Racism And Its Impact On Indigenous People Health Care In Australia

Essay on First People Health- A Critical Reflection

The Historical Injustices and Policies

Write about the Essay on First People Health for a Critical Reflection.
 

The First People history continually impacts their health (Ewen, Mazel & Knoche, 2012). The First People of Australia were faced with series of historical injustices that had profound impact to their health. The First People were colonized that followed several government policies that disrupted their lives. The process of colonization started in the 1700s and the policy eras developed in different time period. Colonization and early government policies affected the First People culture, values, and beliefs. They were also alienated from their ancestral land. One of the historic policy eras that had impact on First People health was protection by segregation that was dominant in 1890s to 1950s (Fuller, Howard, & Cummings, 2008). The key themes in this context are racism, stolen generation, dispossession, culture alienation, and social Darwinism. Segregation was the process of separating indigenous Australians from the other Australians who were majorly White people (Ewen, Mazel & Knoche, 2012). Segregation was from the dominant culture and the government policies that forced First People to think and act in a certain way and live in particular areas (Sutherland, Hindmarsh, Moran, & Levesque, 2017). This led to issues of stolen generation where First People children were taken away from them and they were forced to reserve camps. Their land was taken, culture disrupted and they were expected to die out. Social Darwinism expected all indigenous people would die out. The First People culture was also alienated by forcefully placing different groups together that caused disharmony of the many cultures of the indigenous Australians. From the historic study on first people health and practice, I was resonated by the impact of racism to indigenous people health. I was devastated how racism had profound impact on first people health that is still experienced in today’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities. In the following essay, I will reflect on racism and it impact to indigenous people health as a result of segregation.

During the semester, I learnt about the racism and it impact to indigenous people health. I have learnt how past events of segregation amounted to racism causing profound health effects that are still in existence to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. As a white person, I am able to reflect how it would feel being discriminated on basis of race that am born to. Born in a certain race is not an individual choice and cannot be changed. Therefore, it an oppressive situation to be discriminated on basis of race as it cannot be changed or reversed. I can imagine the depression and psychological distress that indigenous people were subjected to by race discrimination that denied them privileges like other Australians. As a profession health care provider, who abides to professional practices, standards and ethics, I appreciated the need for equity in health care provision. All people have equal right to access and quality health care for respect of human dignity. I therefore feel I have a role to continually advocate for equality in health care provision in my professional practice. According to Isaacs et al. (2010), discrimination on basis of race lead to physiological reactions such as stomach aches, headaches and pounding hearts. On another account Ewen, Mazel & Knoche, (2012) states that racism leads to emotional responses that include shame, anxiety, humiliation, hopelessness, and depression. Racism can therefore deteriorate an individual health as in the case of indigenous Australians. From my culture, systematic racism is rampart where indigenous people are discriminated in terms of requirements, practices, processes, and conditions. The indigenous people lack most privileges that the dominant culture has thereby being subjected to a systemic racism. My understanding of racism is that it existed in my culture in different levels and in today’s society the most ramparts is institutional racism. My culture influenced by perception to think that racism is justifiable and white people deserve preference. The study in this course has changed my perception and the approach that I will use to interact with indigenous people in health care. I will advocate for equality in health care delivery by ensuring indigenous people can access to all privileges that other Australians have.

