Customary Law and the Status of Indigenous Australians Essay

It is important to always show respect towards the indigenous, acknowledge their laws, their practices and their customs further paying respects to the original custodians of the land. This however does not mean that recognition of aboriginal customary law is essential to improving the status (social position) of indigenous Australians; on the contrary it poses more problems than solutions. Although law is seen as the fabric of existence and intrinsic to living, it is impossible to judge one legal system in terms of another. As such, while there are many positive aspects of aboriginal customary law, which is merely just different and in no means (worse) or (better) than English common law, its enforcement is not essential to improving the†¦show more content†¦Moreover, the ability to determine which laws are in affect with which Indigenous and non-indigenous Australian’s becomes limited and the issue falls to public disapproval. Due to the unwritten nature of aborigi nal customary law confusion would arise as to who must/can abide by certain customary laws and punishments for those who disobey. An injustice would then occur when distinguishing which indigenous Australian’s receive the blanket of customary law and whether or not it extends to half casts and if so, to whom does it extend. This general confusion would create not only laws that are un-easy to follow but would also create many general misinterpretations of the law and could lead to further racism attitudes. Said racism attitudes would ignite when scrutiny over punishments and who receives them arises while people strive for equality and argue over the degree of fairness received. This scrutiny not only hinders the status of indigenous Australian’s rather than improving it, but can also lead to future hostilities and class/status debates again creating the possibility of a negative impact. There are various other remedies that could be implemented in order to improve the status of Indigenous Australia’s especially with the flexible common law structure, some of which have already beenShow MoreRelatedIndigenous Australians1522 Words   |  7 PagesAustralian aboriginals are a group of people who are deemed to be the indigenous occupants of Australia. The Australian High Court appreciated them to share a common as well as biological ancestry as Australias original occupants (de Plevitz, Croft, 2003). There has however been a lot of ignorance with reference to this group of people more so from the Australians. This has mostly been due to ignorance of these people with most arguments and opinions based on myths (Morphy, Morphy, 1984, p.459-478)Read MoreThe Effectiveness of the Law in Achieving Justice for Indigenous People3090 Words   |  13 PagesThe Effectiveness of the Law in Achieving Justice for Indigenous People In relation to Australia, the term ‘Indigenous peoples’ refers to two distinct cultures of people who inhabited the land prior to European settlement – The Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islanders. This population declined dramatically over the 19th and early 20th century due to the introduction of new diseases from European settlement, Government policies of dispersal and dispossession, the eraRead MoreHuman Rights And The Rights1857 Words   |  8 Pagesseries of basic rights afforded to all human beings and officially adopted by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), created in 1948. As human rights are soft law and are indoctrinated through international customary law, they are not enforceable, and rely on nation states to consent to enforce these rights under domestic law. Many human rights in Australia have been made into legislation under Australian Parliamentary Democracy and are protected by institutions such as the Australian Human

