The Moral Economy of Welfare in Torres Strait
Jeremy Beckett, University of Sydney
Much has been said about welfare dependency, particularly among Indigenous people, but little seems to be known about how they explain and understand the government's allocation of funds. Torres Strait Islanders have been receiving Social Service Benefits since 1941. Initially understood as a precursor of 'citizen rights', toward which Islanders were aspiring, the shift to a regime of welfare colonialism from the 1970s on brought with it a discourse of Indigenous entitlement. This discourse has recently become less secure, requiring Islanders in the Strait to reconsider their place in the moral order.
