Doha Declaration

Education for Justice

A Just Measure of Shame? Aboriginal Youth and Conferencing in Australia

Full title in original language:

A Just Measure of Shame? Aboriginal Youth and Conferencing in Australia

Education level:

University

University (18+ years)

Topic / subtopic:

Crime prevention and criminal justice

Restorative justice

Criminal justice system

Target audience:

Students, Teachers / Lecturers

Type of resource:

Publication / Article

Languages:

English

Region of relevance:

Global

Access:

restricted access: requiring payment

Individual authors:

Harry Blagg

Publication year:

1997

Published by:

British Journal of Criminology / Oxford University Press

Copyright holder:

Contact name and address:

British Journal of Criminology

Contact website:

https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/contact_us

Key themes:

Links:

Publication

Short description:

This article explores the limits of ‘reintegrative shaming’ and family conferencing as encapsulated in the ‘Wagga Model’ currently popular in Australia. I question the relevance of the model to the task of reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in custody. I argue that the model represents an ‘Orientalist’ appropriation of a Maori decolonizing process and is based on a one-dimensional reading of the New Zealand experience which involved a significant reduction in police powers. The product being franchised in Australia (and marketed internationally) promises to intensify rather than reduce police controls over Aboriginal people. There is also danger in assuming that all indigenous peoples are amenable to conference-style resolutions and that all operate within shaming structures of social control.

Short description:

This article explores the limits of ‘reintegrative shaming’ and family conferencing as encapsulated in the ‘Wagga Model’ currently popular in Australia. I question the relevance of the model to the task of reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in custody. I argue that the model represents an ‘Orientalist’ appropriation of a Maori decolonizing process and is based on a one-dimensional reading of the New Zealand experience which involved a significant reduction in police powers. The product being franchised in Australia (and marketed internationally) promises to intensify rather than reduce police controls over Aboriginal people. There is also danger in assuming that all indigenous peoples are amenable to conference-style resolutions and that all operate within shaming structures of social control.

Doha Declaration

Education for Justice

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60 years Crime Congress