The correct answer between the options you've provided is B.
French and Australian assimilationist policies did indeed differ significantly.
-
France often utilized a framework based on the concept of integrating colonial subjects into French culture and the populace through means such as intermarriage and adopting aspects of French identity, which was considered an avenue for granting rights and citizenship. The French viewed themselves as a universalist republic, which claimed to promote equality and citizenship among its subjects, albeit often with an underlying racial and cultural hierarchy.
-
Australia, on the other hand, had a more strict and racially-based assimilation policy, which was heavily influenced by ideas of scientific racism. The emphasis was often on the ideological belief that Aboriginal peoples needed to be assimilated into British culture, with various policies such as the "White Australia Policy" governing immigration and the treatment of Indigenous peoples. The focus was less on intermarriage and more on segregation and the control of Indigenous lives.
In summary, while both countries implemented assimilation policies, they differed in their approaches and underlying philosophies regarding race, culture, and citizenship.