Course overview
The Tampa crisis, widespread fears of 'people smuggling', and the revelations about the condition of asylum seekers in detention centres ignited debates about Australia's immigration policy and the way that we treat refugees. There is a perception that Australia has already 'done its bit' in generously accepting waves of displaced persons and refugees since World War II, and that further large-scale intakes will destabilise the Australian economy and threaten our 'way of life'. Yet others argue that Australia's post-war Displaced Persons Scheme was self-serving and oriented towards sourcing cheap labour for dangerous public works projects, and that while Australia opened its border to Asians and East-Europeans for the first time our preference was always for British migrants who continued to constitute the overwhelming majority of new arrivals. From this perspective the Australian government's current stringent migrant and refugee intake quota simply reflect the continuation of a long-standing and generally hard-hearted immigration policy. We will examine these different points of view, alongside the testimony of migrants and refugees who left behind everything and everyone they knew to make a new life in Australia. The course examines a range of other issues and debates concerning migrants in Australia, beginning in the late nineteenth century and continuing until the present day.
Course learning outcomes
- Recognise the value of a wide range of methodologies, conceptual approaches and the impact of competing narratives
- Locate, identify and analyse relevant primary and secondary sources in order to construct evidence-based arguments;
- Think independently and critically, using appropriate methodologies and technologies, to engage with historical problems
- Communicate effectively, in a range of spoken and written formats, within the conventions of the discipline of history
- Contribute productively to group-based activities
- Demonstrate the skills of an historian which are appropriate for performing a range of professional roles, undertaking leadership positions, and sustaining lifelong learning, including: information technology skills to manage data and to communicate, skills in collaborative and self-directed problem-solving, a habit of academic rigour, and sensitivity to intercultural and ethical issues;
- Show a sensitivity to the diversity of historical cultures and the ethical implications of historical enquiry within a global context
- Demonstrate a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of history, based on respect and mutual responsibility