Re: lack of employment

Christopher J. Morgan (Christopher.Morgan@JCU.EDU.AU)
Mon, 6 Jun 1994 13:41:14 +1000

G'day mates,

I just thought I'd add an antipodean perspective to this thread. It seems
that we're relatively fortunate in Oz w.r.t. the non-academic employment
market. Although I'm fortunate enough to hold a tenured academic position,
I scan the recruitment ads frequently (particularly towards the end of
semesters...). Scarcely a week goes by when "The Australian" newspaper
doesn't list vacant positions, one of the pre-requisites for which is
"knowledge of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island cultures" and the ability
"to communicate effectively with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island people".
Employers range from government departments at the state and federal
levels, to Aboriginal land councils, communities, museums etc. Some
positions even carry the label "Anthropologist" (there was one in
Saturday's "Australian" - I don't have it handy, but I'll scan & post it if
anyone's interested). On another front, recent "Native Title" legislation
has spawned quite a bit of consultancy work, particularly for
archaeologists. Now, I'm aware that none of this is very useful for anthro
graduates who haven't been exposed to substantial slabs of Oz ethnography
&/or archaeology, but it may suggest possibilities in terms of broadened
horizons etc. Now I'll probably be shot by my compatriots for letting the
cat out of the bag....

Maddog

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* Christopher J. Morgan | Tel: 0561 77 81 4304 *
* Dept of Anthropology & Archaeology | Fax: 0561 77 79 5435 *
* James Cook University Q 4811 | *
* Australia | *
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* "In the government of primitive races....it is recognised *
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