Aboriginal people in Australia account for a very small proportion of the population, have poorer health outcomes due to the colonization of Europeans and government policies which suppressed their lives through all aspects including social, mental and physical. The essay opens with the pre-invasion health of Aborigines and the trauma caused by assimilation policy which affected their culture, way of life, family and belief systems and health. Aboriginal people regard their land as spiritual and their culture dictates that an Aboriginal person needs to know their origins, emphasising the value placed on kin and also demonstrating a strong desire to remain within their own country. Management of the issues of mental illness in Aboriginal people …show more content…
requires a strong emphasis on cultural safety along with the recognition of family, culture and community in any therapeutic process of health setting. Prior to European invasion in 1788 and settlement Aboriginal Australian enjoyed a non-sedentary life style which focused upon the interrelationships of land, people, the living and non living entities and creator beings. They focused upon maintaining and sustaining their country, relationships and ecosystems (Sherwood.J, 2013) and had a special connection with everything that is natural. For the Aboriginal people, acts such as killing animals for food or building a shelter were steeped in ritual and spirituality, and carried out in perfect balance with their surroundings. Food was abundant, as was fresh water and shelter. Everything needed for a fruitful, healthy life was readily available. They were leading a happy and healthy life. They had their own spiritual healing practices and were responsible of their own health. Aboriginal people had been isolated for thousands of years from the diseases that had raged through Europe and Asia.
However, it appears that mental illness was likely to have been a major cause of death, and anaemia, arthritis, periodontal disease, and tooth attrition were present in Australian Aboriginal culture prior to European colonization of Australia but was, most likely, a relatively rare occurrence (Healey, 2014). They did not suffer from smallpox, measles, influenza, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, venereal syphilis and gonorrhoea, diseases that were common in 18th century Europe but were introduced by non-Aboriginals which they had no resistance to fight with the deadly viruses (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2014). The epidemic caused considerable loss of lives among Aboriginal population and totally undermined …show more content…
others. During process of colonization, European settlers took Aboriginal’s land, destroyed surrounding vegetation, burned grasslands and forest, polluted the water, and depleted the fish by netting huge catches.
The drastic change in the physical environment affected their social, economic and political environment. The land alienation disrupted the social/spiritual structure of group which depressed the population. Food shortages soon became a problem and Aboriginals were close to starvation which physically and mentally affected their health. In addition to the impacts of introduced diseases and conflict, the spread of non-Aborigines undermined the ability of Aboriginal people to lead healthy lives by devaluing their culture, destroying their traditional food base, separating families, and dispossessing whole communities. This loss of autonomy undermined social vitality, which, in turn, affected the capacity to meet challenges, including health challenges; a cycle of dispossession, demoralisation, and poor health was established (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet,
2014). To protect aboriginal people government policies were imposed which followed by the segregation era, by assimilation, integration, self determination and reconciliation. With the segregation depression took hold, rationing was decreased and caused further pressure as result assimilation within protection was adopted (Eckermann, 2010). Assimilation and segregation policy (1950s-1972) states that all Aborigines shall attain the same manner of living as other Australians, have same rights and responsibilities, follow same customs and have same beliefs hopes and loyalties. It was believed that the solution to the Aboriginal problem was for Aboriginal culture to be destroyed, and assimilate into white society and culture and become part of the invading society. Aboriginal culture was seen as primitive. Government settlements were established in many areas to change the way of living of Aboriginals. That her people were dispossessed twice: once when Dhunguddi were forced off their land and next when her father’s farm was changed into a government institution. For instance, life story of Mrs M Quinlan recorded by Anne-Katrin Eckermann indicates This forbidden people to access their traditional foods and they became more dependent to hand outs. Despite assimilation and integration policies, paternalistic policy of protection continued to dominate the health care in this period. By 1965 the Assimilation policy was redefined as all Aboriginal descent will choose to enjoy similar manner of living, enjoy same rights, have same responsibilities and have same hopes and loyalties as other Australians. However, this policy put a legal pressures and cultural pressure to be like white Australians. Assimilation policies focused primarily on children, who were considered more adaptable to white society than Aborigines. Consequently, one of the main features of the assimilation period was the forcible removal of Aboriginal children from their families (Eckermann, 2010). During 1910-1970, generations of Aboriginal children were removed under these policies, and have become known as the Stolen Generations. The removal of child left a remarkable trauma and loss that continues to affect Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal Protection Board had the provision of custody, maintenance and education of children. It could remove any Aborigine from a reserve regardless of his whole family were resident there. Self-supporting, independent Aboriginal people were forcibly placed on reserves by police. No payment for Aboriginal worker and were considered as other or wards of the state. Aboriginal who were removed from protection policy lost rights to unemployment benefits; even rations on reserves were cut and were living in poverty with depression. Aboriginal people were not accepted as equals in a society that still considered them to be an inferior race. The inferior belief undermined the objectives of assimilation policy and lead to its failure.
