Terms of Alcohol and Drug Issues Among Indigenous Australians - Case Study Example

Alcohol and Drugs Issues of Indigenous Australians Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Alcohol and Drugs Issues of Indigenous Australians Introduction Alcohol and drugs issues of indigenous Australians, what are the underlying political ideologies? Alcohol and drug issues or drug abuse are the largest contributors to deaths among indigenous Australians. Nonetheless, this has continued for decades with no effective means or social policy to address the continued use of alcohol and drugs among indigenous Australians (Korff, 2014). The underlying challenge is based on the political divide in terms of social democrat political ideologies and functionalist political ideologies. Each political ideology has the ability to explain the development of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians. Moreover, each political ideology has developed social policy that has had significant implications on alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians. The following paper aims to analyse the social need as well as the socialist and functionalist perspectives of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians. The paper will also focus on how each political perspective has influenced policy in terms of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians. Genuine Social Need Australia is well-known for its alcohol culture and binge-drinking. According to Doran, et al., (2010), Australia has a drinking challenge, being the highest contributor deaths. However, the case is worse for indigenous Australians who have a fewer population, but face the highest implications of alcohol and drug issues (Doran, et al. 2010). A study by reveals the general social need of increased alcohol and drug use among indigenous Australians who are also known as the Aboriginals. About 52% of Aboriginals aged above 14 years consume tobacco while 21% consume alcohol, which is a higher percentage compared to that of non-aboriginals (22% consume tobacco while 16% consume alcohol) (Korff, 2014). In simple terms, Aboriginals are known to abuse drugs and alcohol at a higher rate than non-aboriginals or non-indigenous Australians. This has contributed to increased social challenges including crime, violence, poverty, deaths, and health implications (Doran, et al. 2010; Korff, 2014’ Gray, et al. 2000). The social status of Aboriginals has adversely been affected by alcohol and drug issues, indicating the need for increased solutions through policy. Nonetheless, there have been competing political ideologies that have in turn contributed to the increase of the social issues surrounding alcohol and drug use. Functionalists Political Ideology A functionalist political ideology is developed from the theory of functionalism, which is based on functions within society (Isajiw, 2013). Sociologists such as Durkheim and Parsons developed functionalism by seeking to understand the different functions played by social institutions (Isajiw, 2013). The theory of functionalism dwells on the perspective of society as a functional system where all institutions perform their roles. This means that there is a need for structure such as family, education, and government. For instance, a family exists to reproduce and bring children to the world. The children then attend schools developed by the government while the parents pay for taxes to cater for the costs of running the government. When the children are older and educated, they continue the process by serving in the development of the country. A functionalist believes that each institution exists for the purpose of creating social order. These structures and functions encourage stability, balance, consensus, and integration in society. In the area of alcohol and drug use, functionalists argue that society offers the norms or principles of using alcohol and drugs. This means that a set or group of social guidelines identify the suitable or right use of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs serve their function in society such as alleviating pain, prevent infections, reduce fevers, or address depression. Moreover, alcohol is also consumed for celebration, healthy matters, and as a part of a diet. Functionalists also view that society offers the norms or principles of alcohol and drug abuse (Yakovlev & Guessford, 2013). For instance, college students perceive binge-drinking as a cultural norm or guideline. The media and promoters use alcohol adverts to create a cultural norm of binge-drinking (Korff, 2014). This can be illustrated in the 1830s when European settlers invaded Australia (Brady, 1991). Aboriginals used to drink their own traditionally brewed alcohol in earlier times, but in very minimal amounts that had no harms as witnessed today. In the 1830s, White settlers influenced their culture with binge-drinking as Aboriginals were paid with tobacco and alcohol (Korff, 2014). Moreover, young men viewed alcohol use as a way of becoming powerful or rich like the settlers (Korff, 2014). In this manner, the Australian culture can be viewed as a social norm where binge drinking is a culture or a trend (Korff, 2014). Over the past few centuries, the non-indigenous people of Australia have undergone traumatic changes in terms culture, seeking to integrate in a highly advanced culture. The result of these changes has been a breakdown of the Aboriginal social rules, customs, identity, and controls (Saggers & Gray 1998). Most Aboriginals drink in groups, but it is not for the purpose of socializing, but rather because there is a member of the group with the ability to buy alcohol. According to Saggers & Gray, (1998) Aboriginal men specifically suffer from the lack of cultural identity and status as the government increases welfare fees for women, leaving men feeling discriminated against. In this light, the functionalist political ideology views the idea of alcohol and drug issues as a construction of social norms developed through time. Therefore, the answer or solution to the social challenges facing indigenous people is based on altering the social norms to ensure they support social order. Socialist Political Ideology The other competing political ideology is social ideology or social democrat. Social democrats rely on the perspective of a publicly integrated nation or state. This means that it is directly opposed to capitalism that supports individual or private wealth accumulation (Schumpeter, 2013). Social democracy is based on numerous factors beginning with the role of the state or country. The state has a role in the social democracy view of limiting the extremes of capitalism while pursuing to offer a safety net or guarantees for society and institutions that are unable to compete effectively in the market place (Schumpeter, 2013). This includes people such as old, sick, poor, and disadvantaged among other. It is about the state or government creating a level playing field for all participants or its citizens (Schumpeter, 2013). Moreover, the nation also plays the role of regulating regulation to allow for equal and balanced opportunities and resources. Socialist political ideology argues that governments should offer services to the public such as education and health to enable them feed their families while encouraging equality through the judicial system (Schumpeter, 2013). Thus, the government encourages people to work, thus allowing them to support their families and lifestyle, thereby creating inclusion and social order (Schumpeter, 2013). In terms of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians, a socialist would identify the social need through the failure of the state’s roles and responsibilities in empowering, protecting, and including such communities (Schumpeter, 2013). As identified earlier, socialists believe that the government has a role to enable people participate in an orderly society by offering education and health services while encouraging them to participate in the workforce (Yakovlev & Guessford, 2013). Nonetheless, most of the Aboriginal population still lack jobs, live in abject poverty, and have no means of feeding their families. Accrediting to Korff, (2014) Aboriginals drink to escape the many challenges they face in life such as lack of jobs and education. In one instance, an Aboriginal man was interviewed as to why he opted to drink and responded due to poverty and feeling of discrimination, which angered him and the only available option, was to drink to forget or ease the stress (Korff, 2014). This illustrates failed policies or schemes that should seek to integrate the Aboriginal community in the state by offering them increased opportunities to participate in the workforce. Moreover, the state also lack control of the alcohol and drug market where companies are encouraged to continue promoting alcohol and other drugs such as tobacco at the expense of social harm as death, injuries, and health issues plague the Aboriginal community (Yakovlev & Guessford, 2013). Equality is also a method of identifying the social need through a socialist viewpoint where Aboriginals are not included in any policy formulations or decision-making processes (Yakovlev & Guessford, 2013). Overall, socialists view the social harms of alcohol and drug abuse as the result of failed government roles and responsibilities. Functionalist Social Policy Australia has increasingly attempted to address the problem of alcohol and drug abuse among indigenous Australians through numerous policies divided between the functionalist and socialist political ideologies. In the functionalists view, the lack of providing appropriate guidelines or norms on how to behave during cultural changes can contribute to social disorder (Matthew-Simmons, et al. 2013). Therefore, policies that seek to change the culture of a nation, but do not offer social norms on how to behave in terms of alcohol and drug issues will likely contribute to social harms. In this case, Australia is known to develop numerous policies that have sought to integrate the Aboriginal or indigenous people in the non-indigenous community or population (Matthew-Simmons, et al. 2013). The first functionalist policy can be traced in the 1920s when the Commonwealth Government developed and implemented the Assimilation policy that sought to make indigenous Australians become one with the white population including a change in culture (Brady, 1995). A section of this policy involved the forceful or involuntarily removal of children from their biological families and cultures. This can be viewed as the policy of the stolen generation. The quick and traumatic change of culture was aimed at developing social order where Australia would be one in terms of culture and societal norms. Another significant policy is the 2007 Closing the Gap policy that sought to integrate indigenous communities with non-indigenous communities (Territory, 2010). Nonetheless, through the process of assimilation and integration, society did not offer any norms of using alcohol and drugs. Even with the physical integration of Aboriginals with whites, Aboriginals lacked any guidance or effective integration that ensured they understood responsible or appropriate use of alcohol and drugs (Matthew-Simmons, et al. 2013). This can be manifested by the culture of binge drinking among non-indigenous Australians that has continued over and over time. Through the policy of assimilation, Aboriginals lost their cultural identity as well as status resulting in unwanted social implications including crime, depression, mental disorders, and lack of jobs. This has further led to increased use of drugs in an attempt to escape the reality of poor socioeconomic statuses. ‘ Additionally, through the functionalist ideology perspectives, the Australian government developed policies to emphasize the need to change norms of drinking. This began as early as the Europeans settled in Australia. In this policy, Aboriginals were restricted from consuming alcohol. The same policy has received increased attention in the past decade as indigenous communities impose bans on alcohol and drug use. Alcohol ban policies determine the types of alcohol and drugs to be sold, to whom, and at what times (Gray, et al. 2000). This is based on the functionalist ideology of setting social norms through restrictive means that teach people on how to behave. Overall, the implementation of alcohol and drug bans has had a significant positive impact in reducing social harms. According to Korff, (2014) a study of three alcohol ban policies in Aboriginal communities (Wangkatjunka, Oombulgurri, Halls Creek) illustrated numerous benefits of alcohol and drug bans. The benefits include reduced violence, injuries, assaults, and families bought food instead of alcohol, thus promoting health as well as reduced deaths and hospital admissions (Ramamoorthi, et al. 2014). Nonetheless, the same benefits are only realized in the short-term as long-terms implications cause an increase in all the gained advantages. This means crime increases, people relocate to non-banned areas, increased accidents and injury, increased school