Skip to main content Accessibility help
×

Maintenance update

Due to planned maintenance, between 07:00 - 16:00 (UTC) purchasing will not be available. We apologise for any inconvenience.

  1. Home
  2. Books
  3. Obliged to be Difficult
  • Cited by 30
      • Show more authors
      • You may already have access via personal or institutional login
    • Select format
    • Publisher:
      Cambridge University Press
      Publication date:
      01 June 2011
      03 February 2000
      ISBN:
      9780511552199
      9780521773539
      9780521774109
      DOI:
      https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511552199
      Dimensions:
      (228 x 152 mm)
      Weight & Pages:
      0.545kg, 264 Pages
      Dimensions:
      (228 x 152 mm)
      Weight & Pages:
      0.43kg, 264 Pages
      • Subjects:
      Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology
    You may already have access via personal or institutional login
    • Selected: Digital
    Add to cart View cart Buy from Cambridge.org
    Subjects:
    Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology
    Information

    Book description

    Since the 1967 constitutional referendum, Australian governments have moved towards policies of indigenous self-determination. Obliged to be Difficult, first published in 2000, presents the central issue of self-determination as seen by Dr H. C. Coombs, the most important policy maker since the referendum: through what political mechanisms will indigenous Australians find their own voice? Coombs was singularly influential within government in the years 1967 to 1976, and he remained a tireless critic and policy advocate from 1977 to 1996. Rowse's narrative of his work, drawing on many unpublished sources, illuminates the interplay of government policy with indigenous practice. This book is both an account of government policies and a biographical slice of an outstanding Australian. In attempting a critical celebration of Coombs' vision and methods, it invites informed reflection on the issues of land rights, sovereignty and reconciliation in these conservative, and highly anxious, times.

    Reviews

    ‘Rowse has produced the first comprehensive political history of the federal administration of indigenous affairs in late twentieth-century Australia … for those interested in his innovative approach to governance, Obliged to be Difficult is an essential work.’

    Source: The Times Literary Supplement

    ‘… for those who want to understand how negotiations evolved between indigenous groups and successive Australian governments, or who want to draw useful comparisons with other such interactions, this volume offers real insights into the complexities of the process. It also paints a fine biographic portrait of an extraordinary man.’

    Source: Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

    Refine List

    Actions for selected content:

    Select all | Deselect all
    • View selected items
    • Export citations
    • Download PDF (zip)
    • Save to Kindle
    • Save to Dropbox
    • Save to Google Drive

    Save Search

    You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

    Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
    Cancel
    ×

    Contents

    Contents

    Metrics

    Altmetric attention score

    Full text views

    Total number of HTML views: 0
    Total number of PDF views: 0 *
    Loading metrics...

    Book summary page views

    Total views: 0 *
    Loading metrics...

    * Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

    Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

    Accessibility standard: Unknown

    Why this information is here

    This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

    Accessibility Information

    Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.