2.Discuss the social, political and economic issues with regard to this article
3.
Write a short reflection on how own culture, western systems and structures have
impacted these people and how they engage with services offered in the community
Protective and risk factors
While there are issues such as housing, employment and
education that affect everyone, there are also specific
protective and risk factors that have a high impact on
the social emotional wellbeing and rates of depression
among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Protective factors
enable people to feel strong and resilient. For
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities these may
include:
social connectedness and sense of belonging
connection to land, culture, spirituality and ancestry
living on or near traditional lands
self-determination
strong Community governance
passing on of cultural practices.
Significant risk factors
that can impact on the social emotional
wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
include:
widespread grief and loss
impacts of the Stolen Generations and removal of children
unresolved trauma
separation from culture and identity issues
discrimination based on race or culture
economic and social disadvantage
physical health problems
Assessment by Madison White
CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
incarceration
violence
substance misuse.
The experience of racial discrimination is worth specific focus.
Over half of people who have experienced discrimination have
reported feelings of psychological distress.
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people/risk-factors
There are many of social, political and economic issues affecting Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Island people:
Health Issues:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people suffer greater health burdens compared to
the non-Aboriginal population. Durie (1999) explained that the poor health status of
Aboriginal peoples is due to economic disadvantage, resource alienation and political
oppression.
Economic Issues:
Income and education impact on an individual’s ability to ‘engage’ and ‘influence’
society. Indigenous Australians are known to have the lowest economic status of all
Australians. Poor socio-economic, education and employment levels have links to
financial hardship, poverty, debt, homelessness, family breakdown, social isolation
and crime. Indigenous Australians suffer disproportionately high levels of domestic
violence and over-representation in the justice system.
Socio-political factors:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience extreme levels of racism in
Australia. This is typified historically by their exclusion from elite and mainstream
power structures, as highlighted by Indigenous people not being recognised as
Australian citizens until 1967. Nugent (2003) noted that Aboriginal Australians grow