Indigenous Australian’s health has been a focal point and topic of interest for many members of the government and policy markers. The reasoning for why this topic has been of popular interest for the government and policy makers is due to the startling and atrocious lack of health that Indigenous Australian’s suffer. Indigenous Australian’s are disadvantaged in the Australian healthcare system and have the poorest health out of all Australians. “Between 2004 and 2008, 66% of Indigenous deaths occurred before the age of 65 compared with 20% of non-Indigenous deaths.” (Red Dust, p.1) Indigenous Australian’s experience this major disadvantage and neglect in the Australian society due to the poor health care system and policies that haven’t been able to solve the issue. This essay will explore the significant and negative impact on the Indigenous communities and how policy decisions have impacted and continue to impact the Indigenous communities. This essay will also outline why there have been significant policy shifts over time, the current issues in delivering services to Indigenous Australian’s and why these issues have emerged.
Aboriginal health is majorly determined by several social factors that are related to their cultural beliefs. Health professionals regularly find it difficult to provide health care to aboriginal people due to the cultural disparity that exists between the conventional and aboriginal cultures, predominantly with regard to systems of health belief (Carson, Dunbar, & Chenhall, 2007). The discrepancy between the aboriginal culture and typical Western customs seems to amplify the difficulties experienced in every cross-cultural setting of health service delivery (Selin & Shapiro, 2003). Most of the social determinants of the aboriginal health are due to their strict belief in superstition and divine intervention.
Another issue which commonly affects the Aboriginal population, inhibiting the experience of good health, is culture clash which consistently lead to social exclusion and societal assimilation. Urquhart (2009) identifies social exclusion as the fourth of ten social determinants of health and is often a result of culture clash. It is very important to recognise that culture clash is a cultural issue which gives rise to certain discrepancies that highly influence Aboriginal health. These discrepancies are complex and interspersed factors such as ethnocentrism, segregation and oppression, which all result in the social exclusion and societal assimilation of Aboriginals. Ethnocentrism is described as the tendency to view one’s own culture as superior to all other cultures (Cooper, 2012). Crisp and Taylor (2008) endow that “All people are inclined towards ethnocentrism” and this was reiterated by the Storti (2012) who stated that “Not only is judging natural, it is essential to function effectively in society”. Although, whilst it is a common issue, ethnocentrism becomes a problem when it is exhibited by people whom hold a position of power and who also have the ability to overrule those with lesser power (Crisp & Taylor, 2008). Ethnocentrism is an important factor because it has the potential to develop into such social exclusions as segregation and oppression, especially when it is exhibited by people who hold such positions of power as community or Government leaders. Such was the case when the Aboriginal population began to raise at the beginning of the 20th century (Crisp & Taylor, 2008). The Government powers, influenced by ethnocentrism, developed the policy of segregation which ultimately impacted on many facets of Aborigina...
The 1967 referendum resulted in the change of the Constitution on August 10 of that year, initiating the start of great change for the lives of indigenous people in Australia. The referendum sought to change Sections 51 and 127 of the Constitution. Section 51 stated the Federal Government could make laws for anyone in the nation except aborigines, leaving state governments in charge (Creative Spirits – 1967 Referendum, online, 14/8/15). Section 127 specified that when the population of the Commonwealth was counted, indigenous people were not included (Creative Spirits – 1967 Referendum, online, 14/8/15). According to Faith Bandler, an indigenous civil rights activist, it was important to force the Commonwealth to be responsible for the aborigines
0.8% of the overall Federal health expenditure in 2009 which was spent on Aboriginal health. The overall wellbeing of an individual is more than just being free from disease. It is about their social, emotional, spiritual, physiological as well as the physical prosperity. Indigenous health issues are all around us, but we don’t recognise because it doesn’t affect us, but this issue is a concern to Indigenous Australia and also to modern day Catholics in Australia The statistics relating to Indigenous health is inexcusable, life expectancy is at an all time low, higher hospilatisation for avoidable diseases, alerting rates of deaths from diabetes and kidney disease. This issue is bigger than we all think, for example 13% of Indigenous homes
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have some of the worst health outcomes in comparison to any other indigenous community in the world (AIHW, 2011). According to United Nations official Anand Grover, Aboriginal health conditions are even worse than some Third World countries (Arup & Sharp, 2009), which is astonishing, considering Australia is one of the worlds wealthiest countries. Thoroughly identifying the causes and analysing every aspect behind poor health of indigenous Australians, and Australian health in general, is near impossible due to the complexity and abundant layers of this issue. Even within the category of social determinants, it is hard to distinguish just one factor, due to so many which interrelate and correspond with each other. The aim of this essay is to firstly identify and analyse components of the social determinants of health that impact the wellbeing of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, and demonstrate how they overlap with each other. By analysing the inequalities in health of Aboriginal and non-indigenous Australians, positive health interventions will then be addressed. Racism and the consequences it has on Indigenous health and wellbeing will be discussed, followed by an analysis of how and why social class and status is considered a determining factor when studying the health of the Aboriginal population. The issue relating ...
