othersociologist.com

Z. Zevallos: For example, we tend to feel like when we’re making choices they’re very intimate, they’re very personalised, but at the same time sociologists are able to show that there are patterns in this behaviour when we’re making decisions, whether it’s something like our finances or our families or our personal health. Z. Zevallos: We’re also looking at some of those bigger influences, like institutions like the media, education, as well as social dynamics like class, race, gender, sexuality, and so on. Z. Zevallos: I guess what we do, minority sociologists, whether ethnic racial minorities, or sexual minorities, gender minorities, we’re really trying to question whose interests are being served by the way in which sociology’s being positioned. Z. Zevallos: In terms of racism, basically a group of people who will always have more power than other groups, even if they as individuals feel like they’re not particularly powerful, and again in a Western country it might be White people.

A study by American sociologist Andrew Knight (2008) finds that amongst people who support the conservation of endangered species, spiders (along with snakes and bats) draw contempt and so people are less likely to care about spider protection due to this negative perception. Many people might think this fear is the outcome of evolution, but that’s not the case when we look at different cultures around the world. This involves a ritual where the oracle interprets a person’s question or problem by reading a spider’s movements around specially placed cards and objects. These spider totems provide a link with neighbouring clans who also use spider totems in their rituals.’ Artist Harry Tjutjuna, who paints at the Ninuku Arts Centre in northern South Australia,  is famed for his breathtaking Wanka (Spider) artwork.

This day will never be inclusive or live up to ideals of multiculturalism, as it is a Day of Mourning for First Nations people. We want a change in the system.’ David Dungay’s mother shares the massive difficulties the family faces in fighting for systemic reform in police, Corrections and justice. ‘ We hear that, from a First Nations perspective, both major government parties have done little or Aboriginal justice, to reduce deaths in custody or support the Stolen Generations. The speaker performs ‘Bird Boxed’ a slam poem that asks the government, ‘Open your eyes to the people of this land.’ Harry, part of the AntiColonial Asian Alliance, pays respects to Aboriginal people.

In fact, Kennerly reproduces the same racism White women academics level at Aboriginal people, sensationalising remote communities (holding them up as ‘real’ Aboriginals on the one hand, and dismissing them as helpless on the other), using rape as a paternalistic tool to minimise Aboriginal women and their leadership. a bit racist.’ Australians generally think racism is calling someone ‘a bad name.’ Racism is actually about institutional power, which includes being a highly paid TV personality reproducing the racist machinery that dispossessed Aboriginal people and continues to remove kids from family. Dr Moreton-Robinson noted 19 years ago that White women constantly talk down to Aboriginal women, which is what’s happening here, where a White influential woman dismisses the leadership of Aboriginal women who have organised the Australia Day protests for years. To dismantle racism, White women need to give up their power, which includes the platform to talk down to Aboriginal women (especially on a show that talks about Aboriginal people without them in the room).