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The researcher cannot expect Aboriginal people to ’hold as
knowledge’ in their world of meaning the same readiness to co-operate
which is presumed by survey-type methodologies in the non-Aboriginal
context.
In sum, methodologies which may be suitable and convenient
for non-tradition oriented school populations are inappropriate
for tradition-oriented people.
7.22 Attitudes of urban Aborigines to research
Many urban Aborigines feel strongly that they have in the past
been exploited by researchers, perceiving the latter as treating
Aborigines as ’objects’ and carrying out research for purposes not
related to the good of Aborigines as they themselves perceive it.
It must be accepted that people of Aboriginal descent may not
perceive any point in research, except that it exploits them.
Given the past history of relationships between Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal people, the likely existence of mistrust on both sides,
and of withdrawal on the part of some Aboriginal people, must be
accepted.
7.23 Attitudes of non-Aboriginal school personnel to research
concerning Aboriginal people
During preliminary interviews aimed at defining the situation
and selecting educational institutions to take part in the study,
there was a great readiness on the part of all concerned to be
helpful.
However, many of these non-Aboriginal people identified with
the Aboriginal responses sketched out above.
*
Some were aware of the problems associated with identifying as
Aborigines students who had ’passed'; they were sensitive about overt
identification of some students.
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