443
25.22fiii) Discussion
There was slight support for the notion that Aborigines in
general put self and family first; there was stronger support for
the view that the Aboriginal self does this.
The hypothesis that Aborigines would place value on being aware
of the needs of others was not supported.
’Putting self and family first* was stereotyped for Aborigines,
and the Aboriginal self. The following table compares the
perceptions of Aborigines and non-Aborigines on this issue.
25.22(iv)
TABLE 51
Comparison of views of Aborigines and non-Aborigines on
the characteristic of ’being aware of the needs of
others∕put self and family first’
Item 14
Item 35
Put self
and family first
Aware of needs mid-point
of others
Aborigines (N=93)
view of Aborigines 30.4
Aboriginal self (N=51) 30.0
Australians 8.8
Italians 6.5
Non-Aborigines (N=289)
view of Aborigines 20.4
Australians 17.’3
Italians 18.4
33.7
12.0
22.0
20.4
35.9
58.0
69.3
73.2
30.2
22.0
19.4
49.5
60.7
62.2
25.22(v) Discussion
Both groups, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, stereotyped all groups
as putting self and family first. The fact that Aborigines stereotyped
the Aboriginal self positively on all other itemsɪ indicates that
they see this as a positive value. There is not evidence that this
group of Aborigines holds'being aware of the needs of others as a
particularly ’Aboriginal’ value.
1
See p. 346 above.