Attitudes and social conditions : essays

Abstract

For his study of Western Australian attitudes towards Aborigines Dr Taft chose three samples: in Perth, where there arc few Aborigines; in a large country town with a reputation for bad relations between Europeans and Aborigines; and in a small country town where relations were good. He analyses these attitudes with respect to several variables and finds that the most important influences on the relationships are the effects of community norms. Some interesting aspects of European attitudes to one another also emerge. Dr Dawson's study is part of a larger research program concerned with the effects of rapid biological and social change. He examines in detail the attitudes of two groups of Aborigines, one living in metropolitan Sydney and one in a rural settlement on the South Coast of New South Wales. The effects of the different environments arc clearly shown in the attitudes of the two groups towards education and integration. After a preliminary survey of the Redfern-Chippendale area, Mrs Beasley extended her research over the whole of Sydney, as she moved around the city getting to know Aboriginal families in their own homes. She examines in detail the nature of these households - where the members come from, what their living conditions are like, what kind of schooling they have had, and what jobs they hold. The three studies will be of interest to all those concerned with European-Aboriginal relations.