Cultural competence: Aboriginal Sydney
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this course contains images, video footage, voices, and names of deceased persons.
Overview
Explore the hidden histories, narratives, and contemporary realities of Aboriginal Sydney through a cultural competence lens. This course examines Aboriginal experiences of Sydney before and after colonisation, while exploring themes such as sovereignty, representation, identity, bias, and dominant historical narratives. Through self-reflection and critical engagement, participants will develop greater understanding of how histories, knowledge systems, and cultural perspectives shape contemporary Australia. Ideal for anyone interested in Aboriginal histories, cultural competence, anti-racism, social justice, and understanding the ongoing presence and significance of Aboriginal peoples in Sydney.
What you'll learn
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Develop knowledge about cultural competence capabilities
- Develop a deeper and multi-layered knowledge and understanding about Aboriginal peoples, cultures and places in Sydney
- Develop a greater understanding of how history, cultures and places are represented, contested and interpreted and how that relates to your own context
National Centre for Cultural Competence
Course aims and program
This course aims to deepen participants’ understanding of Aboriginal histories, experiences, and perspectives within the context of Sydney as Aboriginal land. Participants will develop cultural competence capabilities through critical reflection on history, representation, power, and the ways dominant narratives can marginalise Aboriginal knowledges and experiences. The course also supports participants to engage more thoughtfully and respectfully with Aboriginal perspectives in contemporary Australian society.
There are 5 modules in this course:
- Module 1 - Representation and visibility in Aboriginal Sydney
- Module 2 - Sovereignty and self-determination in a colonised place
- Module 3 - People, past and present
- Module 4 - Visibility in place
- Module 5 - Resistance
This course is designed for anyone interested in developing a deeper understanding of Aboriginal histories, experiences, and perspectives in Sydney and across Australia. It is suitable for professionals, educators, students, community members, and organisations seeking to strengthen their cultural competence and engage more thoughtfully with Aboriginal peoples, histories, and knowledges.
This is a self-paced course. Participants have six months (182 days) from the day of enrolment to complete the course material. Throughout the course there are guided self-reflection questions to support participants’ learning throughout each module. Participants will also have access to a curated resource kit with additional materials and references to support ongoing learning and reflection.
This course is considered non-award under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and does not provide any official certification from the University of Sydney. Once all modules are completed, you will be issued a Statement of Completion.
Standard enrolments (inc GST):
- New enrolments: $75
- University of Sydney alumni: $60
- Members of Chau Chak Wing: $60
University of Sydney staff and students can enrol in this course for free by clicking here
There are no material or technological requirements to complete this course
There are 3 activities in total:
- 3 reflections activities:
- 1 - Expression of culture: Participants to reflect on concepts learned throughout the module connect those concepts to their own lived experience of place, belonging, and cultural identity.
- 2 - Preserving sites and practices: Participants explore how Aboriginal cultural sites and practices are maintained and protected within contemporary urban environments, reflecting on the significance of safeguarding cultural heritage and ongoing connections to Country.
- 3 - Places and change: Participants examine how places have evolved over time and consider how historical and contemporary changes shape the visibility, meaning, and interpretation of Aboriginal presence and identity in Sydney.
All courses must be paid in advance of commencing your course. We accept the following payment methods:
- Mastercard
- Visa
- American Express (only available for enrolments made through the Sydney Short Courses website)
- Electronic Funds Transfer (for company invoices only)
- Journal Transfer (for University of Sydney Staff only)
Please see our Payment Options for further information.
I have enrolled in a Sydney Short Courses course, what happens now?
Once your enrolment has been processed, you will receive the following emails:
- Enrolment confirmation: you will receive this immediately after your enrolment has been processed.
- Tax invoice: the payer of your enrolment will receive this immediately after your enrolment has been processed.
For some courses, you may also receive the following:
- Course reminders: you will receive emails from Sydney Short Courses in the lead up to the course starting. These include information about the course and, if required, the schedule for online or face-to-face sessions.
- Course materials: if you are enrolled in a course that provides reading or other downloadable materials, you will get access to these materials prior to the class commencing.
- Online session links: you will receive reminder emails the day before and the day of each live session containing the meeting link and meeting ID.
Contact us if you would like to discuss how Sydney Short Courses can support your organisational training needs through this course. Either as a group booking, whole course block booking, or customised delivery to meet your business requirements.
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