Twenty-third International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

When did First Nations Peoples in Australia start being considered employable? Our systematic exclusion as a direct result of European invasion and generations of dysfunctionality narrative about First Nations Peoples in Australia including racism and violence have left an endemic mark on us and our communities. The interconnected nature of race, class, and gender, have created an overlapping and interdependent system of discrimination and disadvantage for First Nations peoples in Australia. Racist, sexist and the social hierarchical policies and practices still exist within colonial structures, systems and workplaces. As a consequence of this narrative, why do we then expose ourselves to toxic and unsafe workplaces to survive - and on top of this we have to be deemed ‘employable’ (or not). In this paper we, a collective of Aboriginal early career matriarchs explore Indigenous Knowledges and governance practices - sharing our experiences in the academy, posing questions to ourselves, when faced with ongoing colonial violence and intersectional discrimination: Why Work? What do workplaces offer us? Is it employability or appealing employers?

Presenters

Sharlene Leroy Dyer
Senior Lecturer in Employment Relations, School of Business / Faculty of Business Economics and Law, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia

Samantha Cooms
Lecturer, Business school , University Of Queensland, Queensland, Australia

Kelly Menzel
Associate Dean (Education), Gnibi College, Southern Cross University, Australia