concept of race and how social inequality occurs in Australia due to this construct
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Social stratification exists in Australia and is made up of many determinants and can be affected by various concepts. Racial stratification is a form of social stratification based on race. 'Race' was imposed upon the Aboriginal people during British invasion, and later on non-Europeans, to justify unequal treatment and establish a dominant race, while creating a hierarchical order in Australia. Therefore, 'race' is used to discriminate between groups, and leads to social inequality in Australia.
'Race' is defined as 'a category of people with common biological traits passed from generation to generation' (Macionis, J. 1987, p.258). A person's biology is 'fixed', and is unalterable through a person's lifetime. According to Cashmore and Troyna (1983), the concept of 'race' became an assumption of personal qualities based on perceived biological differences, and was used to justify inequality between people. Although inaccurate, the ideology of 'race' was applied to the Aborigines, due to 'the colonists' belief, as a central part of their culture, in white supremacy...