Having read specific articles on current social issues pertaining to; emotional and economical realities, of the Aboriginal Peoples, women’s rights, homelessness/poverty, and mental health persons, I realize there are greater underlings, that emphases the linking of these social groups. This includes, multiple sub-categories on marginalized populations in Canada today; hate crimes that are still prevalent, substance abuse at an upsurge, and suicide that is an invisible crisis among populations from the Aboriginal Peoples, mental health, to the homeless society groups. These play an environmental negative effect on theses stereotyped populations among the media. The media are playing a considerable role in how society (we) views these groups, …show more content…
observing through a narrow perspective, which merely gives an one-sided opinion, or what sells in these ideas and writings. Thus, leading the naïve reader to believe what they have read, heard or seen it is for them to further their thoughts or education on these subjects, which is not the case, directing to societies stigmas. Firstly, the article “Harm Reduction Approach Provides Alcohol to Chronic, Homeless Alcoholics” was written by, Dene Moore and published by The Canadian Press, on March 11, 2014.
In this article Moore describes, the extreme crisis of toxic alcoholism among the homeless, versus implementing the controversial harm reduction approach; she claims that with the radical effect on alcoholism and how the homeless are going to great measures to get the effects of alcohol at what ever the cost. The damage to their bodies is substantial, drinking Listerine, aftershave, hand sanitizer, and rubbing alcohol; causing the homeless not seek shelters in the winter and freezing to death “can’t do without their alcohol” (Moore, 2014, para. 9). This is triggering death rates to escalate at an influx, which could be capped with programs being put into place. Next, Moore illustrates; that providing these alternative measures, to help protect and decrease hospital visits, mortality rates that these harm reduction programs would benefit the community and this marginalized population. Harm reduction programs have been set in place already by the Federal government for specific illegal drug users “approach reduced emergency hospital visits and arrests among participants” (Moore, 2014, para. 5), by stating this in the article this brings to light that there are positive outcomes to this approach, decreasing intakes for emergency hospital stays and police interactions. Moore is also addressing the …show more content…
controversial stigma and questions attached by providing alcohol to the homeless, the public feels that this would enable the homeless, not considering that this as a form of recovery, and harm reduction “members can swap toxic, non-beverage alcohol for Two liters of each is donated to an alcohol exchange program” (Moore, 2014, para. 20). Also, she is revealing to persons that what this system is doing is aiding, and improves the way of life for the homeless and enhances the community. Therefore, looking in-depth to the societal change an anti-oppression approach must be applied to this marginalized group. As Social Service Worker, it is in the best interest of this group to use this practice “facilitate the personal and political empowerment of groups that are disadvantaged by intersecting systems of racism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, sexism, and other forms of oppression” (Prada, H., Barnoff, L., Moffatt, K., & Homan, S. M., 2011 p.36). It would benefit them with this approach by giving an open mind letting them heal at the pace they need; seeing the effects of detox without proper support it is detrimental that anyone with an addiction seek the proper support and help. Secondly, the article “Family Devastated by Discovery of Missing Man’s Body in Guelph’s North End” was written by S. Tracey and published in the Guelph Mercury on October 17, 2014. In this article Tracey expresses the impact of lack of agency support for people who have mental health and addictions is the cause of death for Wayne Rutledge, 37; she claims, “due to the lack of availability, he never managed to find help he needed” (Tracey, 2014, para. 10), Wayne Rutledge would be still alive today. Next, Tracy shows evidence that supports her statements, with Rutledge making multiple efforts to reach out locating sources of support, but too no avail was able to do so “he made efforts to enter Renascent, an alcohol and drug treatment center in Toronto but was having a difficult time getting in” (Tracey, 2014, para. 9). Therefore, he moved to Guelph to try to get into Homewood another treatment center and with an additional failed attempt, he went missing in December of 2012, and leaving behind a thirteen-year-old son. Finally she concludes, that a tip led the police to find his body on Monday on Guelph’s Arrow Road; Rutledge, a graduate of the police foundations program at Sheridan College in Brampton could have brought so much insight to the community. The third article “Homeless Woman Brutally Attacked” was written by Jonathan Charlton and published in The Windsor Star on June 14, 2014.
