The Ways Stigma Can Influence Health Care Delivery to Marginalized Groups of People - Assignment Example

Sociological Analysis An assignment submitted by Spring Sociological Analysis Step Question Use the sociological analysis template todiscuss the ways that stigma can influence health care delivery to marginalized groups of people in Australian society. Focus the analysis on refuges. Step 2: Social Imagination template Historical Factors The sociological reflection of stigma of the refugees and the related healthcare issue involves historical, cultural, structural, and critical factors that impact the refugees directly or indirectly in myriad ways. Refugees, in general, have a traumatic history because of events such as war, civil strife, human rights abuses, deprivation, and so on. So, they endure conditions of displacement, social isolation, insufficient resources, overcrowding, and abandonment, all of which make the marginalized members of the society. Moreover, prolonged periods in refugee camps and detention centers can also affect their mental health considerably. Problematic historical circumstances and the resultant social conditions lead to inconsistencies in their behaviors. This is because these refugee behaviors and the ensuing health issues are socially patterned through prejudices and stigmatized attitudes. Cultural Factors: Culture is mirrored among groups in their values, norms, beliefs, behaviors, and social interactions. Different cultures will have differing views in understanding and treating certain illness owing to that particular community’s experiences. This leads to differing perceptions and stigmatization of particular issues within that community. “Notions of health and illness are not necessarily objective facts, but can be social constructions that reflect the culture, politics, and morality of a particular society at a given point in time” (Germov, 2014, p.18). Cultural norms in the Australian society suggest that the dependent participants have to rely on the majority sections or independent adults for their need of care and welfare. This causes the minority groups, or in this case the refugees, to exercise little or no control on their needs, and they need to depend on the ones who exercise social, economic, and political power. Structural Factors Structural factors are elements of the social structure, which tend to influence human behaviors and interactions with the society and other individuals. What is viewed as health or an illness is constructed by the social model of health, and so the discrimination occurring due to the stigma is also a social factor. “The social model locates people in social contexts, conceptualizes the physical environment as socially organized, and understands ill-health as a process of interaction between people and their environments” (Germov 2009, p.16). Structural factors can cause negative impacts on the psychological wellbeing of the refugees as well as produce adverse effects on the treatment, individual behavior, and social interactions. Moreover, stigmatized view of a society can result in misconceptions about the refugees, ignorance of their individual needs, fear, and a constant drive for social conformity on the part of the stigmatized refugee group. Critical Factors The analysis of the critical factors helps in improving the current environment of healthcare delivery problems among the refugees. All the influential elements that contribute to this problem are interrelated, and this understanding is needed when solving the issues. In the case of the Australian refugees, maintaining proper intervention measures will help in eliminating any social stigmatization and improve their health conditions. Educating the refugee community and enabling right utilization within the healthcare sectors can help them to get better access to healthcare services. Step 3: Readings Discussion Symbolic Interaction Theory Discussing the symbolic interaction theory as a theoretical approach towards social stigma influences will provide a deeper understanding. According to the theory, individuals act on the basis of meaning towards things. These meanings are generally derived and modified through social interactions (Sostheory). Implications of this theory in relation to stigma influences refugees’ healthcare delivery thereby helping sociologists observe individual’s reactions, actions, and interactions within the community. Moreover, it benefits in understanding the behavior patterns and communications of the refugees and helps in the reconstruction of their environment. So, symbolic interaction theory can provide enough reasoning into understanding how the social stigma is created and how the contemporary cultural and social practices are influenced by them. In addition, it provides some insight into the social structure and conventions that inadvertently contribute to the problem of the community. Since this theory focuses on micro-processes, it suits well to the Australian refugees’ community. Every individual in a group are primarily influenced by the social structure, cultural customs, as well as the social institutions. In addition to that, the social factors such as prejudices, stereotypes, and stigmas can cause more internal pressures on them affecting their quality of life and social opportunities. “The behavioral impact (or discrimination) that results from public stigma may take four forms: withholding help, avoidance, coercive treatment, and segregated institutions” (Corrigan & Watson, 2002). Because of all these, these refuges in Australia suffer a high rate of physical, emotional, social, and mental health problems, many of which need immediate treatment. When one focuses on the refugees’ historical background, it will be obvious that their mental health would be compromised because of their traumatic experiences, and so they could be afflicted with a range of psychological problems. Some of the common problems experienced by these refugees include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).When analyzing the health issues of these refugees, the indigenous cultural beliefs and prejudices against the refugees tend to create fear or other kind of negative feelings among the refugees leading to restrictions in healthcare services for them. “Shame or fear of being judged by others and treatment provider, and fear of hospitalisation have been reported as barriers to access to health care services among refugees” (Minas et al., 2013). Step 4: Reflections Stigma is a social phenomenon based on the socially constructed ‘stigmatized’ attitudes and status, whereby marginalized community or individuals are unjustifiably discriminated. A concrete understanding of these stigmatized attitudes among the society, from a sociological perspective, can help in dealing with the social issues, particularly of that related marginalized groups. To the present, most