Cultural Diversity in Australia and health issue of Aboriginal

Question: Discuss about the Reflection on the cultural diversity in Australia and health issue of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Answer: The sociological imagination (SI) template is a term described by a sociologist named Wright Mills as the awareness of the association or link between personal experience and wider events in society. The use of imaginative thought and reflection related to an event facilitates sociological imagination and understanding ones connection with the wider social realities (Giddens et al., 2016).Hence, this wider method of sociological analysis helps to focus not just on personal issues but also on the wider issues faced by certain group in society. Germov, (2014) states that linking ones personal problem and social functions with societal problem support collective action to address any change. By using the sociological imagination template, the historical, cultural, structural and critical factors related to a social problem can be effectively analysed. Applying this template in reflective task helps to link personal trouble to public issues. Sociological imagination template is used in various aspects of life. The main purpose is to use imaginative thought to answer any sociological questions such as reason for any social issues in particular group of societies. This reflective report uses the SI template to discuss the origin of cultural diversity in Australia and how the Australian health care meet the needs of diverse population group. Special focus and attention is on identifying the health issue present in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and its analysis by means of the four factors present in the SI template. Australia is now known as a culturally and linguistically diverse nation because of the presence of culturally diverse people in the country. The demography of Australia is made up of the British colonial population, the indigenous population and many immigrants coming from other countries. It cultural diversity is reflected from the following statistics that one in every four Australias population are from overseas and 20% of them speak other language than English. Secondly, the population of immigrant is also huge overseas migration represented 60% of the Australian population in 2013 (Face the facts: Cultural Diversity | Australian Human Rights Commission, 2017).Secondly, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprised 3% of the Australian population and disparities between the health status of indigenous and non-indigenous population is a major worry for Australian health care system. Hence, the cultural preference and beliefs varied for different cultural groups and t his presents severe challenge to the Australian health care system. While analyzing the origin of cultural diversity in Australia and analyzing the health issues of Australia through the SI template lens, my view about health issues changes. Earlier I was not aware that historical, cultural and social factor also plays a role in health issues. However, while doing the research work on health issues in this group and comparing their culture with mine, I realized that human diversity and cultural background contributes to many social issues. After doing this task, I realize the need to respect the dignity of each individual despite cultural background and my own responsibility to do to good to the society and the people around it. Reflective writing based on SI template Historical factors: My country of origin is Nepal, which is a developing country with multidimensional heritage consisting of ethnic, tribal and other social groups. The culture of the country is mainly influenced by Tibetan, Indian and Mongolian culture. Being a Buddhist myself, I have always paid focused on refraining from any violence and mental conduct. I come from a middle class family and for use mental health and spiritual well-being is more important that other pleasures in life. My own cultural beliefs and norm has been the reason for what I am today. My cultural beliefs shaped my judgment and decision making regarding all important choices in life such as health choices, employment choices and relationship choices. Although my country has different tribal groups, however I never got the opportunity to work with them closely and understand the issues facing them in daily life. Similar to my country, Australia is also a multicultural country with about 60% of immigrant population. Net increase in overseas migration significantly contributes to the growth in Australian population. The first inhabitant of Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people came to Australia because of famine, floods, oppression and brutal political regimen in their own countries (Census: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, 2017). Many other past historical events led to the transformation of Australia into a culturally diverse nation. Before the European settlement, many migrant came to Australia as an explorer. However, after the enactment of the White Australian policy in 1901, restriction was imposed on migration of non-European Australians. This was aimed to promote British cultural identity and exclude people who did not fit the European culture of Australian society. However, post 1973, multicultural policies was implemented again by the Labor gove rnment and now it has holistically embraced people from all cultures and origins (Connell McManus, 2016).However, the presence of multicultural environment has given many threats to policy makers and public health department. The Australian government prepared themselves to address this challenge too. For example, the Assimilation policy was implemented to encourage new arrivals to embrace cultural practices of country (Moorcroft, 2016). The health care department focused on increasing the cultural competency of health care workers to address the disparities in health between the indigenous and non-indigenous population group (Clifford et al., 2015). Cultural factors: My own cultural beliefs and preferences has influences my views about society and health. In my home country, I have found that local people do not believe on the biomedical approach to health and their perception is that illness and pain is linked to the supernatural elements. Hence, they mostly prefer spiritual intervention to address their pain and suffering due to diseases. Different health beliefs and cultural norms also affect the disease management process and adherence to medication in patients. For instance, some people do not take medications and believe in worship and prayers for protection from disease and illness. Some prefer to seek cure through spiritual means (Wasti, S. P. (2011). However, for me biomedical approach to health is important because my professional education in the health care fields have strengthened my rational regarding the efficacy of biomedical cause of illness and treating diseases. However, my choices in life are influences by my cultural beliefs and norms too as I do not will to cross them. While working in Australia, I came to know about the multicultural diversity of the