drop-outs, and increased abuse of other drugs (Korff, 2014). Therefore, these policies may seem to be effective, but have a long-term negative impact. The challenges of such policies illustrate how a functionalist’s perspective of attempting to change culture has failed in reducing the social harms of alcohol and drug abuse among indigenous Australians. Socialist Social Policy Australia also sought to address the challenge of alcohol abuse and drug use through a socialist perspective. This occurred in the 1990s focus on self-determination rather than togetherness (Territory, 2010). The new approach aimed at supporting and empowering the Aboriginals population through justice or offering opportunities for their voices to be heard. The policy witnessed increased development of indigenous representative and welfare groups. This meant that indigenous people were now actively engaged in supporting their communities towards reducing alcohol and drug issues. As the policy of representation and reconciliation advanced, government implemented poorly developed measures, which have done little to address the challenges of alcohol and drugs. A socialist approach to policy on alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians is the recent National Alcohol Strategy that seeks to prevent and reduced the harms of alcohol and drug use (Doran, et al. 2010). The policy has focused on empowering communities to restrict alcohol use or develop proper measures for reducing alcohol and drug use. Among the main elements of the policy is providing healthcare needs to people who are already hooked to alcohol or other drugs. Its significance is based on the increased healthcare challenges faced by Aboriginals where about 33% of children suffer from mental illnesses or disorders (Korff, 2014). Moreover, the measures also include education and awareness on the disadvantages of alcohol and drug abuse. Nonetheless, these policies are implemented without sufficient research and participation (Davidson, 2013). According to Doran, et al. (2010), research on indigenous population in relation to alcohol and drug issues is little and does not offer reinforcement for developing practical policies. Additionally, the current policies seek to create equality while undermining or ignoring other significant factor needed to balance the measures taken to address the challenge. Currently, the national alcohol policy ignores the need for jobs or encouraging Aboriginal or indigenous Australians to participate in the workforce. As identified earlier, socialist political ideologies are based on inclusion by encouraging people to participate in the workforce. Increased research has indicated that the main causes of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians are socioeconomic issues such as employment, poverty, and crime (Guthrie, et al. 2010; Thomas, 2010; Ramamoorthi, et al. 2014). Nonetheless, the policies in place focus primarily on preventing and controlling alcohol use, which has resulted in increased challenges rather than benefits. Again, a socialist perspective would consider controlling or regulating the market of alcohol and drug to enable equality and better measures for the use of alcohol and drugs (Thomas, 2010). Nonetheless, this has not been the case as current socialist policies continue to focus on irrelevant areas while ignoring significant elements. Conclusion In conclusion, the current social harms of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians have been the result of functionalist and socialist political viewpoints. Therefore, it is clear that the solution lies between both idea, and not the use of a single perspective. If the current social harms are to be addressed, policy makers should integrate both political perspectives to come up with effective policies. Participation is also significant in ensuring that indigenous Australians have a role and opportunity in decision-making processes. Nonetheless, the current divide between functionalist and socialist political perspectives will continue to increase the harms of alcohol and drugs among indigenous Australians. References Brady, M. (1991). Drug and alcohol use among Aboriginal people. The health of Aboriginal Australia, Marrickville, NSW, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 173-217. Brady, M. (1995). Culture in treatment, culture as treatment. A critical appraisal of developments in addictions programs for indigenous North Americans and Australians. Social Science & Medicine, 41(11), 1487-1498. Davidson, R. (2013). Formulating Effective Alcohol Policy: Not as Simple as it Sounds. Emerging Perspectives on Substance Misuse, 23-39. Doran, C. M., Hall, W. D., Shakeshaft, A. P., Vos, T., & Cobiac, L. J. (2010). Alcohol policy reform in Australia: what can we learn from the evidence. Med J Aust, 192(8), 468-470. Gray, D., Saggers, S., Sputore, B., & Bourbon, D. (2000). What works? A review of evaluated alcohol misuse interventions among Aboriginal Australians. Addiction, 95(1), 11-22. Guthrie, J., Lovett, R., Dance, P., Ritchie, C., & Tongs, J. (2010). 'Where's your country?' New approaches for working with problematic alcohol use among Indigenous Australians in an urban setting. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 2010(1), 100-107. Isajiw, W. W. (2013). Causation and functionalism in sociology. Routledge. Korff, J. (2014). Aboriginal Alcohol Consumption. Retrieved from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/health/aboriginal-alcohol-consumption Matthew-Simmons, F., Sunderland, M., & Ritter, A. (2013). Exploring the existence of drug policy'ideologies' in Australia. Drugs: education, prevention and policy, 20(3), 258-267. Ramamoorthi, R., Jayaraj, R., Notaras, L., & Thomas, M. (2014). Alcohol-Related Violence among the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of the Northern Territory: Prioritizing an Agenda for Prevention- Narrative Review Article. Iranian Journal Of Public Health, 43(5), 539. Saggers, S., & Gray, D. (1998). Dealing with alcohol: indigenous usage in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Cambridge University Press. Schumpeter, J. A. (2013). Capitalism, socialism and democracy. Routledge. Territory, A. C (2010). Review of the harmful use of alcohol amongst Indigenous Australians. Alcohol, 52, 22-5. Thomas Babor (Ed.). (2010). Alcohol: no ordinary commodity: research and public policy. Oxford University Press. Yakovlev, P. A., & Guessford, W. P. (2013). Alcohol Consumption and Political Ideology: What’s Party Got to Do with It?. Journal of Wine Economics, 8(03), 335-354. Read More

