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Raising strong, solid Koolunga: values and beliefs about early child development among Perth’s Aboriginal community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2020

Clair Scrine Open the ORCID record for Clair Scrine [Opens in a new window] ,
Brad Farrant ,
Carol Michie ,
Carrington Shepherd  and
Michael Wright
Clair Scrine*
Affiliation:
Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Team, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Brad Farrant
Affiliation:
Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Team, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Carol Michie
Affiliation:
Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Team, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Carrington Shepherd
Affiliation:
Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Team, Telethon Kids Institute, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Michael Wright
Affiliation:
School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Clair Scrine, Email: clair.scrine@telethonkids.org.au
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Abstract

There is a paucity of published information about conceptions of Aboriginal child rearing and development among urban dwelling Nyoongar/Aboriginal people in Australia. We detail the unique findings from an Aboriginal early child development research project with a specific focus on the Nyoongar/Aboriginal community of Perth, Western Australia. This research significantly expands the understanding of a shared system of beliefs and values among Nyoongar people that differ in important ways from those of the broader Australian (Western) society. Consistent with the findings of research with other Aboriginal groups in Australia, and internationally, our work challenges assumptions underpinning a range of early childhood development policies and highlights the implications of cultural biases and misunderstandings among non-Aboriginal professionals in child and family services, education and other settings.

Keywords

Aboriginalearly childhood developmentNyoongarparentingchild protection policy
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , March 2020 , pp. 40 - 47
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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