Beyond White Guilt

Start by marking “Beyond White Guilt” as Want to Read: Sarah Maddison's bold and original take on the running sore of black-white relations offers a genuinely constructive alternative when so many other approaches have failed. It seems like Maddison spends the entire pages.
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Sarah Maddison's bold and original take on the running sore of black-white relations offers a genuinely constructive alternative when so many other approaches have failed. Settings Tips on technique 3: Point of view Tips on technique 4: Dialogue Tips on technique 5: Plot Tips on technique 6: Tense Tips on technique 7: Some of us now assert that Aboriginal people should simply take advantage of opportunities offered by white society. But many others feel guilt, often turning this guilt inwards, feeling helpless in the face of the appalling conditions in which many of the original inhabitants of this country now live.

Anita Heiss Blog: Review: Beyond White Guilt

Successive government policies of obliteration, assimilation, cultural maintenance and intervention have manifestly failed to bridge the gulf between black and white Australians, and to improve the lives of many Aboriginal Australians. Efforts at reconciliation have stalled.

In many ways, we are stuck. Sarah Maddison argues that there is no point in looking again to governments for a solution to these challenges. But it is no way a sign that one culture or race was more superior than the other.

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This I agree on, that everyone needs to accept the fact the past happened, but it is not proof of the truth of social Darwinism. That is now a widely repudiated concept. It was a decent read for me because I wanted to know more about the topic, and I do recommend it to people who can stomach the academic writing style. It seems like Maddison spends the entire pages leading points that could potentially mature her argument back to the issue of guilt.

The problem here is that guilt is non-empirical and difficult to gauge in any circumstance, let alone it being necessary in order for Maddison to accuse the reader of letting it hinder reconciliation. I appreciate that Maddison is using her privilege as a white person to speak to white people about their power in the reconciliation movement and social structu It seems like Maddison spends the entire pages leading points that could potentially mature her argument back to the issue of guilt.

I appreciate that Maddison is using her privilege as a white person to speak to white people about their power in the reconciliation movement and social structures in general. But her argument holds no substance other than the repeated hammering in of guilt, which is neither conducive nor very coherent. Feb 22, Jake Goretzki rated it it was ok Shelves: Well intentioned but frustratingly abstract and short on substance.

As with much 'progressive' writing, it's great at pointing out a problem but hopeless at venturing an answer, beyond the abstract need for 'dialogue', 'reappraisal' think I know this already and a process that reads more like an invitation to a workshop on the healing power of crystals than a cure for a nation's malaise. I was at least expecting a few ideas.

Maybe get a new flag? A few hard and fast examples?

Beyond white guilt

South Africa mayb Well intentioned but frustratingly abstract and short on substance. I also found it rather a disturbing eye-opener on what I assume are left wing orthodoxies Down Under. I'm surprised at the force of opposition to measures to address child abuse in NT is it discriminatory to ban campfires in areas afflicted by drought?

I'm a social democrat but I'm also pretty uncomfortable with original sin and creepy biologically inherited culpability.

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I want a massive monument in Trafalgar Square to the crimes of British Colonialism - but I don't believe my neighbours are born racists or with the blood of slaves on their hands. Oh, and don't quote Berhard Schlink if you ever want to be taken seriously. That insipid novel 'The Reader' was a cynical, exploitative pile of crap.


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Sarah Maddison argues that the Australian problem is guilt; that guilt creates inertia, denial, and a feeling of helplessness. She says there's a sickness in our collective identity and she's absolutely right. The problem is that she offers no suggestions on what to do about this at all. She repeats her one point which should have been the opening words of the first chapter, tops, for the entire book. Why is "beyond" in the title? The closest thing I could find to an actual idea was this bit Sarah Maddison argues that the Australian problem is guilt; that guilt creates inertia, denial, and a feeling of helplessness.

The closest thing I could find to an actual idea was this bit of non-speak on page We need to find ways to leave the past in the past, while also embracing the need for remembrance.

Jan 07, John Marius added it. The structure of the argument lent itself to repetition, making the book clunky and difficult to follow in places.

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Mar 11, Priscilla rated it it was amazing. Jan 01, Theresa rated it really liked it. Some really useful stuff about whiteness in Australia, too. Zoya rated it liked it Jul 07, Claire Melanie rated it liked it Oct 09, Jen rated it it was ok Aug 01, Alex Page rated it really liked it Nov 20, Georgia rated it liked it Sep 19, Ian Law rated it really liked it Jul 03, Sally Drapes rated it really liked it Mar 20, Kevin Farfan rated it it was amazing Dec 03, Houda rated it it was amazing Aug 24, Martin rated it it was amazing May 16, Anthony KJ rated it did not like it Aug 20, Jacqueline rated it really liked it Jan 31, Ruth marked it as to-read Jul 17, Michael marked it as to-read Jul 31, Joshua marked it as to-read Aug 27, Chris marked it as to-read Sep 22, Yvette added it Sep 26, Heidi added it Dec 01, Bridget marked it as to-read Dec 30, Lara Taffer added it Apr 15, Catherine marked it as to-read Oct 14, Sarah marked it as to-read Jan 25, Inez marked it as to-read Jul 30,