Questioning Management Paradigms that Deal with Aboriginal Development Programs in Australia

Abstract

Australian Aborigines' reaction to the disintegration of their traditional culture following western conquest has been marked by a variety of outcomes. While some Aborigines have either accepted or reached a level of accommodation to western ways, others have responded in maladaptive ways. It is the problems of, and policy responses to, dysfunctional Aboriginal groups that are the concern of this paper. We demonstrate that existing programs of development, while necessary steppingstones, address only the symptoms not the cause of the problem. We show that government policies, to date, have failed to recognise the post-traumatic stress disorder that some Aborigines experience due to western colonization. Government policies that address the symptoms rather than the cause effect the perpetuation of dysfunctional Aboriginal groups. We advocate addressing the psychosocial well-being of these groups as a priority for government programs aimed at reducing the negative indices that characterise those societies.