Introduction In this essay the writer will discuss the colonisation of Australia, and the effects that dispossession had on indigenous communities. It will define health, comparing the difference between indigenous and non- indigenous health. It will point out the benefits and criticism of the biomedical and sociological models of health, and state why it is important in healthcare to be culturally competent with transcultural theory. The case study of Rodney will be analyzed to distinguish which models of health were applied to Rodney’s care, and if transcultural theory was present when health care workers were dealing with Rodney’s treatment plan.
Advanced knowledge of Aboriginal Health policy and issues at the level and national level including understanding successful measures around Closing the Gap in Aboriginal Health inequality. My desire to work in the aboriginal field begins since I was very young. That is why at 16 years of my age I started to be even more interested in understanding all the issues related to the aborigines of this country. Over time, I looked that all my knowledge be trained at health level basis to help to improve the Aboriginal quality of life standards.
Poor living conditions are a major health determinant throughout the indigenous population. Most Indigenous Australians are known to live in rural parts of Australia which are commonly not close to major cities and services. People living in these areas generally have poorer health than others living in the cities and other parts of Australia. These individuals do not have as much access to health services and good quality housing. In 2006 roughly 14% of indigenous households in Australia were overcrowded unlike 5% of other households (AIHW, 2009a). Overcrowded and poor quality houses are commonly associated with poor physical and mental health between the people living in them. The indigenous are n...
According to Australian indigenous website, healthinfoNet, in 2010-2012 life expectancy of indigenous people were 69 years which is 11 years less than the 80 years expected for the non- indigenous men and women. Moreover, the life expectancy for native women was 73 years, during 2010-2012, which is 9.5 years less than the expectation of 83 years for non-Indigenous women. The reason for decreased health can be due to deficiencies in water supply, sanitation and lack of proper medical services.
Since colonialism after the invasion, Australia indigenous peoples have experienced a great deal of loss of identity, loss, disempowerment, cultural alienation, grief. Many indigenous people's mental and physical health impaired. Suicide, family violence, drug abuse and unemployment rates is higher than the Australian average(Berry et al. 2012). That is complicated to contributing to develop and support sustainable mental health and social wellbeing for Australian aboriginals staying in rural areas ,related to much diversity involved in and between individuals and communities (Guerin & Guerin 2012).
Australia had been imperialized by the British for their natural resources, and had used the aboriginal people there as well. They took their land, their people’s lives and their way of life, for Britain’s own gain. The aboriginal population has gone down due to these events, but with the help of organizations like NACCHO, and Oxfam Australia, the aborigines are able to make an attempt to regrow their population. They will also, try to keep hold as well as reteach their cultural beliefs.
Not only did sickness kill many people, but the foreigners that came to Australia killed locals. Western Aranda says “when the whites arrived there were 250 languages” along with 450 different dialects there was a total of 700 languages and now there is only 70 languages left. Luckily now there are radios that play the aboriginal’s
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the first nations, which represented the whole Australian population, for centuries. However, the continuous European colonization has severely affected these peoples and, over the decades, their unique values and cultures, which enriched the life of Australian nation and communities, were not respected and discriminated by numerous restrictive policies. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have turned into the voiceless minority of the Australian population. Fortunately, in recent years, these issues became the concern of the Australian government, promoting a slight improvement in the well being of native Australians. Nowadays, there are numerous social work
Land management was one of the most crucial factors of Indigenous Australian’s survival. Before European landing, Aboriginals were hardworking farmers, growing crops that range from yams and wheat to fruits and berries. Hunting and food collecting also contributed to Aboriginal’s diet.