GREG Kitson | Griffith University (original) (raw)

Papers by GREG Kitson

Studies in Higher Education, 2024

Publish or perish is the cautionary aphorism reminding academics to produce academic work for car... more Publish or perish is the cautionary aphorism reminding academics to produce academic work for career longevity. For communities historically excluded from tertiary institutions, this aphorism can also signify a responsibility to ensure their voices are heard. Tertiary institutions recognise the importance of fostering productive writing opportunities; and writing retreats are a valuable approach. This article demonstrates the importance of writing retreats from the perspective of Indigenous postgraduate scholars in Australia. Two writing retreats were held off-campus in 2018–2019. To identify the impact of the writing retreats, we (the participants in the retreat) used an active participatory approach to explore our experiences using data collected from Yarning circles and written critical self-reflections. We identified three key themes: (1) writing retreats as supportive spaces for academic writing, (2) the development of an ongoing community of practice and (3) the importance of managing cultural risk in Indigenous programs. The findings demonstrate the importance of providing culturally grounded opportunities that support Indigenous scholarship.

State of Australian Cities, 2017

An Australian myth is that Aboriginals reside only in the f ar reaches of Northern Territory, Que... more An Australian myth is that Aboriginals reside only in the f ar reaches of Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Such is f ar f rom the truth. 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census data evidences an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of approximately 649,171, or 2.8% of Australia's total population, and projects that this population will increase to between 907,800 and 945,600 people by 2026 (ABS 2011). The largest population concentrations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are in New South Wales (208,500) and Queensland (189,000), and they comprise 25.5% of the total population of Northern Territory (ABS 2016). More signif icantly, 35% of this Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population live in Australia's major cities and 20% in regional cities; 50.4% of Victoria's Indigenous population live in metropolitan Melbourne. These statistics conf ound this myth, and deceptively hide 'Country' of kin associations under generic 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander' categories, thereby not depicting real population prof iles about Indigenous Australians. More importantly, the statistics raise questions about the sustainment, capacity and practice of Aboriginal relationships and engagement with their 'home' Country as distinct f rom their adopted or transitionary 'Country' of residence. This presentation will summarise and analyse this statistical data, historical settlement patterns, population structure and the cultural dynamics of Aboriginal populations focus ing in particular upon the urban f ootprints of Melbourne and South East Queensland (SEQ). Further examination of these two urban centres suggests the need f or a f ramework towards the development of contemporary protocols to support Traditional Owners, urban Aboriginal populations, planning prof essionals and governments.

Books by GREG Kitson

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Yurlendj-nganjin, 2021

Acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures is now part of Australia’s social conscience a... more Acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures is now part of Australia’s social conscience and is evidenced in art, literature, sport and other mediums. Aboriginal Peoples have played a central role in advancing their inherent rights as Australians, gaining access to their lands and in preserving their cultures.

The central theme of this chapter is to evidence the level of Aboriginal cultural capability through acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures in Australia’s planned urban built environment. The research identified the re-emergence of Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) as a contemporary enhancement of the planning discipline and presented a case study and analysis of Brisbane’s Central Business District (CBD) and the South East Queensland region.

The chapter is based on a supervised honours research project completed in 2016, which included an audit of the planned urban built environment of the Brisbane CBD and an evaluation of key planning instruments that guide development and Aboriginal perspectives. The key findings of this research indicated:

• the planned built environment of Brisbane’s CBD does not effectively achieve Aboriginal cultural capability, and this may be the case across most Australian capital cities
• a deficit of Aboriginal acknowledgment and Aboriginal cultural diversity in the planned urban built environment, particularly CBDs
• minimal understanding and practice of incorporating culture as the fourth pillar of sustainability, particularly for Indigenous cultures
• a need to consolidate research that addresses ICP matters in Australia.

The research identified a set of recommendations, including consideration for the acknowledgment of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures through: alternative urban forms; improvements to the Australian planning system and education; and the introduction of an Aboriginal cultural capability planning framework to assess, guide and ultimately achieve more equitable and diverse outcomes in the planned urban built environment.

Finally, the chapter addresses the profile of ICP in the planning profession, particularly in Australia, by examining Aboriginal acknowledgement and Aboriginal cultural diversity and highlighting the need to achieve improved levels of Aboriginal cultural capability in the planned urban built environments across Australia.

