Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the process of planning for culturally appropriate work practices to enable practitioners to be successful in their chosen field of work or vocation and defines the standard required to: summarise essential features of indigenous families and cultures; review impacts of changes on indigenous societies since European settlement; outline the concept of cultural maintenance; plan culturally appropriate work practices.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to those persons who plan for culturally appropriate work practices that enable practitioners to be successful in their chosen field of work or vocation.

Note: delivery and assessment against this standard must comply with community protocols and guidelines and be supported by elders and custodians of country.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Summarise essential features of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and cultures

1.1. Contemporary Australian indigenous history since 1788 is summarised.

1.2. The concepts and beliefs of the dreaming and before time are explained.

1.3. The link between economic organisation and ecology in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies is outlined.

1.4. The traditional social structures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies are summarised.

1.5. The elements of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander societies (i.e. religion, land, ecology, social structure, political structure) are combined to create a whole.

2. Review impacts of changes on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies since European invasion

2.1. World colonisation and the impacts on indigenous peoples are outlined.

2.2. Racist behaviours and the impact that these have had on indigenous Australian peoples and communities is outlined.

2.3. The role the media and other agencies play in influencing public opinion is outlined.

2.4. The changes that have happened to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies since 1778 in relation to world colonisation and racial theories are broadly outlined.

2.5. The responses to the changes described above are broadly outlined.

2.6. Impacts that these changes have had on families and communities are summarised.

2.7. Personal responses to information about the positive and negative effects of colonisation are analysed.

2.8. The significance of these impacts on cultural practices is outlined.

3. Analyse effects of examining isolated cultural elements of a holistic culture as individual doctrines

3.1. Areas of overlap within sections of Aboriginal cultural life are explained, and areas of overlap within sections of Torres Strait Islander cultural life are explained.

3.2. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldview, including the dimension of holistic notion of culture is explained.

3.3. The effects of compartmentalising a holistic culture are explained.

4. Relate the implications for vocational area of government efforts to address continuing effects of colonisation

4.1. Various policies implemented by governments to address the areas of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs are investigated and explained.

4.2. The processes of bureaucracies that implement these policies are identified.

4.3. The effects of these policies and their implementation processes on communities are evaluated.

4.4. The effectiveness of a chosen policy is investigated through community consultation.

4.5. Strategies for redressing the perception of 'special treatment' for indigenous peoples in relation to the chosen policy are outlined.

5. Outline the concept of cultural maintenance

5.1. Features of identity and personal cultural maintenance are listed.

5.2. How these features are applied in daily work life is outlined.

5.3. The broader issues of cultural maintenance and cultural theft are outlined.

5.4. Cultural maintenance in relation to a work issue is defined.

5.5. Allowances for absences due to family/seasonal cultural practices and bereavement are acknowledged.

5.6. Conflicts and opportunities for cultural maintenance in work are outlined.

5.7. Possible strategies for cultural maintenance in work are developed.

6. Characterise self as an effective indigenous practitioner in the environment field

6.1. Possible sources of conflicts and opportunities in work roles are described.

6.2. Strategies for addressing these are developed.

6.3. A vision/set of aspirations for own work is developed.

6.4. Personal action plan and strategies for fulfilling this vision are outlined.

6.5. Appropriate complaint mechanisms are put in place.

7. Plan culturally appropriate work practices

7.1. Common culturally inappropriate work practices are detailed.

7.2. Ways in which indigenous practitioners can effect change to create greater cultural awareness are proposed.

7.3. The significance of not addressing the practice is discussed.

7.4. Strategies to change the practice are described.

7.5. An implementation and evaluation plan for the strategies is developed.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• summarise essential features of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and cultures
• review impacts of changes on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies since European settlement
• analyse effects of examining isolated cultural elements of a holistic culture as individual doctrines
• relate the implications for vocational area of government efforts to address continuing effects of colonisation
• outline 'cultural maintenance'
• characterise self as an effective indigenous practitioner in the environment field
• plan culturally appropriate work practices
• use literacy skills to fulfil job roles as required by the organisation. The level of skill may range from reading and understanding documentation to completion of written reports
• use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record complex workplace measures
• use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• history and effects of European invasion on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• the concept of cultural maintenance
• change processes
• planning work practices.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• summarise essential features of indigenous families and cultures
• review impacts of changes on indigenous societies since European settlement
• outline the concept of cultural maintenance
• plan culturally appropriate work practices.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Culture and cultural practices include:

• the type of family groupings
• responsibilities and obligations to family members
• oral history
• language spoken
• belief systems
• value systems
• systems of law and order
• predominant religion and spirituality.

Unit sector 

Indigenous land management

Co-requisite units 

Competency field