Racism, Feminism, And Sexism - 1450 Words

We ve all heard it and seen it before, the many opinions and large voices that speak out on important matters. But, do we ever consider the true meaning on these important matters, or do we tend to listen to everyone else s thoughts to form our own? Racism, feminism and sexism are all three very common issues that many seen throughout the news stations and the media. We all talk about how important making a change and standing up for what is right, but no one speaks up or says anything when a topic like these three are becoming more relevant, that is until recently. The world is always evolving and within the past few months we have been able to witness the words and actions of those around us increase. The amounts of stories, riots, and†¦show more content†¦My husband and I met over five years ago when he arrived at West Virginia University as a transfer student from the Middle East. Like I stated, we have been together for five years and still to this day, the amount of lo oks and comments we receive is unbelievable. My own grandfather, who is a pastor, talks about my relationship and puts thoughts into my family s mind on how my husband will treat me with no respect and force me to become something I am not. My Grandfather has never met my husband before, but continues to share these rumors in hopes that I will decide leave him. Another example would be when I am out and I have to give my name and my husband s name, I always get the response, Yeah, I can see why you didn t take his last name. Individuals assume that I did not take my husband s last name because of the length and the unfamiliar sound of it, but it is actually a part of his culture for women to keep their own last name. I had thought we lived in a day in age where all types of races became accepted, but I was very wrong. My husband treats me better than anyone in this world has and to think that people would judge him based on his skin color and for his religious beliefs is ridiculous . Racism is very much still around and having experienced it myself, it can make anyone feel degraded and less of a human being. I will always fight for equal race and I hope one day weShow MoreRelatedBlack Feminist1005 Words   |  5 PagesPress). Black feminism argues that sexism, social class oppression, and racism are inseparably bound together (Collins). The feminist movement has been around since the 1880s when the word â€Å"Feminism† appeared in the French language (Collins). The word found traction in Britain in the 1890s, and the United States in 1910, feminism sought to influence popular culture by its very presence and by its persistent demands to be recognized as the official voice of all women (â€Å"What is Feminism†). Although theRead MoreAnalysis Of Bell Hooks And Frantz Fanon1401 Words   |  6 PagesBoth philosophers, bell hooks and Frantz Fanon, address the problem of equality. In Feminism is for Everybody, hooks defines feminism as a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. Hooks begins by stating feminism is for everybody (2000) and that it is an attempt to end sexism though reform feminism. In â€Å"Racism and Culture,† Fanon investigates whether ending racism is due to cultural relativity. In the book by Gloria Anzaldua Borderlands/La Frontera, she describes the personalRead MoreBlack Women And Feminism By Bell Hooks Ain t I A Woman1717 Words   |  7 Pagesoppressed since they first arrived to the American colonies. Bell Hooks’ Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism traces the steps of slavery to the feminist movements in the 1970s. Written from a black feminist perspective, the book examines the impact of sexism during slavery, the devaluation of black womanhood, the imperialism of patriarchy, racism and feminism, and black women and feminism. Hooks attempts to move beyond racist and sexist assumptions regarding black women and to further the dialogueRead MoreI Am a Woman, Too: Feminism to the Black Woman966 Words   |  4 Pagesendure years of sexism and struggle to get to where we are today. The struggle was even more difficult for women of color because not only were they dealing with issues of sexism, but also racism. Many movements have helped black women during the past centuries to overcome sexism, racism, and adversities that were set against them. History tells us that movements such as the Feminist Movement helped empower all women, but this fact is not totally true. In this paper, I will discuss feminism, the movementsRead MoreI Am A Woman,Too: Feminism To The Black Woman Essay examples941 Words   |  4 Pagesendure years of sexism and struggle to get to where we are today. The struggle was even more difficult for women of color because not only were they dealing with issues of sexism, but also racism. Many movements have helped black women during the past centuries to overcome sexism, racism, and adversities that were set against them. History tells us that movements such as the Feminist Movement helped empower all women, but this fact is not totally true. In this paper, I will discuss feminism, the movementsRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Bell Hooks 1077 Words   |  5 Pagesthis, one of which is rhetorical devices. Bell hooks, the author of Feminism is for Everybody, writes to persuade the reader to her own cause: feminism. She uses rhetorical devices, which can be used to persuade—or dissuade—readers in comparison to the writer’s own point of view. Division is a strategy which is used to convey the meaning of a word or a phrase to the reader. Hooks uses this well, splitting her own definition of feminism into three, much simpler, phrases—for the mathematicians in the worldRead MoreCritically Examine How Black Feminism Emerged And Assess1229 Words   |  5 PagesBlack feminism emerged and assess its impact on contemporary feminist theory. Answer with reference to intersectionality and ‘difference . feminism means the equality between men and women in social, political and social standing. There are many different types of feminism that women have adopted that they best feel aligns with their perspectives of the world. This essay will mainly be focusing black feminism that was developed in the 1960s. The essay will examine why the black feminism movementRead MoreRacism And Racism Essay986 Words   |  4 Pagessimilarities between sexism and racism. Sexism occurs when a person’s gender or sex is used as the basis for discriminating. Females are more susceptible to sexism although males are also susceptible. Sexual harassment and rape are examples of extreme cases of sexism. Racism occurs when people of a particular race or ethnicity are discriminated against or made to feel inferior. The primary outcome of the paper after comparison is to determine most dehumanizing act between racism and sexism. The first similarityRead MoreFeminism Is for Everybody1388 Words   |  6 Pageshooks, bell. ed., Feminism Is For Everybody Passionate Politics (South End Press, 7 Brookline Street, #1, Cambridge, MA 02139). Feminism is for everybody is a political book that addresses the ideas of womens rights as a whole entire gender as well as individually. The book also ties the Civil Rights Movement as a catalyst for a feminist movement. The book is mainly written chronologically which shows the progression in thinking of the world. She writes about when she first saw and experiencedRead MoreOutline and Asses the Feminist Explanations of Gender Inequalities897 Words   |  4 Pagesoptimistic. She has said that not all women take on caring roles because of their socialisation. They may react against their socialisation, or pursue a career. Secondly, liberal feminism has been criticised because it tends to assume that all women accept their gender identities in a passive way. Liberal feminism also does not take race or class into consideration. Marxist feminists believe womens subordination is down to the influence of capitalism. Women are seen as a reserve army of labour

Peer Pressure Is One Thing That All Teens Have in Common Free Essays

Young people often feel pressed when they are included in a group. Some argue that young people under pressure gain more benefits than, for instance,others who do not have such pressure. In my opinion, young people should withstand that pressure because it is essential. We will write a custom essay sample on Peer Pressure Is One Thing That All Teens Have in Common or any similar topic only for you Order Now Peer group pressure has several advantages for young people. Firstly, it encourages young people to learn from others. For instance, students who enrolled in the same course in college may probably compete with each other. Some students who have poor-academic performance might feel stressful, and therefore they tend to catch up with others or communicate with each other. Secondly, young people may adjust their behavior in a way that most young people used to do in one group. Young people seek to be included rather then excluded. Pressure from group may persuade young people to study a new skill or an interesting subject. Lastly, as a psychological practice, pressure can make young people grown-up.Pressure can enforce young people to change in a way that their behavior may be more acceptable in society. In consequence, young people taking a good approach to face pressure will have more opportunities to be sucessful in their life. However, pressure is bound to have some harmful effects. Nowadays perhaps, young people in general are not as strong as previous generation of young people, who used to face a variety of pressure. As a result, some young people may feel more upset or disappointed.In addition, they may have the possibiliy that they fail to face pressure , and as a result they may alter their life into a negative side. To sum up, it is clear that Pressure from group has had both positive and negative effects on young people’s behavior. I believe that parents should teach them how to encounter different types of pressure around the life and give them more useful tips , and encourage them to accept more challenges. However, young people should also find a good solution to remove their own negative feelings, such as do more sports and listen music. How to cite Peer Pressure Is One Thing That All Teens Have in Common, Papers