Studies in Higher Education, 2024

Publish or perish is the cautionary aphorism reminding academics to produce academic work for car... more Publish or perish is the cautionary aphorism reminding academics to produce academic work for career longevity. For communities historically excluded from tertiary institutions, this aphorism can also signify a responsibility to ensure their voices are heard. Tertiary institutions recognise the importance of fostering productive writing opportunities; and writing retreats are a valuable approach. This article demonstrates the importance of writing retreats from the perspective of Indigenous postgraduate scholars in Australia. Two writing retreats were held off-campus in 2018–2019. To identify the impact of the writing retreats, we (the participants in the retreat) used an active participatory approach to explore our experiences using data collected from Yarning circles and written critical self-reflections. We identified three key themes: (1) writing retreats as supportive spaces for academic writing, (2) the development of an ongoing community of practice and (3) the importance of managing cultural risk in Indigenous programs. The findings demonstrate the importance of providing culturally grounded opportunities that support Indigenous scholarship.

State of Australian Cities, 2017

An Australian myth is that Aboriginals reside only in the f ar reaches of Northern Territory, Que... more An Australian myth is that Aboriginals reside only in the f ar reaches of Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Such is f ar f rom the truth. 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census data evidences an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of approximately 649,171, or 2.8% of Australia's total population, and projects that this population will increase to between 907,800 and 945,600 people by 2026 (ABS 2011). The largest population concentrations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are in New South Wales (208,500) and Queensland (189,000), and they comprise 25.5% of the total population of Northern Territory (ABS 2016). More signif icantly, 35% of this Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population live in Australia's major cities and 20% in regional cities; 50.4% of Victoria's Indigenous population live in metropolitan Melbourne. These statistics conf ound this myth, and deceptively hide 'Country' of kin associations under generic 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander' categories, thereby not depicting real population prof iles about Indigenous Australians. More importantly, the statistics raise questions about the sustainment, capacity and practice of Aboriginal relationships and engagement with their 'home' Country as distinct f rom their adopted or transitionary 'Country' of residence. This presentation will summarise and analyse this statistical data, historical settlement patterns, population structure and the cultural dynamics of Aboriginal populations focus ing in particular upon the urban f ootprints of Melbourne and South East Queensland (SEQ). Further examination of these two urban centres suggests the need f or a f ramework towards the development of contemporary protocols to support Traditional Owners, urban Aboriginal populations, planning prof essionals and governments.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Yurlendj-nganjin, 2021

Acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures is now part of Australia’s social conscience a... more Acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures is now part of Australia’s social conscience and is evidenced in art, literature, sport and other mediums. Aboriginal Peoples have played a central role in advancing their inherent rights as Australians, gaining access to their lands and in preserving their cultures.

The central theme of this chapter is to evidence the level of Aboriginal cultural capability through acknowledgement of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures in Australia’s planned urban built environment. The research identified the re-emergence of Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) as a contemporary enhancement of the planning discipline and presented a case study and analysis of Brisbane’s Central Business District (CBD) and the South East Queensland region.

The chapter is based on a supervised honours research project completed in 2016, which included an audit of the planned urban built environment of the Brisbane CBD and an evaluation of key planning instruments that guide development and Aboriginal perspectives. The key findings of this research indicated:

• the planned built environment of Brisbane’s CBD does not effectively achieve Aboriginal cultural capability, and this may be the case across most Australian capital cities
• a deficit of Aboriginal acknowledgment and Aboriginal cultural diversity in the planned urban built environment, particularly CBDs
• minimal understanding and practice of incorporating culture as the fourth pillar of sustainability, particularly for Indigenous cultures
• a need to consolidate research that addresses ICP matters in Australia.

The research identified a set of recommendations, including consideration for the acknowledgment of Aboriginal Peoples and cultures through: alternative urban forms; improvements to the Australian planning system and education; and the introduction of an Aboriginal cultural capability planning framework to assess, guide and ultimately achieve more equitable and diverse outcomes in the planned urban built environment.

Finally, the chapter addresses the profile of ICP in the planning profession, particularly in Australia, by examining Aboriginal acknowledgement and Aboriginal cultural diversity and highlighting the need to achieve improved levels of Aboriginal cultural capability in the planned urban built environments across Australia.