The Australian Society - Term Paper Example

Social Inclusion in Australia Student’s Name Institution Social Inclusion in Australia Introduction Social inclusion refers to the incorporation of all the members of the community in the ongoing activities of the society. It involves the protection of the people’s rights and fundamental values, which include equality, equity, human rights, social justice, and the people’s freedom (Long, 2010). The members embrace diversity and the principles of tolerance. It often facilitates the development of the society and the living standards always increase a great deal. The Australian government develops some of the social policies that take the form of a political response to social issues (Australian Social Inclusion Board, 2010). The policies are formed with the intention of integrating the people into a single society and have many benefits that come with them. They mainly target particular groups with the interest of addressing particular social issues that affect the Australian society (Clark, 2009). The issues that are still persistent in the Australian society include poverty and inequality in terms of social classes. A high level of discrimination is often experienced by the less fortunate members of the society. It has been an issue of concern to several individuals in the leadership hence the need to adopt social inclusion in policy formulation. The most appropriate ways of incorporating the various groups in a community have to be convenient for all (Hallsworth, 2011). However, the process may also be coupled with some drawbacks that the policy implementers have to check before they come into effect. The Australian society has different groups of people and makes it hard to come up with the best ways of finding out the desires of all sets of people (Long, 2010). It limits the extent to which these policies may be implemented by the government. The development process is also hectic, as each group has to be analyzed and given a unique approach during the application. Roles of Social Policy Australia is currently experiencing social issues that include unemployment and health related issues. All the individuals have a role to play in the society, and one should always play their part of serving the community (Healey, 2011). The unemployed are to meet certain responsibilities given by the mutual policy obligations through activities that aim at seeking and securing themselves paid employment. The working class people are to support their families and the community at large with the purpose of doing away with most of the social problems (Long, 2010). The families are also to struggle to be self-reliant and be supportive of individuals. The communities are thus to be responsible for their well-being. The social policy defines community as a setup that encompasses the homogeneity rather than miscellany, which often leads to maintaining the status quo of the society. Most communities do not include the disadvantaged in the services and programs hence become inefficient in addressing most of the social problems. The social exclusion thus continues to be a frequent occurrence within the society (Basit & Tomlinson, 2012). In Australia, the government employs the use of various techniques to reach out to several citizens (Hallsworth, 2011). However, it can be more efficient when those in leadership positions put in place the policies that are evidence-based, which may be instrumental in doing away with the causes of poverty and its effects. It requires building of social capital and strengthening the individuals as well as the families. The policies may not have immediate impacts that the people are to experience but may be a way of creating a beneficial environment. Protection of the minority in the community is often facilitated by the local leaders as they are in charge of all that goes around in their localities. They can oversee the implementation of the policies and ensure no rights are to be violated within their areas of jurisdiction. The government can thus manage to change the outlook of the society through policy development that pushes for a more just and equal society for the people. While developing the social guidelines, one must consider basing them on the approaches that rely on the evidence-based policy. It helps in understanding the various groups of people in the community hence enhances the development of social policies that suit them. It in turn makes it simpler in implementing the plans as local projects (Healey, 2011). The formation and sustenance of human relationships require inputs of personal resources that will help in binding the connections. When these resources are lacking, it will be prone to social detachment, exclusion, as well as isolation. It necessitates that the people are to have policies that aim at building the personal skills and individual capacity, which are a requirement in the formation of supportive relationships (Wearing, 2011). The best program will be one that promotes unity among families and individuals, which aims at promoting the positive interactions between them. Australian Policy on Social Inclusion The society has had a growing desire to have a transformation in the socioeconomic status of the people as a way of improving the living standards (Clark, 2009). Australia has had poverty being at the center of its policy driving process. The potential candidates vying for various posts during elections use it as a strategy of winning the support of the followers. It tends