Explain how racism manifests in the health sector of Australia and discuss its significance

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Apr 28, 2024

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SOC10004 Assignment 3: Essay Explain how racism manifests in the health sector of Australia and discuss its significance. In January 1788, the First Fleet of British ships arrived in Botany Bay to establish a prison colony, the first on the Australian mainland, and invaded the homes of Indigenous Australians. Since 1788 and to the current life, Indigenous Australians are still experiencing negative impacts on society, the economy and the health sector. In addition to the harmful effects that persist throughout Indigenous life, racism however, is still prevalent, particularly in Australia towards Indigenous Australians. When compared to non-Indigenous Australians, racism has created substantial obstacles for Indigenous Australians, leaving them with tougher challenges. However, it is still evident in modern life that racism is still lurking within politics and institutions that favour non-Indigenous Australians compared to Indigenous Australians. This essay will examine how the domino effect of colonisation, better known as intergeneration trauma, has impacted the opportunities of Indigenous Australians, especially in the aspect of the health sector in Australia. There will be further discussion on children’s mental health, alcohol usage, diseases and the lack of self-assessed health, and how racism has come to significantly disadvantage Indigenous Australians. Systemic and institutionalised racism against Indigenous Australians is still relevant in contemporary Australia, often manifesting through discrimination against Indigenous Australians in a variety of settings, such as but not limited to health care. According to Elias, Mansouri & Paradies “experiences of racism have strong associations with mental and physical health” (Elias, Mansouri & Paradies, 2021). Looking at how the colonisation of Australia affected the Indigenous Australians in 1788, there are still ramifications in 2022; for example, the effects of the Stolen Generation are still affecting the current Indigenous Australian life, causing intergeneration trauma. When trauma is passed down through generations it is known to leave a chemical mark on a person’s genes (Erdeyi, 2022) making it understandable why intergeneration trauma is easily passed on through generations. For example, with the Stolen Generation survivors, it is comprehensible to see why the new generations have a lack 1

SOC10004 Assignment 3: Essay of trust in the government and health sector found in Australia, therefore showing how significant racism is in affecting sectors of Australian life. Unbeknownst to some, racism is considered a key driver in one’s mental health status, because of the susceptibility linked with their developmental stage, racism might have a greater impact on children and teens (Elias, Mansouri & Paradies, 2021). Intergeneration trauma is linked to increasing suicide rates and suicide-related behaviour among Indigenous Australians, in 2015 suicide was the leading cause of death accounting for 26.5% of children aged between 5-17 years old (Dudgeon, Blustein, Bray et al, 2021). Seeing the relationship between intergeneration trauma, modern-day racism and the Australian health sector it comes as no surprise that Indigenous Australians have a historical distrust when it comes to dealing with government-funded services (Ralph & Ryan, 2017). By having access to mental health services, these statistics would lessen, however, it is clear to see that the manifestation of racism is present within the health sector and currently affecting communities. By affecting one's mental health, there is a form of a domino effect, racism can cause one to have increased depression or anxiety, which could lead to an increase in substance abuse and make it increasingly harder for them to assess their health to address issues. Therefore, racism is manifesting within the health sector, primarily through the mental health sector, causing detrimental outcomes for Indigenous Australians and their mental health. The impact of colonialism, still carries on today with hidden racism in the health sector of Australia towards Indigenous peoples, when compared to the standards for non-Indigenous Australians (Axelsson, Kukutai & Kippen, 2016). The psychological effects of racism and intergeneration trauma can be reasons why drug usage is well known within Indigenous Australian communities, similar to the reasoning as mental health increases for Indigenous Australians previously mentioned. Indigenous Australians make up 2.6% of the Australian population, however, they suffer from alcohol- related damages at a rate that is disproportionate to the rest of the population; for example, 22.7% of Indigenous Australians have a long-term, high-risk alcohol addition, whereas only 9.7% of non- Indigenous Australians have a long-term, high-risk addiction (Wilson, Stearne, Gray & Saggers, 2010). As a consequence of intergeneration trauma and ongoing racism, leaving Indigenous 2

SOC10004 Assignment 3: Essay Australians to suffer physically and mentally, it is not surprising that alcohol is used as a healing method. Hence, showing that racism is still heavily manifesting throughout the Australian health sector concerning alcohol consumption. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the physical and social circumstances in which an individual’s live has a significant impact on whether they live a generally healthy life. This is especially true for Indigenous Australians, who continue to bear the effects of European settlement, including the burden of “new” infectious and chronic illnesses (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015). The link between oral care and racism for Indigenous Australians may not be anticipated however has a long-standing relationship, due to many factors. For example, Indigenous Australians who go to receive dental care may have worries that are not properly acknowledged or handled correctly, resulting in delayed future care and the spread of fears to children and families (Hedges, Hagg, Paradies et al., 2021). When one thinks about the idea of not being acknowledged there is a sense of being overlooked or not believing, resulting in this distrust of someone. So, by not acknowledging the issue of diseases being brought into the Indigenous culture and how it is affecting the coming generations, the health system is once again proving that racism is still manifesting within Australian culture. Self-assessed health is when we have to ask ourselves what condition our health is in. One would be able to answer this question as it primarily this comes down to the level of education we receive. According to Tsey, “Aboriginal health has shown little improvement over the past two decades. There is strong evidence to suggest that universal education is itself a tool for liberation” (Tsey, 2008). Therefore, evidentially shows that racism not only affects the health sector but all sectors of Australian life. By manifesting itself into the education system there has been a domino effect as if you are affecting the education system you are thus affecting the health of Indigenous Australians. Paradies & Cunningham state that when considering all mediating factors as to why self-assessing is failing within the Indigenous Australian community that “the importance of understanding the aetiology of racism as a determinant of health” (Paradies, Cunningham, 2012). Relating to the notion of the domino effect, by affecting Indigenous Australians' mental health, leading to substance abuse can directly influence the 3

