised with cultural competence, respect and consideration of cultural differences and an open viewpoint.
All of these factors have played a immense influence on the institutions and systems which structure Australian society.
Stolen Generation Timeline
To give greater knowledge on past events here is a timeline supplied by ‘Track the history timeline: The stolen generation’
1770: James Cook claims possession of whole east coast of Australia
1788: First fleet lands in Port Jackson, British settlement in Australia begins. Clashes between Aboriginal people and settlers are reported over the following 10 years.
1830: Tasmanian Aboriginal people are resettled on Flinders Island without success, later the community is moved to Cape Barren Island.
1837: British Select Committee examines the treatment of Indigenous people in all British colonies and recommends that 'Protectors of Aborigines' be appointed in Australia.
1897: The Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act (Qld) allows the Chief Protector to remove local Aboriginal people onto and between reserves and hold children in dormitories. Until 1965 the Director of Native Welfare is the legal guardian of all 'aboriginal' children whether their parents are living or not.
1901: Australia becomes a Federation. The Constitution states that Aboriginal People will not be counted in the census, and that the Commonwealth has the power to make laws relating to any race of people In Australia with the exception of Aborigines. The federated states therefore retain exclusive power over Aboriginal affairs until the Constitution is amended in 1967.
1905: The Aborigines Act (WA) is passed. Under this law, the Chief Protector is made the legal guardian of every Aboriginal and 'half-caste' child under 16 years old. In the following years, other states and territories enact similar laws.
1915: The Aborigines Protection Amending Act (NSW) gives power to the Aboriginal Protection Board to separate Indigenous children from their families without having to establish in court that they were neglected.
1937: The first Commonwealth/State conference on 'native welfare' adopts assimilation as the national policy: "The destiny of the natives of aboriginal origin, but not of the full blood, lies in ultimate absorption … with a view to their taking their place in the white community on an equal footing with the whites."
1938: Australian Aborigines Conference held in Sydney. Meeting on January 26, the 150th Anniversary of NSW, Aborigines mark the 'Day of Mourning'.
1940: The NSW Aborigines Protection Board loses its power to remove Indigenous children. The Board is renamed the Aborigines Welfare Board and is finally abolished in 1969.
1949: The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is ratified by Australia. It comes into force in 1951.
1967: A national referendum is held to amend the Constitution. Australians confer power on the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people. Aborigines are included in the census for the first time.
1969: All states had repealed the legislation allowing for the removal of Aboriginal children under the policy of ‘protection’. In the following years, Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies (“AICCAs”) are set up to contest removal applications and provide alternatives to the removal of Indigenous children from their families.
1971: By 1969, all states had repealed the legislation allowing for the removal of Aboriginal children under the policy of ‘protection’. In the following years, Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies (“AICCAs”) are set up to contest removal applications and provide alternatives to the removal of Indigenous children from their families.
1987: Northern Territory elections are held and for the first time voting is compulsory for Aboriginal people.
1994: The Going Home Conference in Darwin brings together over 600 Aboriginal people removed as children to discuss common goals of access to archives, compensation, rights to land and social justice.