to overshadow the social policy driven from the income-oriented or capability-oriented approaches (Wearing, 2011). It looks at the social exclusion that comes about mainly from the poverty that engulfs the less fortunate members of the society. Poverty in these setups can thus be described as the lack of financial resources, which are necessary for the acquisition of most of the human needs. Poverty can be brought to the limelight by including the social relations and economic conditions (Hallsworth, 2011). These may take various forms such as low esteem, powerlessness, shame, and stigma. However, the social aspects that involve poverty capture financial deprivation of an individual. The economic power is not enough in satisfying one's needs, but it is only a pathway to the full apprehension of the individual's capabilities. One requires social status and respect in the society that will be granting some form of security (Clark, 2009). The material possession does not offer an automatic respect since it is not possible to convert them into other opportunities that may be useful in achieving particular capabilities. The Australian social policy came to be driven by the aspects of poverty as it unifies most of the disadvantaged groups (Australian Social Inclusion Board, 2010). It allows for ease in identification of the group and addressing of their issues becomes simpler. Presently, it has become outmoded and is facing neglect. Therefore, it necessitates the emergence of different approaches. Poverty has been receiving little attention during policy discussions, which implies the disadvantaged still have to continue with their state of life (Clark, 2009). Efforts should be redirected towards putting the factors affecting the poor in the policy development process. It should also look beyond the society’s income poverty but instead should focus on the potentials of the people. Australian Statistics The Australian Social Inclusion Board often carries out an assessment of how well the country is doing. It then reports to the government for the employment of appropriate strategies that will help mitigate the situations at hand (Healey, 2011). Most of the Australians live well; however, there are those who find it hard to survive in the society. It is approximated that about 5% of those aged 15 years and above in Australia are disadvantaged in one way or another (Australian Social Inclusion Board, 2010). Although most of the Australians are employed, about 15% of the children in the country live in jobless families. The country has high life expectancies; however, some groups have a very low life expectancy. For example, the indigenous people have up to 10 or 12 years less than the country's life expectancy (Australian Social Inclusion Board, 2010). Those Australians who may be at a disadvantage in one area often find themselves to be disadvantaged in other respects. It makes matters worse as the problems accumulate to be immense. For instance, those with low income often have poor health and may not be able to access other essential services like transport (Hallsworth, 2011). About 35% of those with low income have an indication of poor health unlike those with high incomes that are approximately 7% of the households (Healey, 2011). Approximately 10% of the low-income earners also have difficulty in accessing the transport while it is at 1% for the high-income earners (Australian Social Inclusion Board, 2010). The people who live in the low socioeconomic status have a tendency of not taking part in the community activities. They may be hindered from taking part in the decision-making process on matters that could be of much importance in their lives. They have the least chances of getting employment, and their kids face the risk of being developmentally vulnerable (Long, 2010). It is because of these societal differences in the Australian communities that necessitates the groups to rise and fight for equality and inclusion in all aspects of life. Factors Affecting Social Inclusion Discrimination within the society may have severe repercussions on the people, which include poor health leading to a reduction in the life expectancy. It can result in mental or physical problems to those facing segregation in the society. Racism may lead to the exclusion of the people perceived not to belong to a particular community and may deny them the right of accessing some of the essential services (Healey, 2011). They may also not partake in employment, sports, education, and other social activities. Therefore, racism does not encourage inclusion and most of the times lead to entrenching the less fortunate members of the society. Lack of housing, limited access to education and employment opportunities are some of the factors undermining social inclusion and success in the settlement (Basit & Tomlinson, 2012). The most common causes include prejudice, negative stereotypes, and racism. It is thus upon the human rights activists to combat the racial vilification and discrimination that is still going on in the society. Inclusion in the community should be perceived in terms of capability to learn, work, and have a voice in all that goes around in the society. People should be in a position to access education and training facilities in the country equally (Wearing, 2011). They are also entitled to have equal employment opportunities that should only look at the qualifications as required by the job description. Social inclusion encourages the engagement of the people in the society. These