Cultural diversity
Australia is a nation of immensely rich and dynamic cultural diversity – over 300 languages are spoken , 15 % of Australians have a first language other than English , and almost half of the population were either born overseas or have a parent who was . However , it must be recognised that people with English as their second or third language can experience frustration and isolation from not being able to express themselves fully at university . This is only made worse by non-inclusive language , so it is essential to make communication as inclusive as possible to ensure the wellbeing of the diverse university community .
Some basic guidelines are as follows :
1 . Avoid assuming someone else ’ s cultural background . Making reference to an individual ’ s culture ( such as describing someone as “ Asian ” or “ Lebanese-Australian ”) is generally not necessary within a work or university context .
2 . Do not call upon an individual student to speak for their culture . Cultures are not monolithic and one person can only represent their own views or speak from their own experiences . This can also put the student or staff member in an uncomfortable situation .
3 . Take responsibility for familiarising yourself with diverse cultures . Do not expect people from other backgrounds to educate you about their culture and history , or to explain racism to you .
4 . Use plain English . In your communications , use the simplest language possible to maximise accessibility for people whose first language is not English .
Where it is appropriate or necessary to speak about a person ’ s cultural background , try to be as specific as possible . Referring to an individual as “ Asian ” or “ African ” overlooks the unique languages and cultures of many countries . Remember to ask the person how they describe their own cultural background , and do not make assumptions about a person based on where they or their family members were born .
The proper names of nationalities , cultures , and ethnicities should always be capitalised . For example : Sudanese , Jewish , Palestinian .
Avoid using terms such as “ ethnic Australians ” or “ ethnic groups ”. This can imply that migrant heritage or migrant status is unusual or a monolithic identity in and of itself .
Stereotypes
Avoid all forms of stereotyping – no race , culture , nationality , or ethnicity is homogeneous . Even “ positive ” stereotypes ( such as “ Your English is so good ! Where are you from ?”) dehumanise the target by reducing them to a single facet of their identity . If a person makes jokes or uses particular terms to describe their own cultural background , this does not mean they will be comfortable with others using that language with or about them .
Indigenous
Appropriate terms for referring to the Indigenous community as a whole include ‘ Indigenous Australians ’, ‘ Aboriginal Australians ’, ‘ Aboriginal person ’, ‘ Aboriginal people ’ ( or ‘ peoples ’ when talking about multiple distinct groups ), ‘ Torres Strait Islander person ’, or Torres Strait Islander people ’ ( or ‘ peoples ’ when talking about multiple distinct groups ). UNSW prefers these terms to ' First Nations '.
Use the adjectives ' Indigenous ', ' Aboriginal ' and / or ' Torres Strait Islander ' when referring to Indigenous Australians . Do not use the noun ‘ Aborigine ’ as it is considered offensive .
Although some Aboriginal people may refer to themselves as ‘ an Aborigine ’ or ‘ a blackfella ’, or just as ‘ black ’, only use these terms when directly quoting an Indigenous source .
Do not use ‘ islander ’ for a Torres Strait Islander person .
When referring to UNSW campuses , use : UNSW is located on the unceded territory of the Bidjigal ( Kensington campus ), Gadigal ( City and Paddington campuses ) and Ngunnawal peoples ( Canberra ) who are the Traditional Owners of the lands where each campus of UNSW is situated .
Note that ‘ gal ’ means ‘ people ’, so it is unnecessary to say ‘ Bidjigal people ’ or ‘ Gadigal people ’.
When referring to the Sydney metropolitan or coastal area , some people accept and use the term ‘ Eora Nation ’, which means ‘ here ’ or ‘ from this place ’. Others understand and refer to these areas as of the Dharug ( Darug ) Nation .
For more information on best practice for Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country in events , refer to the Indigenous Protocols section of the Events Toolkit .
Writing Style Guide | Equity , diversity and inclusion 30 | Back to contents