studies on stigma has provided evidences in learning the breadth and scope of these social prejudices against minority groups and how these stigma influences their access to various social sectors, particularly healthcare sector. It has been observed that stigma acts as a social barrier to marginalized groups, lowering their quality of life in various ways and robs them of their opportunities within the society as well as their affiliation with a diverse group of people. It includes both social and psychological elements which tend to impact the stigmatized individuals thereby affecting their social interaction within particular community or the society in general. “The stigmatized and those who stigmatize are interconnected through local social networks” (Kleinman & Rachel). In Australia, there are increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers looking for protection and care from the settled land. The Australian government is ensuring shelter, livelihood, and importantly the needed healthcare for the wellbeing of these refugees. However, there are so many cultural, political, and socio-economic factors surrounding this healthcare delivery, possibly affecting the lives of these people. There are also many other social and cultural aspects influencing the sensitivity of healthcare delivery provided to the refugees. For instance, the health service providers and the respective interpreters for the refugees need to have prior consultations with the refugees, particularly from cultural perspective thereby taking into account the refugee’s requirements. They need to provide a useful framework, taking into consideration not only their health issues but also their cultural and social factors, so that a wholesome health delivery can be provided. This includes “engagement of a suitable interpreter, clarification of the client’s expectations, the presenting problem, the mental health worker’s role, the services that will be provided, outcomes that might be reasonably expected, and the role of family members.” (Murray, Davidson & Schweitzer, 2008, p.20). Although the Australian government has in place apt health policies to carry out health checks on the refugees, the social and the psychological aspect of the refugees are least identified or even ignored. This causes difficulties for the refugees and only very few are aware enough to reach for help. For others who are unable to access the right healthcare services, the problems may worsen with time. In addition to the impact of the actual health problems, the social stigma about certain physical illnesses and many mental illnesses can contribute to the individuals’ reluctance in seeking the needed healthcare. Stigmatization plays a major role in determining if and when the affected individuals will seek for mental healthcare services. So, it is clear that stigmas about mental health can turn out to be a major barrier to accessing healthcare services among the refugees when treating a wide range of psychological issues. Stigma and labeling within the society can impact significantly on the perceptions towards mental health issues. As a healthcare practitioner, globalization has to be taken into account when analyzing the health risks of a community. It is obvious that increasing globalization has affected healthcare industry in numerous ways. Since globalization is a multifaceted phenomenon comprising of economic, social, cultural, technological, political, and scientific aspects, its connection between healthcare services is indeed complex. “Its consequences can be either direct, at the level of whole populations, individuals and healthcare delivery systems, or indirect, through the economy and other factors, such as education, sanitation and water supply” (Pang & Guindon, 2004). Even the influx of refugees into Australia could be a byproduct of globalization and the resultant processes. To sum up, it is evident that stigma, which includes the stereotyping and prejudice resulting from the social misconceptions, can impact the marginalized groups in many ways. This social stigma can be associated with physical deformation, individual characteristics such as mental health, or factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, and others. The above study took a sociological analysis to discuss the ways in which social stigma influences health care delivery in the context of Australian refugees. Concerns relating to refugees’ health and wellbeing in Australia were discussed based on the social factors and stigmatized attitudes that influence their access to healthcare services. Step 5: Graduate Attribute The above discussions related to refugee healthcare services have drawn up certain conclusions, particularly regarding the psychological impacts of social stigma faced by these marginalized communities. Analyzing the refugees’ experiences and reflecting upon these observations on the barriers to healthcare delivery provides adequate hindsight on this issue and its remedial measures. The sociological imagination template helped in analyzing this concept from the historical, cultural, structural, and critical aspects, and how this stigma is shaped within the social milieu of healthcare sector. So, the concept of social stigma within the socio-cultural environment causes structural discrimination and institutional disadvantages among the stigmatized groups. This is why the sociological influences have a considerable impact on the social and cultural activities of these marginalized communities, adversely influencing their social status, health, and life opportunities. References Corrigan, P. W., & Amy, C. W. (2002). “Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness.” World Psychiatry 1(1), 16–20. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489832/ Germov, J. (2014). Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Kleinman, A & Rachel, H. (2009). “Stigma: a social, cultural and moral process.” Journal of Epidemiology Community Health 63 (6), 418-419. Retrieved from http://jech.bmj.com/content/63/6/418.full.pdf+html?sid=730cadcc-d91f-434d-8f18-949404510354 Minas, H., Kakuma, R., Too, L. S…Oehm, D. (2013). “Mental health research and evaluation in multicultural Australia: developing a culture of inclusion.” International Journal of Mental Health Systems 7 (23). Retrieved from http://www.ijmhs.com/content/7/1/23 Murray, K. E., Davidson, G. R. & Schweitzer, R. D. (2008). “Psychological wellbeing of refugees resettling in Australia.” The Australian Psychological Society. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/Refugee-Lit-Review.pdf Pang, T & Guindon, G. E. (2004). “Globalization and risks to health.” EMBO Reports 5 (1), S11–S16. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1299207/ “Symbolic interaction theory” (2008, March 30). In Youtube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy-GE5vcOLk&NR=1 Read More