 |
| Image 1 |
Lateral violence is effective in keeping the powerless subjugated. Successive governments, their policies and
the lack of appropriate funding produce communities that are debilitated and
unable to function. Community members direct
their circumstantial frustration inward towards others in their community and
to those with less power than themselves.
Communities, real and online, implode, dissolve and lose identity. Looking at power through the lenses of
socialisation and economics, it becomes clear that lateral violence is a result
of transgenerational trauma in Australia’s Indigenous community.
When considering Parson’s argument (as cited by Wilkinson,
2013) that personalities are made through the socialisation process, the frustration of transgenerational trauma is understood. Socialisation through the childhood
experience develops a profound sense of self and endorses accepted modes of
behaviours from within their social or community group. When adult social behaviours are severely contorted
and individuals and communities are traumatised from the successive implementation
of institutional policies that place individuals and communities into states of
powerlessness, the cumulative effects, generationally speaking, are great. Dr Chris Sarra (as cited by Jens Korff, 2013)
observes that the anti-social behaviour of particular Indigenous people is not
a part of their culture; it’s not what being Aboriginal is all about, but it is definitely
the culture of dysfunction.
 |
| Image 2 |
Financial and economic exclusion is evidential in the lack of
affordable products and services available to Indigenous communities. When banking institutions have policies and procedures
that are not inclusive and fundamentally increase the cost of living for those
already on low incomes, financial independence cannot be achieved. Life and Debt [Jamaican Documentary] (2013) illustrates
such economic policies on a developing nation.
In a domestic, regional view for Indigenous communities, financial
illiteracy, ATM fees (charged at 10% of withdrawal amount e.g. $10 for a $100
withdrawal), institutional inexperience of servicing Indigenous communities and not understanding traditional customs and circumstances (lack of
identification for the Stolen Generations) alienate and perpetuate
marginalisation. As Dicken (2007) argues,
it is at this regional level that impacts of the globalising processes are most
felt. Global financial markets impact
regions and communities via bank fees, interest rates and cuts in governmental
funding to essential services facilitating higher levels of distress upon the communities that can result in lateral violence.
 |
| Image 3 |
Lateral violence has been witnessed on ATSI Grapevine. The Deadly Awards acknowledge outstanding
achievements within Indigenous communities and this year’s Lifetime Achievement
award went to Uncle Archie Roach for his work highlighting the Stolen
Generations. There were many voices on
the Grapevine who were appalled that Uncle Archie would accept such an award
from an institution (Commonwealth Government) that implemented the policies
that perpetuated the cultural interruption.
The level of animosity and anger that was levelled at the contributors
of this narrative was extraordinary. Contributors
questioned others’ levels of ‘Aboriginality’; levels of pain incurred through
the Stolen Generations; and ‘how much did you do to help the plight of our
people?’ To try and quantify such is
irrelevant and serves no purpose but only to further disseminate fractured
communities, in this case, an online community. The contributors were turning
on themselves: Lateral violence.
Powerlessness is a condition that institutions inflict upon marginalised
individuals and communities. The transgenerational
impact of ‘ghosts of policies past’ and its potential to insidiously destroy
identity and sense of place is great in both real and online communities.
Reference List
Dicken, P. (2007).
Global Shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world
economy. London: Sage Publications.
Korff, J. (2013).
Aboriginal communities are breaking down. Retrieved from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/aboriginal-communities-are-breaking-down
Wilkinson, R. (2013).
BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place,
Lecture 8: Stuff: Markets and
manufacture. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Image Reference
Image 1
Retrieved from http://www.davidairey.com/banksy-on-advertising/
Image 2
Retrieved from http://www.ufunk.net/en/photoblog/banksy-et-la-politique-excellente-piece-de-street-art/
Image 3
Retrieved from http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/files/2011/08/Yuendumu-alternate-blue-nt-inter-sign.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment