How Unconscious Bias Against Dark Skin Color Creates 70% Unemployment



A very well kept secret within the Bega Valley is the shockingly disproportionate unemployment rate among Original peoples.

But it's not that much of a secret if one takes the time to observe their own community. It's very evident that there are no Original people's present within the local businesses, supermarkets, local government, media and state and federal government departments. There's the odd worker here and there as our statistics will indicate.

There's evidence that conscious and unconscious bias is at play in bringing about these disastrous figures.

The following statistics were attained from local community knowledge. An intimate and specific knowledge of our community. Some of our Djiringanj community have research and analytical training, and experience. These skills and expertise were brought to the forefront to expose the high unemployment rate within our community, and these statistics give further insight into the potential for more sinister, and diabolical, practices.

The need for this research was due to the lack of information on Original unemployment within the Bega Valley, specfically the Bega, Tathra and Merimbula townships. There are no specific unemployment statistics via Bega Valley Shire Council or the Bureau of Statistics regarding specific unemployment among Original people in the Bega, Tathra, Merumbula area. So we had to initiate the research and gather the data ourselves. What we found was not that surprising because it reconciled with our own observations, experiences and assumptions.

Please keep in mind that the national unemployment rate is approximately 5.7% according to the Bureau of Statistics.

So here's the outcome of our research study:


Our research found a 74% unemployment rate among Djiringanj descendants. Traditional owners living in the valley from neighboring clans were also included within this statistic.













A 33% unemployment rate was found within our non traditional Original community. These are Original people that have no heritage connection to the lower south coast area.












A 60% unemployment rate was found within the general Original community.












We found that females had the highest unemployment within the general Original community at 55%.












We found this a very controversial statistic but also a very insightful one. Our own family members were included within this analysis.

Nearly all Original peoples with fair skin complexion were found to have some form of employment.

This insight doesn't aim to take away these peoples achievements and ability to find and retain work. But it does raise questions of conscious and unconscious bias based upon racism and discrimination due to skin color...which is a real factor when it comes to influence within Australian society.


This is what local authorities, politicians and media will not talk about. Bega District News (see article by clicking here) did attempt to bring this to the attention of the local public, but it went unnoticed, which is a very bad sign.


Here's a video on how unconscious bias works.

Merunga Blog Admin
12/09/2017 ©






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ngarigo, Djiringanj and the Brumby

Image
(Brumbies in the Australian Alps: photo courtesy of Paul McIver  paulmciver flickr ) The Men from Snowy River 'The words been passed around about the Men from Snowy River ,  Their story wasn't forgotten and not allowed to wither,   For a wise and strong Bugeenj woman who listened to her Elders, Nurtured the seed of future story tellers' The connection between my family (Hoskin and Mundy) and the  Brumby   (Australian Wild Horse) isn't that well known.  My great great grandfather Jack Hoskins (born 1853- died 1900 Bega NSW), and great gran uncles via my Mundy family ancestry, were stockmen who drove Brumbies from the   Australian Alps   down to Tathra to be transported upon steamer ships  bound for Sydney  that departed from   Tathra wharf . (Me and Mum circa 1982 - Bega NSW) This is a local story told to me by my mother Margaret Rose Dixon (nee Mundy/ Hoskins). Whenever we would pass through Kalaru, on our way to Tathra, Mum would a
Read more

Why I'm a Ngarigo and Djiringanj Mawa (male)

Image
Why I'm a Ngarigo (male) and Djiringanj Mawa Words hold power. And that power varies depending on who's language is being used and how it is being being applied. Within the Oxford Dictionary there are over 170 thousand words/ definitions. But what many people don't know is that there are different "dictionaries" for different societies. There are also religious dictionaries that have their own definitions. Something I'm not that familiar with, but I have visited the local church and quickly viewed these very large books. The dictionary that I have looked over in great detail is a western law dictionary that has over 15 thousand word entries. I've specifically reviewed a recently published Blacks Law Dictionary. There are other versions of western law definitions, even an Australian version, but Blacks is a very prominent publication with over 200 legal practitioners and professors contributing to it's definitions. There w
Read more

Forbidden History: The Censoring of the Djiringanj

Image
Forbidden History: The Censoring of the Djiringanj Djiringanj people were massacred, tortured and subjugated like any other Original peoples who have been the focus of racist European colonisation. Racism is a manifestation of fear, and is an integral part of European colonialism, slavery and western economics. But this short blog isn't about trying to retell the history of racism, its already been critiqued, studied, written about and documentaries produced, such as BBC's The History of Racism . I also recommend Tim Wise's take on racism and white privilege . This blog is about trying to understand why local Djiringanj history within the Bega Valley is censored. A history told within living memory and oral stories handed down from our Elders. A narrative from local Djiringanj voices who are at the receiving end of colonial charged fear and paranoia. The Djiringanj have intimate layers of history.There's a layer that tells the story of the confrontation wi
Read more