Being in the black : the business of development in Northern Australia

Abstract

This thesis explores how Indigenous development aspirations vary across social settings, and the ways in which Indigenous people approach 'business' as a means of realising partidcular developemnt goals. Six Indigenous enterprises from two regions are presented as case studies ... Participatory development approaches focus on how power is distributed within various development settings. This approach is relevant in Australia where inqualities characterise both Indigenous/non-Indigenous relations, as well as intra-Indigenous ones. A focus on power allows one to consider how development projects impact upon variously situated Indigenous people and groups. The thesis also contributes new ethnographic material in relation to my two case study groups, and the six study ventures.