Impacts of Indigenous People of Australia - Coursework Example

Impacts on the Indigenous People of Australia (Author’s name) (Institutional Affiliation) Socio-economic and political policies and practices and ideological processes of colonization are the major factors that have significantly impacted the indigenous people of Australia. Although these impacts were felt mostly during colonization, some are still taking effect today. They include urbanization, racism, and perception of control. Other factors that may still have an impact on the indigenous people today due to lack of political will in changing the same include laws and the socio-economic empowerment of the populations. This paper will outline the major factors that impacted the indigenous people of Australia in the past and those that are still taking effect today. Biased representation in the criminal justice The indigenous people in Australia experience over-representation in the criminal justice as compared to their non-indigenous counterparts. According to the Australia Bureau of Statistics, 20% of the inmate population consists of the indigenous people (“Australian Human Rights Commission,” 2007; Porter, 2013). A comparison of the total population of Australia and the incarceration of the people indicates that the likelihood of the indigenous population to be imprisoned is 15 times more than the non-indigenous population (Porter, 2013). The rates tend to vary across the Australian states of North Australia having more incarcerations of indigenous people with 63.9% indigenous inmates while South Australia that has lower cases which are 16 times more than the non-indigenous populations (Porter, 2013). The primary reasons that lead to the higher incarcerations of the indigenous people are the marginalization in academics as well as the commissions and bodies that the indigenous people to address the weak systems that encourage marginalization. These groups and organizations include the UN Panel on the Removal of Racial Discrimination (2000) and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1991) (Porter, 2013). Colonialism Through colonialism, the indigenous people were marginalized through well-engineered tactics that rendered them unable to control their resources. The colonization interfered with many aspects of the indigenous people including their social practices. For instance, they enjoyed self-governance before the colonial rules era (Dudgeon et al., 2014). Besides, they had well-organized education systems that ensured the transmission of knowledge and culture was efficient. Also important to note is the emphasis on the value of ethics in the society among the indigenous people (“Australian Human Rights Commission”, 2007). The reason for this is the presence of structures that made sure the members of the community learned and observed good behaviors that were in line with their ethical standards (Dudgeon et al., 2014). The result of people from divergent races can be either positive or negative. However, in Australia, the indigenous population face adverse effects more than the benefits of the same. For instance, most of the indigenous people were perceived as a group of individuals that can be exploited and for this reason, they were used as laborers ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013). The colonists targeted the indigenous lands that resulted in the loss of ownership of the lands to the original owners. In other words, it is an economic domination of people’s financial resources by the colonizers over the original owners. Depopulation of the native people Depopulation is another thing that impacted the indigenous people of Australia (Lavarch, 1995). The movement of the Europeans introduced diseases in the Australian region and led to the death of many people. Another significant contribution to the depopulation is warfare and mass killings that resulted in the depletion of the Indigenous people. Scholars such as Rick Sarre point out unofficial policies such as the eradication of the Aboriginal as one the reasons that led to the depopulation ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013). The reason for this is that the military organized massacres, poisoning of water sources, and shootings of individuals. Poorly crafted laws The parties involved in the race for lands were greedy to the point that they created laws that would favor their acquisition of the indigenous territories. For instance, they crafted legislation that would criminalize the native populations to enhance the maintenance of higher positions and social control by those in the government (“Australian Human Rights Commission” 2007). The laws that were enacted gave the rulers the power to control both the lands of the indigenous people and their social structures as well. The lack of established rules by the native Australians was also used as an excuse by the settlers to control the most important aspects such as land and social structures. For instance, Indigenous Australians were perceived to be backward because they did not have any established laws that would be used to manage their affairs a claim that Dudgeon et al. (2014) and Garvey (2008) do not support. For this reason, the British people occupied the Indigenous lands claiming that the native populations did not have any laws that would validate their occupation of the lands. Furthermore, their marriages were deemed unofficial because of the lack of legislation that recognizes such unions as marriages (Dudgeon et al., 2014). The courts have also supported discriminatory laws and the placement of indigenous offenders into the system ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013). These laws hinder the native populations from controlling their groups making them part and parcel of the criminal justice system of the dominant society. Socio-economic status and health The health situation of an individual is dependent on the social and economic status of the individual. A higher status in the socio-economic status of a person guarantees him/her good health while poor socio-economic status means poor health. In Australia, the indigenous populations experience socio-economic disadvantage as indicated by the various indicators. According to the 2001 National Census, the non-indigenous people earn $585 per week whereas the indigenous people earn $364 per week (Carson et al., 2007). Studies show that the social and economic status of an individual determines their health status (Carson et al., 2007). Therefore, this indicates that the native Australian people are more likely to face health issues than their non-indigenous counterparts. The native populations have reduced access to education and literacy that significantly influence the likelihood of a person to seek medical services (Carson et al., 2007). Moreover, they are likely to have a chronic disease because of the poor infant diets and the high-risk behaviors that they are exposed to in their life (“An Overview of the Economic Impact of Indigenous disadvantage”, 2008). Urbanization The Indigenous people wanted to integrate with the dominant society and their pursuit lead to urbanization. However, the movement of people to the urban centres result in the loss of the critical elements that define a particular group of individuals. For instance, the indigenous people faced social disorganization as well as cultural practices (Ranzijn et al., 2009). The urbanization also had other adverse effects and failures as well. For example, the education system failed, and crime rates shoot up because of the family breakdowns and loss of the indigenous social control by the elders ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013). Urbanization