Alcohol and drugs serve their function in society such as alleviating pain, prevent infections, reduce fevers, or address depression. Moreover, alcohol is also consumed for celebration, healthy matters, and as a part of a diet. Functionalists also view that society offers the norms or principles of alcohol and drug abuse (Yakovlev & Guessford, 2013). For instance, college students perceive binge-drinking as a cultural norm or guideline. The media and promoters use alcohol adverts to create a cultural norm of binge-drinking (Korff, 2014).

This can be illustrated in the 1830s when European settlers invaded Australia (Brady, 1991). Aboriginals used to drink their own traditionally brewed alcohol in earlier times, but in very minimal amounts that had no harms as witnessed today. In the 1830s, White settlers influenced their culture with binge-drinking as Aboriginals were paid with tobacco and alcohol (Korff, 2014). Moreover, young men viewed alcohol use as a way of becoming powerful or rich like the settlers (Korff, 2014). In this manner, the Australian culture can be viewed as a social norm where binge drinking is a culture or a trend (Korff, 2014).

Over the past few centuries, the non-indigenous people of Australia have undergone traumatic changes in terms culture, seeking to integrate in a highly advanced culture. The result of these changes has been a breakdown of the Aboriginal social rules, customs, identity, and controls (Saggers & Gray 1998). Most Aboriginals drink in groups, but it is not for the purpose of socializing, but rather because there is a member of the group with the ability to buy alcohol. According to Saggers & Gray, (1998) Aboriginal men specifically suffer from the lack of cultural identity and status as the government increases welfare fees for women, leaving men feeling discriminated against.

In this light, the functionalist political ideology views the idea of alcohol and drug issues as a construction of social norms developed through time. Therefore, the answer or solution to the social challenges facing indigenous people is based on altering the social norms to ensure they support social order. Socialist Political Ideology The other competing political ideology is social ideology or social democrat. Social democrats rely on the perspective of a publicly integrated nation or state.

This means that it is directly opposed to capitalism that supports individual or private wealth accumulation (Schumpeter, 2013). Social democracy is based on numerous factors beginning with the role of the state or country. The state has a role in the social democracy view of limiting the extremes of capitalism while pursuing to offer a safety net or guarantees for society and institutions that are unable to compete effectively in the market place (Schumpeter, 2013). This includes people such as old, sick, poor, and disadvantaged among other.

It is about the state or government creating a level playing field for all participants or its citizens (Schumpeter, 2013). Moreover, the nation also plays the role of regulating regulation to allow for equal and balanced opportunities and resources. Socialist political ideology argues that governments should offer services to the public such as education and health to enable them feed their families while encouraging equality through the judicial system (Schumpeter, 2013). Thus, the government encourages people to work, thus allowing them to support their families and lifestyle, thereby creating inclusion and social order (Schumpeter, 2013).

In terms of alcohol and drug issues among indigenous Australians, a socialist would identify the social need through the failure of the state’s roles and responsibilities in empowering, protecting, and including such communities (Schumpeter, 2013). As identified earlier, socialists believe that the government has a role to enable people participate in an orderly society by offering education and health services while encouraging them to participate in the workforce (Yakovlev & Guessford, 2013).

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