Lost+Identity

Megan Christison n8882967 Tutor: Michelle Cornford Topic: Social Identities, Physiologies and Human Health
 * Lost Identity **

Artefact
__**Lost Identity**__ Where Do I come from, Where do I begin Is he my brother, is she my sister, My next of kin? Being not accepted by either race This is what each day I have to face Maybe this is my problem But I don’t really see how  Why were my parents taken away And made to deny Being of a fairer skin And not brown like my brothers <span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">I miss My Identity, My Culture, and My Mother <span style="color: #000080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">Poem by Margaret Armstrong, Ipswich QLD; Koori Mail 457 p.23 This cultural artefact is a poem titled “Lost Identity,” written by Margaret Armstrong from Ipswich, Queensland. This poem was published in the Koori Mail, a fortnightly national newspaper which gives voice to the issues that matter to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, missing in the mainstream media. The poem specifically highlights the significant identity issues with which Indigenous Australians are faced.

** Public Health Issue **
This cultural artefact represents the double edged sword, with which aboriginal Australians of mixed descent are faced. When they successfully blend in with non-Indigenous Australians, it is their ‘white identity’ that is accepted and seen by Australian society, however, they are judged as an Aboriginal if they go to jail, become alcoholic or show other negative characteristics (Korff, 2013). This shows the constant battle that Indigenous Australians face around a lack of identity and Aboriginal stereotypes. This lack of cultural identity, along with these stereotypes are factors that have shaped and continue to drive a significant gap between the health status of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, resulting in the life expectancy of Indigenous Australians, that is approximately 10 years lower than non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). Therefore, the core public health issue of the Indigenous health gap, which is driven particularly through social and cultural factors in Australia, is extremely important to address in terms of population health.

Literature Review
The huge gap between the health of Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population, is disturbing in such an affluent country and an extremely important public health issue to be addressed, in light of evidence from the past 10 years (Dart, 2008). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), information from the 2011 Census, showed that there were 669,736 Indigenous people living in Australia. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics publication, “The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples,” released in 2008, draws together data from the 2006 Census, along with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (2004-2005), involving 10,439 subjects (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). Firstly, this evidence shows that life expectancy for Indigenous males was 67.2 years, whilst Indigenous females had a life-expectancy of 72.9 years, compared with 78.7 and 82.6 years respectively, for non-Indigenous males and females. This represents a life expectancy 11.5 years lower for Indigenous males and 9.7 years for Indigenous females than their non-Indigenous counterparts (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). A study of Indigenous burden of disease by Vos, Barker, Begg, Stanley, and Lopez (2009), indicated that 70% of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is a result of chronic disease, with smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure and high alcohol consumption being the main contributing factors. The 2004-2005 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, showed that cardiovascular conditions were 1.3 times more prevalent for Indigenous people than for non-Indigenous, the age-standardised rate of Indigenous Australians with diabetes was 12%, much higher than the rate of 4% for non-Indigenous Australians, and rates of kidney disease in Indigenous populations were much higher than in non-Indigenous populations (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006). Until 1788, Indigenous Australians generally enjoyed better health than most people living in Europe (Jackson & Ward, 1999). However, colonisation and the invasion of non-Indigenous people, has devalued the Indigenous culture by destroying their traditional food base, separating families and dispossessing communities, thereby undermining the ability of Indigenous people to lead healthy lives (Kowal & Paradies, 2005). Therefore, past experiences of colonisation, have led to a cycle of dispossession, demoralisation and poor health which inform Indigenous experiences and choices in Australia today (Jowsey et al., 2012). Furthermore, both past and present individual and community experiences of racism and discrimination have also been linked to poor health outcomes for Indigenous Australians (Harris-Haywood, Sylvia-Bobiak, Strange, & Flocke, 2007). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011), 27% of Indigenous adults reported having experienced discrimination during 2007, which is known to contribute to poor social and emotional wellbeing. Daniel, Lekkas, and Cargo (2010), suggest that Indigenous Australians are more likely to display behavioural risk factors for many lifestyle related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, compared to non-Indigenous Australians. This is supported by risk factor data from general practitioner consultations for the 2001-2008 period, which shows Indigenous patients were 3 times more likely to smoke on a daily basis, more likely to engage in alcohol misuse and more likely to report lower levels of physical activity, than their non-Indigenous counterparts (Britt et al., 2010). Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall, and Bailie (2007), suggest that a clear relationship exists between the current health status of Indigenous people and the social disadvantages that they face. Their research demonstrates that these social disadvantages are a result of dispossession and are characterised by poverty and powerlessness, reflected by low levels of income, education and employment (Carson et al., 2007). According to the 2011 Census, the mean equivalised gross household income for Indigenous Australians was only 59% of non-Indigenous persons. It also revealed that only 25% of Indigenous people had completed year 12, compared with 52% of non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Furthermore, the 2011 Census showed that 17% of Indigenous Australians were unemployed, compared to just 5% of non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). The most common occupation classification for employed Indigenous people was ‘labourer’, whilst for non-Indigenous people it was ‘professional’ (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Therefore, the clear levels of low income, low education and poor employment, show that that Indigenous Australians face many social disadvantages, which are a significant determinant of their overall health. It is important to recognise that some issues exist with research methodologies in understanding Indigenous health. Data quality problems arise with comparisons, due to the small size of the Indigenous population in comparison with the total Australian population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Furthermore, the vast geographical distribution of Indigenous Australians across remote areas of Australia, cultural differences, as well as the identification process of Indigenous Australians, pose some issues for statistical collections, and may contribute to erroneous data (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, 2012). Therefore, although the information and research methodologies into Indigenous health are becoming more reliable, there is still substantial scope for further improvements in data collection procedures (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008). Therefore, evidence from the past 10 years shows that the health of Indigenous Australians is significantly worse than that of non-Indigenous Australians (Dart, 2008). Hence, it is clear that the health of Indigenous Australians is an extremely important public health issue, as factors such as the history of colonisation have undermined the ability of Indigenous Australians to lead healthy lives, which has been perpetuated by contemporary structural and social factors (Kowal & Paradies, 2005). This has resulted in many disadvantages for Indigenous Australians which has ultimately lead to an appalling gap in life expectancies compared with non-Indigenous Australians (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011). Therefore, it is extremely important that these social and cultural determinants are addressed, in order to improve the health outcomes for Indigenous Australians (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008).