is still happening today because many people are still moving to urban centers in search of education, employment, and better health care services. As a result, the indigenous population is exposed to more risks such as family violence, crime, and substance abuse. Paternalism Paternalism is an ideology that was developed during the colonization era (Garvey 2008). These beliefs claim that the colonists are superior to their subjects and these colonists are compared to fathers that can protect the subjects. However, the paternal ideology was used as an excuse for the occupation of the settlers (Ranzijn et al., 2009). Furthermore, the subjects were taken through training that was termed and considered to be relevant because they would give the indigenous people the knowledge required to adapt the new culture, language, and ethics. As a result, the indigenous population lost the ability to make decisions on their own (Garvey 2008). Ownership of property It is believed that people are entitled to the right of self-determination which gives them the capacity to give out their natural richness and resources freely and should be protected from being deprived of its means of subsistence. This is the belief held by the indigenous people leading to the conviction that the health status of the native population was significantly impacted by the ownership of the traditional lands (Carson et al., 2007; Ranzijn et al., 2009). Therefore, it means ensuring that the indigenous people have access to their ancestral lands in orders to guarantee them better health status (“An Overview of the Economic Impact of Indigenous disadvantage”, 2008). Racism Most of the children were subjected to racism in which they were denied the right to speak their native language (Lavarch, 1995). As a result, the racism acted as a source of stress that affects people both mentally and physically. It is evident that the mental health of individuals declines as the rate of racism increases. According to the several studies carried out concerning health racism, black Americans that faced some degree of racism had elevated high blood pressure than those that did not go through the same experience. A good example is the Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey 2001-02 (WAACHS) that established increased smoking, bhang and alcohol abuse in 21.5% of the indigenous children under 12 that were surveyed (“Australian Human Rights Commission,” 2007). Removal of children forms their families According to the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2002, 38% of the people that were surveyed were found to have either been removed themselves or had families who had been violently or otherwise removed from their natural family when they were children ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013). The removal of the children leads to intergenerational health impacts. In addition, they always feel displaced as reported by Lavarch (1995) in which they felt black inside even though they were expected to live like the white. Among the effects of the practice include reported high rates of substance abuse and mental health by the parents of the victims. The children of these parents were also adversely affected by the actions leading them to the engagement of vices such as crimes, drug abuse, and emotional disorders (“An Overview of the Economic Impact of Indigenous disadvantage”, 2008). Indigenous women as victims of crime Although the indigenous people of Australia have been victims of crime, the women have suffered more than their male counterparts. The reason for this is because the aboriginal women are less likely to get employment, have carer responsibilities for other children apart from their own, receive welfare payment, and access quality education (Dungeon et al., 2014). As a result, these factors are the indigenous women more vulnerable as compared to the non-indigenous women counterparts. Furthermore, there are no policies and programs that pay attention to the violence experienced by indigenous families that include violence and abuse if the communities (Lavarch, 1995). Perceptions of control and chronic stress Many people, including the indigenous people, believe that their degree of control determines a lot of things in their lives including their health. This was affirmed by the National Aboriginal Strategy of 1989 in which the indigenous people claimed that their health status is substantially connected to their control over their physical environment, dignity, community self-esteem and justice (Ranzijn et al., 2009). Such occurrences have been viewed on the indigenous people of Australia in which chronic stress was noted in the population because of their engagement in behavior that risked their health such as substance abuse (Ranzijn et al., 2009). Besides, high rates of mental disorders were evident in community groups that were at high-risk of engaging practices that would harm their health. The indigenous people of Australia have been impacted a lot by several factors. These factors include biased representation in the criminal justice in which the incarcerations of the native Australian people are more as compared to that of the non-indigenous people of Australia. The laws crafted by those in power also led to the adverse effects that the native people of Australia faced. Another notable factor that affected the indigenous people of Australia is their socio-economic status that greatly influences their health since good health is associated with high social status. The Indigenous Australian people have a strong belief in the ownerships and control of property that links to health. The indigenous population has been impacted by several factors that have been discussed in this paper. The impact of these factors was experienced in the past, and some effects are still taking place today. References Access Economic Pty Limited,. (2008). An Overview of the Economic Impact of Indigenous disadvantage. Access Economic Pty Limited. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2013). Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 22 August 2016, from http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/c311215.nsf/web/Aboriginal+and+Tor Carson, B., Dunbar, T., Chenhall, R., and Bailie, R. (eds) 2007, 'Social Determinants of Indigenous Health', Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest. Dudgeon, P., Wright,M., Paradies, Y., Garvey, D. & Walker , I. (2014). Chapter 1: “Aboriginal Social, Cultural and Historical Contexts” pp.15-18 in Dudgeon, P.,Milroy, H. & Walker, R. (2014) (2nd ed.). Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Garvey D.C. (Ed.) (2008) Indigenous identity in contemporary psychology, 1st Edition. South Melbourne, VIC: Thomson.  Lavarch, M. (1995). Bringing Them Home. National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families. Porter, L. (2013). Indigenous deaths associated with police contact in Australia: Event stages and lessons for prevention. In Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Vol 42 (6), pp. 178-199. Available in the Library online: http://anj.sagepub.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/content/46/2/178.full.pdf+html  Ranzijn, R., McConnochie, K. & Nolan. W. (2009) Psychology and Indigenous Australians: Foundations of Cultural Competence. Australia: Palgrave MacMillan. Social determinants and the health of Indigenous peoples in Australia – a human rights based approach | Australian Human Rights Commission. (2007). Humanrights.gov.au. Retrieved 22 August 2016, from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/social-determinants-and-health-indigenous-peoples-australia-human-rights-based Read More

