§-Aboriginal Studies syllabus
NSW · NESA← Aboriginal Studies
Aboriginal Studies syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the NSW Aboriginal Studies syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Core Part 1: Aboriginality and the Land
Module overview →How did colonisation dispossess and dislocate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from Country, and what were the consequences for law, culture and survival?
Analyse the processes of dispossession and dislocation that followed British colonisation and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Country
How did government policy towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples change from protection to self-determination, and who held the power to decide in each era?
Analyse the changing government policies of protection, assimilation, integration, self-determination and reconciliation and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
What is reconciliation, how has it unfolded in Australia, and does symbolic reconciliation deliver substantive justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Evaluate the reconciliation process in Australia, including symbolic and substantive reconciliation, and its contribution to social justice
How did the Mabo decision overturn terra nullius, and what did the recognition of native title actually change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Evaluate the significance of the Mabo decision in overturning terra nullius and establishing native title in Australian law
What is the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the land, and why is Country central to law, identity and the Dreaming?
Examine the spiritual, cultural and economic relationship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with the land and how the Dreaming connects people to Country
What were the broad social, cultural, economic and political impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how do they continue today?
Evaluate the ongoing social, cultural, economic and political impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Part 2: Comparative Study
Module overview →How do an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community experience their relationship to land, dispossession and the struggle to recover Country?
Compare the experiences of an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community in relation to Aboriginality and the Land
How do an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community experience criminal justice systems, and how do they respond?
Compare the criminal justice experiences and community-led responses of an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community
How do an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community experience and respond to health as a social justice issue?
Compare the health experiences and self-determination strategies of an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community
How do you design a valid comparative study of an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community across two social justice topics?
Plan and structure the comparative study by selecting an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community and comparing them across two social justice topics
What is the global perspective on Indigenous rights, and how does it frame the comparison between an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community?
Examine the global perspective on Indigenous peoples and rights and apply it to frame the comparative study of two communities
Core Part 2: Heritage and Identity
Module overview →What does Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity mean today, and why is it diverse, dynamic and self-defined rather than fixed?
Examine the diverse and dynamic nature of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities and how identity is defined and asserted
How do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples express and maintain heritage and identity through art, music, dance, story and the media?
Examine cultural expression through art, music, dance, story, film and media as a means of maintaining and renewing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and identity
How do kinship systems organise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies, and why are they central to heritage and identity?
Examine the role of kinship systems and family structures in organising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies and shaping identity
Why are language and cultural maintenance central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity, and how are communities reviving what colonisation tried to erase?
Evaluate the role of language revival and cultural maintenance in strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and identity
How have racism, prejudice and stereotyping affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how have communities challenged them?
Analyse the nature and impact of racism, prejudice and stereotyping on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the ways communities have challenged them
How does the Dreaming shape Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality and identity, and how is it expressed and maintained today?
Analyse the relationship between the Dreaming, spirituality and identity, and how it is expressed and maintained by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Part 3: Research and Inquiry Methods - The Major Project
Module overview →How do ethical protocols, Indigenous data sovereignty and clear presentation shape a successful Aboriginal Studies Major Project?
Apply ethical research protocols and Indigenous data sovereignty, then analyse, structure and present the Major Project findings
How do you plan and conduct an Aboriginal Studies Major Project using ethical, community-centred research and inquiry methods?
Plan the Major Project by selecting a focus, framing inquiry questions, and applying appropriate research and inquiry methods
What is the local community case study, and how do you research a specific Aboriginal community or organisation ethically and in depth?
Conduct a local community case study as part of the Major Project, applying research and inquiry methods ethically and with community consultation
Part 1: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues
Module overview →How have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples pursued land rights and native title, and how far have these struggles delivered social justice?
Analyse the struggle for land rights and native title as a social justice and human rights issue, using key legal and political developments
What do self-determination and autonomy mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and why are they the organising idea of the whole course?
Define self-determination and autonomy and explain their place within social justice and human rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
How did the forced removal of Aboriginal children breach human rights, and how have truth-telling and redress responded to the Stolen Generations?
Evaluate the removal policies that created the Stolen Generations and the response of the Bringing Them Home report as a human rights issue
How have campaigns for constitutional recognition, from the 1967 referendum to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, advanced self-determination?
Assess campaigns for constitutional recognition and political reform, from the 1967 referendum to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the 2023 Voice referendum
What do social justice and human rights mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how are these concepts applied to lived experience?
Define and apply the concepts of social justice and human rights to the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia and internationally