Lot's Wife Edition 6 2015

38
ARTS & CULTURE
By Anna Zhang
Education:
An answer to the
Goodes saga
The situation with Adam Goodes has provided us with
an opportunity to reflect on our cultural competence as
a nation. Although Australia appears to pride itself on its
multiculturalism, we have found ourselves at odds with
the ideal because of the lack of a rigorous formal cultural
education system.
The response - and more concerning - the even split
between those who view the booing as racist, and those who
view it as part of the game, represent something far more
disturbing; our state of affairs with regards to how we view,
understand, and treat Australia’s first people.
The Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity,
developed by Milton J. Bennett of the Intercultural
Development Research Institute, helps us explain this issue.
According to the scale, our responses to ‘difference’ are
indicative of our cognitive evolution. At the beginning of this
scale is "denial of difference" where individuals view their
culture as the only ‘real’ one. As an individual’s cognitive
abilities develops along the continuum, they move through
the stages of defence, minimisation, acceptance, adaptation,
and finally integration. Once, the individual reaches the stage
of integration, they are able to develop empathy towards
other cultures.
When explained through this model, the curious element
of a fairly even split between those who view the booing as
racist, and those who view it as part of the game, becomes
less than curious. In fact, it indicates that the majority of
participants in the debate speak from a place of "denial",
"defence" or "minimisation". This suggests that as a nation,
we are still in the first three stages of cultural evolution.
Therefore, it is an almost fruitless endeavour to find
common ground on an issue of culture and race, especially
as the majority of our population think from a place of
cultural illiteracy.
However, the identification of this issue provides us with
an opportunity to tailor our education system to facilitate
cultural competence.
We could begin by looking to our neighbours for guidance.
Although New Zealand’s system is far from perfect and has
a long way to go with redressing the inequalities of the past
and present, we can still learn a thing or two.
Where New Zealand have succeeded is engaging in a
rigorous formal cultural education from the time children
begin school, what struck me the most when I arrived in
Australia was the silence in everyday vernacular with regards
to culture. It wasn’t that people were unwilling to discuss the
issue of their missing history, but the fact that people were
unaware of their missing history. The ignorance and genuine
lack of care for Australia’s first people comes from a place of
not knowing.
By addressing this gap in our cultural education, we will be
better equip to respond to cultural differences and move to a
place of respect and empathy. So that when we find ourselves
in the rapture and craze that is Australian football, and our
fellow neighbour decides to express his cultural identity, we
are able to respond to him with admiration, respect and a
curiosity to learn.
Sports, and in particular, Australian Football has
historically been a vehicle that inspires social change. Think
of the day in 1993 when Nicky Winmar drew the line against
racism. He had the courage to not only stand up against the
racial abuse that was directed at him, but symbolically, he
also challenged the injustices that his people have been
subjected to for generations. In response, the AFL instigated
the Racial and Religious Vilification Act in 1995. It was the
first of its kind in Australian sports, but more importantly,
years later, the Victorian government followed suit and in
2001 implemented the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.
So here we find ourselves a decade later in 2015 where
sports has been used as a platform to discuss social
change. Adam Goodes has provided us with an opportunity
to truly reflect on the foundation on which our country is
built – injustice and silence. Will we take this opportunity to
reconcile with Australia’s first people, the oldest continuing
culture on the planet? Do this, and we may find that our
country’s culture will become richer for it.
Would we continue booing if we truly understood the
continuing racism and disadvantage experienced by
Aboriginal Australians? Would we continue booing if we knew
of our dark and uncomfortable past?
As the late Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most
powerful tool which you can use to change the world."
I am hoping that we have the humility to see our
misgivings, the courage to stand for what’s right and the
vision to create a future based on values of justice, empathy
and community.