Cultural and Social Analysis
The use of social theory is pivotal to understanding health inequalities (Dance, 2009). Émile Durkheim, was a great influence on sociology in the nineteenth century, as he demonstrated the way in which the distribution of illness and disease was related to social conditions (Lefebvre & White, 2010). His work can be interpreted to provide an explanation of how the poor health status of Indigenous Australians has come about, and provides a basis for what needs to happen to redress the issue (Carson et al., 2007). As part of his analysis of suicide rates in Europe, Durkheim coined the sociological concept of anomie, which describes a situation in which an absence or lack of clarity of norms within society, results in a lack of conditions that are required for individuals to achieve fulfilment and happiness (Carson et al., 2007). He suggests that when the dominant social structures and cultures breakdown, an increasing number of individuals within that society feel alienated and purposeless (Hunter, 1993). However, Durkheim’s theories relate not only to suicide patterns, but can be extended to other outcomes, including violence, homicides and cardiovascular disease (Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman, 2000). It is clear that the historical processes of colonisation and subsequent dispossession, have caused a breakdown in culture for Indigenous Australians. Therefore, in accordance with Durkheim, the historical events of colonisation and dispossession over past two centuries, have given rise to anomie as a dominant feature of Indigenous society. Hunter (1993), explains that contact with Europeans shattered social and kinship networks for Indigenous Australians. Hunter’s explanation of anomie within Indigenous societies, suggests that Durkheim’s theory applies to Indigenous Australians, as they have felt a decrease in traditional norms and social control, which has increased their likelihood to engage in behaviours that compromise health, such as substance abuse, violence and suicide (Carson et al., 2007). Therefore, a lack of clarity of norms, initiated by the history of colonisation, has resulted in a situation where the conditions necessary for Indigenous Australians to fulfil themselves are not present, which has caused feelings of alienation and purposelessness, and can be attributed to the poor health status of Indigenous Australians today. Durkheim’s methods of turning the study of society into a science, are important in redressing the issue of Indigenous health, in order to consider culture and society when trying to improve the health status of Indigenous Australians. According to Leach, James, McManus, and Thompson (2012), the current views of Indigenous health presented by the mainstream media are inaccurate, display negative stereotypes, sensationalise issues and direct blame towards individuals within Indigenous communities. Therefore, a Durkheimiam approach to the public health problem will help reduce the blame on individuals, and assist in providing a comprehensive framework to explain and redress the social and cultural determinants which are a major contributing factor to the problem (Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman, 2000).

Analysis of the Artefact and Learning Reflections
The poem, “Lost Identity,” is an excellent representation of the lack of cultural identity felt by Indigenous Australians, which has been driven by the history of colonisation, dispossession and racism. Therefore, sentiments such as a lack of clarity in identity, and stereotypes surrounding identity which underpin this cultural artefact, make it an excellent example of the social and cultural factors which have shaped the public health issue of the poor health status of Indigenous Australians today. As this poem was published in the Koori Mail, it is clear that this is an issue that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel has not been addressed appropriately in the mainstream media. Therefore, the artefact represents the important factor of cultural identity, which must be considered, in order to successfully redress this public health issue. On a personal level, I believe this artefact has encouraged me to question my understanding of the issues faced by Indigenous Australians. Furthermore, this analysis has taught me to look further than the mainstream media to analyse the underlying determinants of public health issues. Before conducting this analysis, I was unaware of the significant impact that society had on individual behaviours. Therefore, the analysis of the cultural artefact and the Indigenous social identity will improve my future learning process, as I will look beyond the views presented in the mainstream media and evaluate issues by considering all aspects of culture and society not only related to Indigenous Australians, but all aspects of identity which impact upon health.

Reflection

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