For Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples, social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) is holistic and requires a balance of connections with family and kinship ties, community, culture, spirituality, body, mind, emotions, land, and sea (Gee et al., 2014; Sutherland & Adams, 2019). When all connections are established, individuals and communities can be “strong, proud, happy and healthy” and have the resources needed to adapt to challenges (Healing Foundation, 2015). Strong community governance is one factor that has a positive impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, SEWB (Gee et al., 2014). A community with strong governance has a strong sense of leadership and has the resources and capacities needed to develop solutions to problems …show more content…
Without strong governance, social dysfunction can occur in communities such as a high prevalence of substance abuse problems and domestic and family violence (Gee et al., 2014). On the other hand, social and economic disadvantage is a factor that has a negative impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Social and economic disadvantage can include poor outcomes in areas such as education, employment, income, home ownership and living conditions (Gee et al., 2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in rural and remote communities tend to experience more disadvantage in these areas due to a lack of resources and poor living conditions (Gee et al., 2014). Social and economic disadvantage can lead to poor social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as disadvantage can become cumulative (Gee et al., 2014). Often, these disadvantages are passed down through generations as a result of the ongoing impacts of colonisation, including marginalisation and exclusion (Gee et al.,
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.
Kirmayer, Sehdev, Whitley, Dandeneau, & Isaac (2009), suggested that a culture-centered approach to resilience is better as a community process, rather than an individual struggle. In this article, the focus is on the Aboriginal people and resilience. The authors warned that resilience should not be used as an all-inclusive term to fix everything, but instead be used as a component of overall wellness in a community. A key strength of the wellness framework is that it is “culturally relative” and each person can define his or her pathway (Newman & Newman, 2012). The road to wellness and resilience is challenging due to the many factors influencing success. External influences can affect how an individual copes with certain situations and it can be detrimental if they have no external support. However, when excellent support is offered, it is more likely that an individual or community can effectively cope. Nevid & Rathus (2010) define acculturative stress as the feelings of tensions and anxiety that comes with trying to adapt to the dominant culture. This can lead to feelings of ambiguity in personal identity and can lead to further
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These focuses and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems. (WHO, 2016). In the video, various social determinants of health were being portrayed. They include aboriginal status; how aboriginal people are treated and how this treatment contributes to the economic status and health status of aboriginal people. Education, as aboriginal schools receive less funding from the government. Housing, as aboriginal people are forced to live in unsuitable reserves. Social exclusion and social safety net as aboriginal people are excluded from society. The social determinants of health are what contributes to the attributes of social justice. This problem also led to a larger and broader issue in society that includes the attributes of social justice. Social justice problems such as human and civil rights that includes sexism and racism. Equity in which the distribution of society’s wealth is not distributed fairly and results aboriginal people receive less of society’s wealth. Equity refers to fair shares. (CNA, 2010). It also leads to poverty as they experience lack of access to basic needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter. It also led to higher suicide rates and increase rate of aboriginal people in federal prisons. It also contributes to many health issues such as 42% of aboriginal children lack dental care, tuberculous rate four times higher and diabetics rate three times higher. Most of all it has led
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...
There are significant health disparities that exist between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. Being an Indigenous Australian means the person is and identifies as an Indigenous Australian, acknowledges their Indigenous heritage and is accepted as such in the community they live in (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2010). Compared with Non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people die at much younger ages, have more disability and experience a reduced quality of life because of ill health. This difference in health status is why Indigenous Australians health is often described as “Third World health in a First World nation” (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, & Bailie, 2007, p.xxi). Aboriginal health care in the present and future should encompass a holistic approach which includes social, emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing in order to be culturally suitable to improve Indigenous Health. There are three dimensions of health- physical, social and mental- that all interrelate to determine an individual’s overall health. If one of these dimensions is compromised, it affects how the other two dimensions function, and overall affects an individual’s health status. The social determinants of health are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age which includes education, economics, social gradient, stress, early life, social inclusion, employment, transport, food, and social supports (Gruis, 2014). The social determinants that are specifically negatively impacting on Indigenous Australians health include poverty, social class, racism, education, employment, country/land and housing (Isaacs, 2014). If these social determinants inequalities are remedied, Indigenous Australians will have the same opportunities as Non-Ind...
Saggers, S., & Walter, M. (2007). Poverty and social class. In Bailie, Carson, Chanhall + Dunbar Social determinants of indigenous health. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have faced disadvantages in various areas, particularly housing. The disadvantages these people face now are the result of policies introduced by the European settlers, then the government. The policies introduced were protection, assimilation, integration and self-determination. It is hard to understand the housing disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if their history is not known.
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...
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...
In order to understand the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal health; it is important to recognize their worldview or set of beliefs on health (Tilburt, 2010). They practice a “holistic” approach unlike the Western Biomedical model where health is centred on biological functioning (Lock, 2007). According to this model the essence of being healthy relies on the mental, spiritual and social well-being rather than the absence of an illness (Hampton & Toombs, 2013). It is closely linked to spiritual and environmental factors; the heart of which is country, tradition and kinship. Land is a source of identity and spirituality for indigenous people (Hampton & Toombs, 2013). Kinship manages connection to land as well as ceremonial obligations and interpersonal relationships (Hampton & Toombs, 2013). For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a healthy person consists of physical and spiritual elements. It’s evident that colonisation eroded the structures upon which Indige...
Calma, T. & Dudgeon, P. 2013, Mental health gap must be addressed, The Australian, .
Pompeii, rome was a city that had an extremely interesting and sublime history, this city had gone through a disaster that enabled many archeologists to find many artifacts that were held inside of this city of ash. In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted, encasing the town in a sheet of not lava, but pure volcanic ash that caused for the city to have been completely buried and hidden from the world, Pompeii was no to be rediscovered for many years to come. "The ruined city remained frozen in time until it was discovered by a surveying engineer in 1748." (Owens). The eruption of Mount Vesuvius had caused for the city of Pompeii to remain in a "Time Capsul-like" state, making it a preserved ground for exploration.
One of the biggest issues effecting Indigenous Australians is inequality, this negative one-sided view has led to many young Aboriginals leading a life of social disparity.
Racism and social disadvantage being the by-products of Australian colonisation have become reality for Aboriginal people from the early beginnings as well as being prevalent to this day. There exists a complex and strong association between racism and Aboriginal poor health, assisting in the undermining of the emotional and social wellbeing of this Indigenous group. Racism has an adverse and insidious effect upon the psychological and physical health of the Aboriginal people, as it gnaws away on the mental state of the individual, having detrimental consequence upon the standard of acceptable health in today 's modern society. The effects of this discrimination become the catalyst towards the undermining of one 's self esteem which leads to detrimental stress levels, self-negativity and having the potential
Dudgeon, P., Walker, R., & Milroy, H. (2014). Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles (2nd ed.). Perth: Kulunga Research Network.