nation. Multiculturalism in Australia is high because of diversity in language, people and culture if residents. The Australian Government has readily embraced multiculturalism by implementing immigration policies, preventing discrimination and promoting equality for all. However, despite such efforts, the difference in cultural beliefs and values has had an impact on health outcome of different cultural group too. For example, great disparity in health outcome between indigenous and the non-indigenous Australians have been found. Life expectancy and mortality rate is an important indicator of health outcome and life expectancy in Aboriginals were found to be lower than 10.6 years compared to the non-indigenous population in 2010-2012 (Life expectancy (AIHW), 2017).. The inequality in health status between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians is also reflected from the high rate of infant mortality, poor health and poor education and employment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Cancer and Circulatory disease was a major cause of death in the group between 2007 and 2011. The disadvantage was also seen due to risky behaviors lie smoking, poor nutrition, alcohol consumptions and physical inactivity. Remoteness and poor access to health was also found to increase the health disparity (Indigenous health (AIHW), 2017). Discrimination and negative experience in health care services also affected the use of health service among the indigenous people. Hence, I think that focusing on the social model of health care will be important for a multicultural nation like Australia because this will help to focus on cultural, environment, economic and social influence on health and reduce the gap in health outcome of different cultural groups too (Aver Patterson, 2017). Structural factors: I come from a middle class family and my cultural value of respect and doing no harm to people has helped me to achieve many things in life. I have always maintained a good relationship with my family and taken their views before taking any decisions in life. In health choices too, although I follow the biomedical approach to health, however I incorporate my Buddhist cultural element of maintaining mental peace to promote health and well-being. Hence, my personality and my interaction with society is dependent a lot on my cultural and religious beliefs. While working in Australia, I have found that biomedical model of health care is more dominant in their health care system. All health care process and service is relies on the biomedical model. However, as there are a large number of culturally diverse people in the country, I feel that focusing just on the biomedical model will not help to address the health issues of the indigenous population. Reports have shown that the cultural beliefs. experience of discrimination and negative experiences of colonization are the major reason for health disadvantage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Cultural gap has been the reason for poor access and use of health services. Language gap has also prevented establishing therapeutic relationship with these people (Mitrou et al., 2014). Hence, Australia has now started focusing delivering culturally sensitive care by improving the cultural competency of staff and addressing the social and health disadvantage factors in their life. Th e adaption of social model in health delivery facilitates taking many preventive measures to reduce negative health outcome in indigenous population. Critical factors: Cultural values have not made my life difficult. This is because I have balanced based on my knowledge and insight regarding the benefits of different social element and processes in society. This has helped me to manage my health concerns and profession decisions too. The Australian health care is also focusing a lot on social model of care to address health disparities in a multicultural environment. In response to the closing the gap policy, there has been a focus on improving cultural competency to improve the quality and effectiveness of care for indigenous people (Cultural competency in the delivery of health services for Indigenous people, 2017). Alignment with ACU graduate attributes By research on the topic of origins of cultural diversity in Australia and the health issues specific to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, I came to know about the great cultural gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australian. Before doing this reflective assignment, I was not aware about the hardship experienced by this group and how their past experience had an impact on health. However, while researching on the cause of negative health outcome in Aboriginal people in Australia, I was shocked to know that they were victim of brutal political regimen in their own country. Secondly, after migrating to Australia, hardship continued for them due to cultural shock, discrimination and poor experience in health care service. Lack of access to proper housing, employment and employment also played a role in negative health outcome (Chen, D., Yang, T. C. (2014).. After doing their reflecting writing, I have more respect for this people and in future, my outlook towards migrant people will not remain the change. I will always approach them with dignity and do my best to understand their cultural views and preferences while interacting with them in my professional life. References Avery, N., Patterson, S. (2017). Physical Health in Public Mental Health Care: A Qualitative Study Employing the COM?B Model of Behaviour to Describe Views and Practices of Australian Psychologists.Australian Psychologist. Census: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. (2017).Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 4 September 2017, from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/MediaRealesesByCatalogue/02D50FAA9987D6B7CA25814800087E03?OpenDocument Chen, D., Yang, T. C. (2014). The pathways from perceived discrimination to self-rated health: an investigation of the roles of distrust, social capital, and health behaviors.Social science medicine,104, 64-73. Clifford, A., McCalman, J., Bainbridge, R., Tsey, K. (2015). Interventions to improve cultural competency in health care for Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA: a systematic review.International Journal for Quality in Health Care,27(2), 89-98. Connell, J., McManus, P. (2016).Rural revival?: place marketing, tree change and regional migration in Australia. Routledge. Cultural competency in the delivery of health services for Indigenous people. (2017). Retrieved 4 September 2017, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Our_publications/2015/ctgc-ip13.pdf Face the facts: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples | Australian Human Rights Commission. (2017).Humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 4 September 2017, from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/education/face-facts/face-facts-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples Face the facts: Cultural Diversity | Australian Human Rights Commission. (2017).Humanrights.gov.au. 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