Heartland Stereotypes

Powerful forces such as media, culture and myths about race and gender can shape a misreading of society, events and other people through negative stereotypes. Indigenous Australians are categorised as an aggressive minority group in Australian society and is also a social group which has suffered dramatically due to mainstream white culture. However, this stereotype has actively been reinforced through Australia's history as well as its media influences and lack of understating of Aboriginal cultural differences. This argument will be supported by Ernie dingos statement on the television series Heartland, which portrayed the idea for reconciliation between non-indigenous and indigenous. However, it will also explore the lack of understanding

The series is based on modern day Australia, instead of the being in the past like Heartland. The series tells powerful contemporary stories about indigenous Australians in the Sydney suburb of Redfern. The television series demonstrates the idea that aboriginal culture is surrounded by negative influences such as conforming to white Australian beliefs, which is being presented to the broader white community as indigenous people resisting change to adjust to other mainstream cultural backgrounds. For example, in episode 4 of season 1‘Stand Up', Joel (Aaron McGrath) does not correctly present himself during the national anthem, being asked by Mr Parish (Ewen Leslie) ‘Do you know what the national anthem is?', Joel replied ‘it is a song sung, sung at footy grand finals and cricket games, like when Australia play India or England and that' (Redfern Now, 2012). The example provides evidence that the school has a strong and unified white tradition, and the students are expected to look and demonstrate themselves in a manner that proudly represents the school. Individualism is not necessarily welcomed, representing Joel as an outsider due to him not conforming to the social norms of the school he is attending. However, the example also demonstrates that white Australia can easily disregard history and often blame indigenous Australians for not making the cultural leap to conform to non-indigenous social norms. Australians forget historical factors such as the stolen generation that have shaped social traditions of Aboriginal people. Therefore, racism, inequality, and injustice are influenced by the lack of understanding of aboriginal culture and past events, shaping and challenging white Australia due to them believing Aboriginal people are resisting to conform to more modern and traditional beliefs of ‘modern white