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Prospects For ‘Closing The Gap’ In Socioeconomic Outcomes For Indigenous Australians?

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  • Jon C. Altman
  • Nicholas Biddle
  • Boyd H. Hunter

Abstract

Practical reconciliation’ and more recently ‘closing the gap’ have been put forward as frameworks on which to base and evaluate policies to address Indigenous disadvantage. This paper analyses national‐level census‐based data to examine trends in Indigenous wellbeing since 1971. There has been steady improvement in most socioeconomic outcomes in the last 35 years; a finding at odds with the current discourse of failure. Evidence of convergence between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous outcomes, however, is not consistent. For some outcomes, relatively rapid convergence is predicted (within 25 years), but for the majority of outcomes, convergence is unlikely to occur within a generation, if at all.

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  • Jon C. Altman & Nicholas Biddle & Boyd H. Hunter, 2009. "Prospects For ‘Closing The Gap’ In Socioeconomic Outcomes For Indigenous Australians?," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 49(3), pages 225-251, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ozechr:v:49:y:2009:i:3:p:225-251
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8446.2009.00264.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Anne Daly & Tesfaye Gebremedhin & Muhammad Sayem, 2013. "A Case Study of Affirmative Action Australian-style for Indigenous People," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 16(2), pages 277-294.
    2. Boyd Hunter & Matthew Gray, 2012. "Indigenous Labour Supply following a Period of Strong Economic Growth," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 15(2), pages 141-159.
    3. Itismita Mohanty & Robert Tanton, 2012. "A wellbeing framework with adaptive capacity," NATSEM Working Paper Series 12/17, University of Canberra, National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling.
    4. Ian W. Li, 2014. "Labour Market Performance of Indigenous University Graduates in Australia: An ORU Perspective," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 17(2), pages 87-110.
    5. Alan Duncan & Astghik Mavisakalyan & Yashar Tarverdi, 2016. "Self-assessed versus statistical evidence of labour market discrimination: The case of indigenous Australians," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-70, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Laurie Brown & Binod Nepal, 2011. "Modelling Potential Impact of Improved Survival of Indigenous Australians on Work-Life Labour Income Gap Between Indigenous and Average Australians," NATSEM Working Paper Series 11/15, University of Canberra, National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling.
    7. Moshe Justman & Kyle Peyton, 2018. "Enforcing Compulsory Schooling through Credible Coercion: Lessons from Australia's Northern Territory Intervention," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 94(306), pages 223-238, September.
    8. Donna L. Feir, 2016. "The long-term effects of forcible assimilation policy: The case of Indian boarding schools," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 49(2), pages 433-480, May.
    9. Evans, John Robert & Wilson, Rachel & Coleman, Clare & Man, Wing Young Nicola & Olds, Tim, 2018. "Physical activity among indigenous Australian children and youth in remote and non-remote areas," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 93-99.
    10. Boyd Hunter, 2014. "Reflecting on the Growth of Indigenous Self-employment," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 21(1), pages 45-68.
    11. Arturo Martinez & Francisco Perales, 2017. "The Dynamics of Multidimensional Poverty in Contemporary Australia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 479-496, January.
    12. Alan Duncan & Astghik Mavisakalyan & Yashar Taverdi, 2016. "Self-assessed versus statistical evidence of labour market discrimination," Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Working Paper series WP1602, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School.
    13. Catherine Ris, 2013. "Les inégalités ethniques dans l'accès à l'emploi en Nouvelle-Calédonie," Économie et Statistique, Programme National Persée, vol. 464(1), pages 59-72.
    14. Catherine Ris & Samuel Gorohouna, 2013. "Decomposing differences in employment outcomes between Kanak and other New Caledonians - how important is the role of school achievement?," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 16(1), pages 115-135.
    15. Melanie, Jane & Gleeson, Trish & Rogers, Nikki & Stark, Clare, 2009. "The energetic north: development gains and growing pains," 2009 Conference (53rd), February 11-13, 2009, Cairns, Australia 47644, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    16. Alan Duncan & Astghik Mavisakalyan & Yashar Tarverdi, 2016. "Self-assessed versus statistical evidence of labour market discrimination: The case of indigenous Australians," WIDER Working Paper Series 070, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Moshe Justman & Kyle Peyton, 2014. "Enforcing Compulsory Schooling by Linking Welfare Payments to School Attendance: Lessons from Australia’s Northern Territory," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2014n19, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    18. Nicholas Biddle & John Taylor, 2012. "Demographic Consequences of the ‘Closing the Gap’ Indigenous Policy in Australia," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(4), pages 571-585, August.
    19. Guyonne Kalb & Trinh Le & Boyd Hunter & Felix Leung, 2012. "Decomposing Differences in Labour Force Status between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2012n20, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    20. Kyle Peyton & Moshe Justman, 2015. "Credible Enforcement of Compulsory Schooling by Linking Welfare Payments to School Attendance: Lessons from Australia’s Northern Territory," Working Papers 1512, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Economics.

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