3S1
level of over theorizing about Aboriginal people, had the highest
support of positive typifications of Aborigines and the most
favourable theorizing on the part of students.
The world of Salisbury North would appear to be a consistent
one. The positive theorizing of the students about Aborigines
reflects the strain towards positive stereotyping. The theorizing
concerning Aborigines merging into the population reflects the fact
that Aborigines have moved out of long established Aboriginal
housing areas to this newly developed area. There is symmetry
between the theorizing of the students and the theorizing of
the staff.
The response of Pt. Augusta students may be interpreted as
reflecting the racist attitudes of the town, and the perception of
the threat to the dominant society posed by the high visibility
of the Aboriginal population.
I
The students rejected the notion that ’Aborigines should try
to be white' and gave the least support on the issues of Aborigines
merging into the general population (37 per cent,Pt. Augusta High,
ɪ.
I
I- I
36 per cent,Augusta Park) the least support for Aborigines forming !
f
groups to get somewhere (29.3 per cent, Pt. Augusta High and 22.7 '
1 f
per cent? Augusta Park). і
4
They gave markedly less support than Taperoo and Salisbury
North to the notion that employers discriminate against Aborigines,
and even less support (15.4 per cent,Pt. Augusta High and 27.3 per
cent, Augusta Park) to the notion that Aborigines should get jobs
before migrants. These responses can be seen as a reaction to the
positive discrimination exercised in the town by the Commonwealth
Government reserving places for Aboriginal apprentices.
The high visibility groups had less support in the area of
positive typifications, and less favourable 'theorizing' about
Aborigines.
Taperoo lay between the two extremes as it did in the theorizing
of the school staff. It gave more support to Aborigines than the
Pt. Augusta schools but less than Salisbury North.