In this article Charlton describes the inhuman attack committed on a homeless Aboriginal woman on the streets of Prince Albert. The attacker left Marlene Bird, 47; severely cut on the face, and her body so badly burnt that her legs had to be amputated. She is facing countless surgeries to correct these horrific hate crimes that were executed on her. He first notes that the police have a surveillance video and were examining it to see any further evidence “happens in a secluded area, like where this occurred, (it) makes it a little more difficult, but we’re doing our best to develop a timeline” (Charlton, 2014, para. 4). Charlton is also addressing the issues of past history of Residential School System, and that Bird fell into some difficulties with addictions, but never became a resentful person. Even receiving a settlement from the government she only bought a trailer for herself and gave the rest away to which she felt less fortunate than her “she opted to give the money away to help others in need” (Charlton, 2014, para. 10). Finally, he concludes with the illustration of Bird at a march for peace downtown Prince Albert, she is a Residential School Survivor “children were denied their language, spiritual rituals and, more importantly, access to their families. Aboriginal children were often subjected to emotional, physical and sexual
abuse” (Hick, 2013, p.202). In conclusion, these specific marginalized populations are often stereotyped by society, due to negative media portrayals. Journalist need to pay special attention when addressing social groups of oppressed peoples; by focusing on empowerment and guiding the public on how they (we) as a humanity can support, instead of stereotype and criticize with judgmental views. There needs to be a set guideline for Social Workers in these areas of work; working in a
Her book focuses on the myriads of issues and struggles that Indigenous men and women have faced and will continue to face because of colonialism. During her speech, Palmater addressed the grave effects of the cultural assimilation that permeated in Indigenous communities, particularly the Indian Residential School System and the Indian Act, which has been extensively discussed in both lectures and readings. Such policies were created by European settlers to institutionalize colonialism and maintain the social and cultural hierarchy that established Aboriginals as the inferior group. Palmater also discussed that according to news reports, an Aboriginal baby from Manitoba is taken away every single day by the government and is put in social care (CTVNews.ca Staff, 2015). This echoes Andrea Smith’s argument in “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing” that colonialism continues to affect Aboriginals through genocide (2006, p. 68). Although such actions by the government are not physical acts of genocide, where 90% of Aboriginal population was annihilated, it is this modern day cultural assimilation that succeeded the Indigenous Residential School System and the Indian Act embodies colonialism and genocide (Larkin, November 4,
Fleras, Augie. “Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Repairing the Relationship.” Chapter 7 of Unequal Relations: An Introduction to Race, Ethnic and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada. 6th ed. Toronto: Pearson, 2010. 162-210. Print.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the government began abolishing the compulsory residential school education among Aboriginal people. The government believed that Aboriginal children could receive a better education if they were integrated into the public school system (Hanson). However, residential schools were later deemed inappropriate because not only were the children taken away from their culture, their families and their people, but the majority of students were abus...
Substance abuse is a wide-reaching issue affecting millions of people worldwide. It is an issue particularly troublesome for members of an oppressed class, in this case homeless women, as examined by the authors (Wenzel et al, 2009) in the article. Nearly 50% of homeless women reported drug use, and 32% of them reported binge drinking in Los Angeles, compared to 16% and 17% for drug use and binge drinking among women occupying a low-income house (p. 16).
Alcoholism has been a fixture in our society since the first introduction of alcohol. Despite it being an equal opportunity disease, a large majority of not only the treatment, but also the research, has been about men. This lack of consideration of the different needs for men and women has led to many women going through recovery systems that do not address their experiences, and therefore do not allow them to take full advantage of that recovery system. This paper will attempt to look at the different experiences that men and women have in their journey through a substance addiction (particularly alcohol), from addiction through recovery. The main recovery method that will be discussed here is Alcoholics Anonymous. As an observation addition to this assignment, I sat in on an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Kerrville, TX. The meeting was on Thanksgiving Day at noon. I took detailed notes of the meeting, while keeping a watchful eye for any gendered interactions during the flow of the meeting.
Despite the decreasing inequalities between men and women in both private and public spheres, aboriginal women continue to be oppressed and discriminated against in both. Aboriginal people in Canada are the indigenous group of people that were residing in Canada prior to the European colonization. The term First Nations, Indian and indigenous are used interchangeably when referring to aboriginal people. Prior to the colonization, aboriginal communities used to be matrilineal and the power between men and women were equally balanced. When the European came in contact with the aboriginal, there came a shift in gender role and power control leading towards discrimination against the women. As a consequence of the colonization, the aboriginal women are a dominant group that are constantly subordinated and ignored by the government system of Canada. Thus today, aboriginal women experiences double jeopardy as they belong to more than one disadvantaged group i.e. being women and belonging to aboriginal group. In contemporary world, there are not much of a difference between Aboriginal people and the other minority groups as they face the similar challenges such as gender discrimination, victimization, and experiences injustice towards them. Although aboriginal people are not considered as visible minorities, this population continues to struggle for their existence like any other visible minorities group. Although both aboriginal men and women are being discriminated in our society, the women tends to experience more discrimination in public and private sphere and are constantly the targeted for violence, abuse and are victimized. In addition, many of the problems and violence faced by aborigin...
Residential schools undoubtedly created detrimental inter-generational consequences. The dark legacy of residential schools has had enduring impact, reaching into each new generation, and has led to countless problems within Aboriginal families including: chemical dependence, a cycle of abuse in families, dysfunctional families, crime and incarceration, depression, grief, suicide, and cultural identity issues (McFarlan, 2000, p. 13). Therefore, the inter-generational consequence...