Impact of Racism on Indigenous People Health Care

From the study on racism and its effects on indigenous people health, I was devastated that issues of racism caused negative effects to First People health. I started to question why I was devastated about racism. In order to understand my reaction on the topic, I will have to undertake a critical reflection on dominant culture paradigm. This will explore viewpoints and assumptions that shape perceptions and influence interactions with First People in health care. First, why was I devastated with effects of racism in relation to indigenous people health care? My reactions were after learning how segregation in Australian system affected Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders health. Hart, Moore, & Laverty (2017) noted that racism caused transgenerational trauma to indigenous people who were discriminated and denied privileges as other Australians. The indigenous people were faced with mental health problems as a result of racism in the country that came from the dominant culture and the policies that were made to target them. For example, the indigenous people were forced to move out of town and were placed in reserves that were managed by Boards. The indigenous people were exposed to different levels of racism that oppressed their ability to lead a healthy life. According to Miller et al., (2015), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders health and wellness was connected to land and sea respectively. The indigenous people were dispossessed from their land and it was taken by White Australia. This was as a result of ethnocentric racism when one group was given preference over the other. Racism caused depressions, substance abuse, psychological distress, reluctance to seek medical attention, and health issues being overlooked (Priest et al., 2011). Secondly, why was I devastated? It because I did not know that racism had negative effect to First People health. There are several assumptions why I did not know about the impact of history and racism to indigenous people health. It was assumed that First people health was not important. The indigenous health was overlooked as it was assumed they would die out. The policy makers were expecting that the indigenous people would become extinct thereby it was a matter of time and they would leave Australia for white people. It also assumed that indigenous people have the same privileges as white people. This is not true and lead to oppression of the indigenous people who lack access to health care or cannot affordable health care as compared to white people. Thirdly, why was did I not know the assumptions that led to racism affecting indigenous health? This was because of the dominant culture viewpoint. The western culture has been the dominant culture that shape how people and institutions perceive and think in relation to a specific issue. In this case, the dominant western viewpoint made it impossible for me to learn or be taught in the western education system. The western education did not value or see value in student being taught the profound impact of racism to indigenous people health. The second dominant viewpoint is western medicine is superior to other types of medicines (Ewen, Mazel, & Knoche, 2012). This viewpoint undermines other communities’ traditional medicines. The western medicine viewpoints see no value to studying other communities’ medicine (Shahid, Bleam, Bessarab, & Thompson, 2010). Another dominant viewpoint of western people is culture and health. The western viewpoint on health is physical and mental wellness. This is different to indigenous communities who had their holistic approach to health that include spirituality. The indigenous people health is connected to family, kinship, and ancestral land (Priest et al., 2012). The western viewpoint is discriminates against the Aboriginals and Torres Strait islander approach to health. The western viewpoint overlooked the important of teaching First People health problems caused by racism. Fourth, why was I not taught the impact of racism to indigenous people health? What were the causes of being not taught the relationship of racism and health of the indigenous people? The reasons why I was not taught the negative impact of racism to indigenous health is because of the western society ideas, customs, and social behavior. The western society thinking and way of doing things disregarded the first people way of their thinking (Waterworth et al., 2015). The western society customs focused the attention advancing their health care rather than getting a holistic approach for all people who were living in Australia. The dominant culture paradigm shaped by dominant viewpoint and culture influenced what is acceptable and set of policies that are used in Australia. The dominant paradigm of superiority led to racism against the First people of Australia that has negative impact on their health. From the critical reflection analysis, I feel the dominance paradigm need to be changed and be equitable to all people.   

The Dominant Culture Paradigm

As a professional healthcare provider, I have been taught on the importance of a holistic health care. Holistic approach to health care can only be achieved by understanding a patient’s way of thinking, history, and culture. From the reflective process on racism against First People of Australia, I have learnt and understood how racism is related to health care. I am deeply moved by how racism caused depression, distress, abuse of substance, and transgenerational trauma among the First People of Australia that begin to increase my interest to learn and transforms my professional practice when providing health care to indigenous people. I have learnt how western viewpoint influence what one is taught in school and at home. The dominant viewpoint of western society on health issues overlooks the First People health needs for wellbeing. The viewpoint acts as a great influence that is powerful and determines culture. The dominant culture shapes the ideas, customs, and social behaviors that are generally accepted by the society (Ziersch, Baum, & Bentley 2011). The culture determines what is important and not important. In this case, the western culture perceived First People culture as less important. The dominant paradigm is shaped by dominant viewpoint and culture. It sets accepted processes and models that shape how policies and practices are done. The dominant viewpoint, culture, and paradigm are discriminative to other people who are not in dominance. Therefore, I will have learnt that I have to consider first people way of life, culture, and history to be transformative and enhance provision of holistic health care to indigenous people.

