WEEK 13 TUTORIAL: Triumph of the Babyboomers?
(3 June – )
Tutorial question
How far can the social problems faced by Australians
today be attributed to the dominant influence of the
baby-boomers (your parents?)?
Are the baby boomers to blame for everything? What
do you see as the most significant historical changes
taking place today? Has Australia become a more conservative
society? If so, when do you date the change? What are
the characteristics of a good society? Is Australia
more socially divided today than it has been in the
past? Along what lines? Have Australians abandoned a
belief in equality and ‘a fair go’? What has
been the impact of globalisation? of economic rationalism?
of multiculturalism? of postmodernism? of Keating’s
‘Big Picture’? of Howard’s ‘relaxed
and comfortable’ policies? Do people have the capacity
to influence social change, or do impersonal historical
forces override them? Do you personally feel you are
an agent or a victim? How have debates over the Bicentenary,
the Republic, Reconciliation, ‘One Nation’
and refugees affected Australians’ understandings
of themselves? What has been the role of the media in
this? What social values have Bob Hawke, Paul Keating
and John Howard expressed in their terms as prime minister?
How could the course be improved? What would you like
to drink?
Essential reading
There is no set additional reading this week, but,
more than you normally do, you are expected to follow
the week’s news and current affairs in the ‘quality’
media (SMH or The Australian, ABC Radio’s
‘AM’ and ‘PM’, ABC television’s
‘Lateline’ etc) and come prepared to think
about yourselves and your society in a broader historical
context.
However if you are particularly interested in arguments
about different generations in Australia, the following
are of interest:
- Mackay, Hugh Generations: Baby Boomers, their
Parents and their Children Sydney 1997
- Peel, Mark Good Times, Hard Time Melbourne
1995 ch 8 and epilogue
- Davis, Mark Gangland: Cultural Elites and the
New Generationalism Sydney 1997
- See also reading for Week
11.
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