Depopulation of the native people Depopulation is another thing that impacted the indigenous people of Australia (Lavarch, 1995). The movement of the Europeans introduced diseases in the Australian region and led to the death of many people. Another significant contribution to the depopulation is warfare and mass killings that resulted in the depletion of the Indigenous people. Scholars such as Rick Sarre point out unofficial policies such as the eradication of the Aboriginal as one the reasons that led to the depopulation ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013).

The reason for this is that the military organized massacres, poisoning of water sources, and shootings of individuals. Poorly crafted laws The parties involved in the race for lands were greedy to the point that they created laws that would favor their acquisition of the indigenous territories. For instance, they crafted legislation that would criminalize the native populations to enhance the maintenance of higher positions and social control by those in the government (“Australian Human Rights Commission” 2007).

The laws that were enacted gave the rulers the power to control both the lands of the indigenous people and their social structures as well. The lack of established rules by the native Australians was also used as an excuse by the settlers to control the most important aspects such as land and social structures. For instance, Indigenous Australians were perceived to be backward because they did not have any established laws that would be used to manage their affairs a claim that Dudgeon et al. (2014) and Garvey (2008) do not support.

For this reason, the British people occupied the Indigenous lands claiming that the native populations did not have any laws that would validate their occupation of the lands. Furthermore, their marriages were deemed unofficial because of the lack of legislation that recognizes such unions as marriages (Dudgeon et al., 2014). The courts have also supported discriminatory laws and the placement of indigenous offenders into the system ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013). These laws hinder the native populations from controlling their groups making them part and parcel of the criminal justice system of the dominant society.

Socio-economic status and health The health situation of an individual is dependent on the social and economic status of the individual. A higher status in the socio-economic status of a person guarantees him/her good health while poor socio-economic status means poor health. In Australia, the indigenous populations experience socio-economic disadvantage as indicated by the various indicators. According to the 2001 National Census, the non-indigenous people earn $585 per week whereas the indigenous people earn $364 per week (Carson et al., 2007). Studies show that the social and economic status of an individual determines their health status (Carson et al., 2007). Therefore, this indicates that the native Australian people are more likely to face health issues than their non-indigenous counterparts.

The native populations have reduced access to education and literacy that significantly influence the likelihood of a person to seek medical services (Carson et al., 2007). Moreover, they are likely to have a chronic disease because of the poor infant diets and the high-risk behaviors that they are exposed to in their life (“An Overview of the Economic Impact of Indigenous disadvantage”, 2008). Urbanization The Indigenous people wanted to integrate with the dominant society and their pursuit lead to urbanization.

However, the movement of people to the urban centres result in the loss of the critical elements that define a particular group of individuals. For instance, the indigenous people faced social disorganization as well as cultural practices (Ranzijn et al., 2009). The urbanization also had other adverse effects and failures as well. For example, the education system failed, and crime rates shoot up because of the family breakdowns and loss of the indigenous social control by the elders ("Australian Bureau of Statistics", 2013).

Read More