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SOC10004 Assignment 3: Essay inability of one to self-assess themselves. Consequently, proving that racism can affect many parts of Indigenous Australians' lives, making it highly significant and relevant to the effect of one being able to self-assess themselves. Life expectancy is the most important indicator for gauging population health, when Australia was first colonised, there was an immediate loss in life for Indigenous Australians. Whether this was due to new diseases being brought over by colonists or colonists killing Indigenous Australians, there was a major decrease in their population as well as their life expectancy. In 2021 the life expectancy for non- Indigenous Australians was 80.2 years for males and 83.4 years for females, compared to 71.6 years for males and 75.6 years for females who are Indigenous (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022). Suicide rates, high rates of alcoholism, new diseases and the ability to self-assess your health have evidentially contributed to the general life expectancy of Indigenous Australians. Addressing the domino effect of racism found in the health sector, if Indigenous Australians have a lower life expectancy than non-Indigenous, this also affects the people and communities around them. For instance, if an Indigenous child were to lose a parent at a young age, this could lead to them having mental health issues, leading them to potential substance abuse issues and creating for themselves a lower life expectancy. Proving once again that racism has and still manifests itself in the health sector of Australian life and affects the life expectancy of Indigenous Australians, In conclusion, early and long-term racial discrimination can have an impact on various areas of health later in life, which is consistent with the idea of racism as a contributing cause of health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (Hedges, Hagg, Paradies et al., 2021). Throughout this essay it has been proven that due to racism still being present in the health sector of Australia there has been a hidden domino effect; affecting Indigenous Australians' mental health could lead to substance abuse, leading them to be in denial and eventually unable to self-assess their health and can result in a lower life expectancy. In the future, Australia should be acknowledged that the significance of this manifestation, has left Indigenous Australians with a prejudiced path in life, therefore, giving them a disadvantage in Australian society, especially within the health sector. 4

SOC10004 Assignment 3: Essay References Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015, The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: 2015 , Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, viewed 2 October 2022, < https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/a5aa4dee-ee6d- 4328-ad23-e05df01918b5/18175-chapter1.pdf.aspx#:~:text=Colonisation%20severely %20disrupted%20Aboriginal%20society,their%20ability%20to%20support %20themselves > Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2022, Australia’s health 2022: in brief , Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, viewed 2 October 2022, < https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/c6c5dda9-4020-43b0-8ed6-a567cd660eaa/aihw- aus-241.pdf.aspx?inline=true > Axelsson, P, Kukutai, T & Kippen, R 2016, ‘The Field of Indigenous health and the role of colonisation and history’, Journal of Population Research, vol. 33, pp. 1-7. Dudgeon, P, Blustein, S, Bray, A, Calma, T, McPhee, R & Ring, I 2021, ‘Connecting between family, kinship and social and emotional wellbeing’, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare , vol.1, pp. 1-118 Elias, A, Mansouri, F & Paradies Y 2021, ‘Racism in Australia Today’, Palgrave Macmillan Singapore , vol. 1, pp. 1-377 Erdeyi, K 2022, ‘Can Trauma Be Passed Down From One Generation to the Next?’, Psycom , 31 August, viewed 2 October 2022, < https://www.psycom.net/trauma/epigenetics- trauma > Hedges, J, Haag, D, Paradies, Y & Jamieson, L 2021, ‘Racism and oral health inequalities among Indigenous Australians’ Paradies, Y & Cunningham, J 2012, ‘The DRUID study: racism and self-assessed health status in an ingenious population’, BMC Public Health , vol. 12, pp. 1-12 5

SOC10004 Assignment 3: Essay Ralph, S & Ryan, K 2017, ‘Addressing the Mental health Gap in Working with Indigenous Youth: Some Considerations for Non-Indigenous Psychologists Working with Indigenous Youth’, Australian Psychologist , vol. 52, pp. 288-298 Tsey, K 2008, ‘Aboriginal self-determination, education and health: towards a radical change in attitudes to education’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health , vol. 21, pp. 77-83 Wilson, M, Stearne, A, Gray, D, Saggers, S 2010, ‘The harmful use of alcohol amongst Indigenous Australians’, Australian Indigenous Health , vol. 1, pp. 1-20 6

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