From the critical reflection, I have been able to reflect on my culture and dominant viewpoints, assumptions, and paradigm on the issue of racism and First People health. I have gained knowledge, skills and changed of attitude when interacting with First People of Australia in health care. First, I have been able to understand the importance of equality in the society and it impact to a disadvantaged population health. Racism disadvantages the minority population denying them privileges that the dominant people have. The each population has its own specific health need that is different from other or dominant population. As a midwife, I have learnt to embrace equality and continuously advocate for equality in health care provision for person centered health care. Secondly, I have been able to attain cultural awareness. I have been able to learn the importance of culture in providing holistic health care. Culture awareness is an important tool to understanding health problems and recommending healthy practices to First People of Australia. I have also learnt the skill of cultural competence. Cultural competence involves appreciation and acceptance of another culture. From the critical reflection I have learn to appreciate and accept First People customs, culture, and viewpoint to health. Culture competence is an important aspect to interacting and working effectively with people of different culture (Clark, 2011). As a health care provider, cultural competence is an important aspect to my professional practice. I will need cultural competence to continuously improve my interact6ion with First People when providing health care and be able to build trustful relationship and deliver holistic care in my career. 

References

Clark, S. (2011). Health initiatives by Indigenous people in Australia. The Lancet, 377(9783), 2066-2067.

Ewen, S., Mazel, O., & Knoche, D. (2012). Exposing the Hidden Curriculum Influencing Medical Education on the Health of Indigenous People in Australia and New Zealand: The Role of the Critical Reflection Tool. Academic Medicine, 87(2), 200-205.

Fuller, D., Howard, M., & Cummings, E. (2008). The impact of institutional racism upon indigenous economic and human development in Australia. Development in Practice, 14(4), 559-568.

Hart, M., Moore, M., & Laverty, M. (2017). Improving Indigenous health through education. The Medical Journal of Australia, 207(1), 11-12.

Isaacs, A., Pyett, P., Oakley?Browne, M., Gruis, H., & Waples?Crowe, P. (2010). Barriers and facilitators to the utilization of adult mental health services by Australia’s Indigenous people: Seeking a way forward. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 19(2), 75-82.

Miller, A., Massey, P., Judd, J., Kelly, J., Durrheim, D., Clough, A., . . . Saggers, S. (2015). Using a participatory action research framework to listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia about pandemic influenza. Rural and Remote Health, 15(3), 2923.

Priest, N., Mackean, T., Davis, E., Briggs, L., & Waters, E. (2012). Aboriginal perspectives of child health and wellbeing in an urban setting: Developing a conceptual framework. Health Sociology Review, 21(2), 180-195.

Priest, Naomi, Paradies, Yin, Stewart, Paul, & Luke, Joanne. (2011). Racism and health among urban Aboriginal young people. BMC Public Health, 11, 568.

Sutherland, K., Hindmarsh, D., Moran, K., & Levesque, J. (2017). Disparities in experiences and outcomes of hospital care between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients in New South Wales. The Medical Journal of Australia, 207(1), 17-18.

Shahid, S., Bleam, R., Bessarab, D., & Thompson, S. (2010). “If you don’t believe it, it won’t help you”: Use of bush medicine in treating cancer among Aboriginal people in Western Australia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 6(1), 18.

Waterworth, P., Pescud, M., Braham, R., Dimmock, J., & Rosenberg, M. (2015). Factors Influencing the Health Behaviour of Indigenous Australians: Perspectives from Support People. PLoS One, 10(11), E0142323.

Ziersch, G., Baum P., & Bentley M. (2011). Responding to racism: Insights on how racism can damage health from an urban study of Australian Aboriginal people. Social Science & Medicine, 73(7), 1045-1053.