Justice has began to commence for many of Canada’s Indigenous people now that considerably one of our Nation’s darkest secrets has been spilled. The Residential School system was a collection of 132 church-run, government-funded boarding schools that was legally required for all Indigenous Canadian children. Canadian Residential Schools ran up until 1996 and, for decades, the secrets from within the walls of the institutions have been hidden. But now, the truth has finally come to light.
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But it was not until the nineteenth century that the active substances in drugs were extracted. There was a time in history when some of these newly discovered substances, such as morphine, laudanum, cocaine, were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments.
In this story, poverty and homelessness is the underlying problem. However another problem discussed is whether or not the potential loss of funding sources to help the homeless justify not standing up against policy that negatively affects the homeless population by causing unjust criminalization (Pg. 100). In my heart, and in a perfect world, I would never want to sacrifice my beliefs of fighting for the greater good of all people, but I understand that it is more complicated than this in real life. There is no doubt that we are all born with different opportunities. Our text explains some of the personal factors that determines who is homeless. Some of the contributing causes of homelessness include addiction, disability, mental illness,
The dictionary describes alcoholism as continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks. However, this disease is much more complex. Alcohol abuse is a growing problem in the United States today, causing more and more deaths each year. It affects nearly everyone in the U.S. today, either directly or indirectly. Over half of Americans have at least one close relative that has a drinking problem. About 20 million people in the United States abuse alcohol. It is the third leading cause of preventable deaths, and about 100,000 people die each year from alcohol related incidents (Peacock 11).
Per-capita consumption of alcohol in the United Kingdom (U.K.) rose 19% between 1980 and 2007, compared with a 13% decline for all 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That’s a shocking number to be an alcohol level. In Britain many people are concerned about the alcohol consumption level, but on the other hand scientists say that the consumption of liquor is not the problem. They believe alcohol is the solution to a deeper problem people in the U.K. have. Scientists believe that more people are drinking because depression is becoming more common. While scientist think that people are drinking to help cope with their depression, the people of Britain feel that the high level of consumption is getting higher because people are just drinking because they can. Alcoholism is a big ordeal in Britain for the fact that it is costing them about 6 billion pounds a year. The average person from Britain has fifteen and one half liters of pure alcohol to drink daily. The people of Britain think the cost is not worth it. The country won't make it much longer paying that much just for liquor. Alcohol has been around for ages and people don't assume it is going to go away anytime soon. The discovering of alcohol turned into the production of alcohol for sell. But, with the sale of it came the overuse of it. And the overuse became the abuse of it. Alcohol might not have been the best find, but it was one of the most popular finds in history.
In today’s materialistic society, there are a number of problems causing moral degradation or breakdown of societies. Alcohol abuse in one of them and it has become a severe problem for modern societies. Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world and now it is a national epidemic. Alcohol abuse has adverse social and economic effects on the individual drinker, the drinker’s immediate environment and society as a whole. According to a new research, Up to 15 people die and more than 430 are being admitted to hospital every day in Australia because of alcohol related illness. Government is trying to prevent alcohol abuse by imposing various measures and considers raising of tax on alcohol the most effective way to reduce alcohol abuse as it will reduce affordability.
Reporting a history of illicit drug use has steadily risen since the recent years. Results suggest that over time, addiction trends among the homeless people have changed to and involved multiple substance abuse with more of cannabis and minor sedatives abuse particularly among the younger persons. Rates of high level of drinking has also increased, majorly among the women both singles and married leading to family problems.
It is shocking to know that approximately 3.5 million people in the United States, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year . About 40 percent of single homeless people are abusing drugs or alcohol and sadly, the majority of homeless people with addictive disorders have never received any type of drug or alcohol treatment . Not only is homelessness an economic issue, but it is a social one as well. Homelessness is increasing in the United States and it is a problem that which strikes Americans of every age, religion and ethnicity and affects people from urban and rural communities alike. A few factors contribute to the increase in homelessness. Low wage jobs, high unemployment rates and a high cost of living force countless Americans to choose between housing, food and other basic necessities. People become homeless for multiple reasons. The number of people who became homeless boomed in the 1980s, as federal funds were taken from low income housing and social assistance programs for low income families and the mentally ill. While economic factors are usually a primary cause for homelessness, long term issues like mental illness, drug addiction, and alcoholism can aggravate situations of poverty and put people at greater risk of being homeless. This is a problem because the high cost of health insurance leaves homeless people without access to proper care to treat mental illness or drug or alcohol addiction. Fortunately, the government has decided to take action against this problem. The city of San Francisco has received $5 million in federal and foundation grants to fund counseling services to h...