may include connecting with others in the community through the local services and participation in the recreational activities in the regions (Healey, 2011). The people are to have a voice in the matters that have a direct influence on their lives particularly when dealing with the decision-making process. Social exclusion has a lot to do with discrimination as it leads to a restriction of the people’s capabilities that may be instrumental in taking advantage of the available opportunities. The exclusion mostly stems from differences that exist between people in terms of attributes, economic, social, or physical disadvantages (Wearing, 2011). Rationale for Development of Social Policy The Australian government intends to check on the distribution of the resources because of the disparity in their accessibility often causes the exclusion often experienced in the society (Healey, 2011). Full participation of the people should be mandatory to avoid the feeling of being left out by a section of the community members. The power also has to be redistributed to transfer the economic and social abilities to the people. It would increase their political and civil participation as provided by the fundamental rights guided by the social democratic approach. The government has the moral responsibility for redistributing the state resources and enhances the enjoyment of such rights (Hallsworth, 2011). The government aims to accomplish the agenda of social inclusion by fostering on five pillars. The first step would be increasing the economic growth for the country to remain internationally competitive (Long, 2010). Second would be the adoption of an equitable social policy that ensures equal treatment of the people. It will be coupled with the delivery of quality services including those that the people receive in public institutions such as the health centers and schools (Clark, 2009). It will be aiming at the creation of strong family ties and the community. It will be useful at times of economic downturn, and people will readily assist one another. The government also has to come up with partnerships for change that will drive the economy of the country and generate the much-desired job opportunities. The state has been taking bold steps in ensuring that the disparity that could arise from the financial status of the people is reduced largely (Long, 2010). It does this by employing the approach centered on the labor market to secure employment for most of the people. Unemployment is one of the causes of exclusion and eliminating it from the society will assist in its reduction (Healey, 2011). It does this through welfares, which create the perception that the system is more problematic as the welfare often has a connection with economic dependence. However, there is a need to understand that unemployment arises from multi-dimensional factors that may affect the society. There is always disparity that occurs among the people living together in the community due to a difference in educational levels. The exclusion that comes from this form of social status prompted the government to start supporting the needy kids in pursuing their education (Basit & Tomlinson, 2012). It offers scholarships to the students who are not able to able to pay their fees. They can pursue their educational dreams from the lower institutions of learning until they acquire the tertiary education. These people may then come back to elevate their families and the community. The economic performance thus improves from the community level and may expand to the state level with time (Otsuji & Pennycook, 2011). The strategies developed thus focus on the entrenched disadvantage, financial resources, improving the quality of life, taking part in the civic activities, and affordability of housing (Hallsworth, 2011). The government has been putting the necessary effort, but the problems are still persistent only showing a small decrease. The disadvantaged are often concentrated on certain sections of the country and are associated with poor health, high rates of child abuse, imprisonment, and unemployment. The strategies put in place by the social policies thus aim at the reduction of these factors that will accelerate the inclusion of the disadvantaged (Long, 2010). In an effort to create an equitable society, the government has been carrying out the annual analysis on the performance of its various sectors through the set board. The non-governmental organizations within the country also offer an oversight role on the government to ensure those in leadership violate no human rights. They have been instrumental in pioneering the social inclusion policies that the government has been implementing (Clark, 2009). The employed people also have unions that push for their rights and eliminate the possibility of human rights violation by their employers. Development of the policies thus calls for a consultation with the various stakeholders including the unions, human rights activists, and the government. They each contribute on how the Australian social policy can elevate the lives of the disadvantaged (Long, 2010). They all take active roles in implementing the agreed policies. Merits and Potential Limitations to Social Inclusion The advantages of social inclusion outweigh its demerits in the society. It ensures that the resources are distributed equally to the people so that none of the members is at a disadvantage (Hallsworth, 2011). The process helps in elimination of the disparity that could be among the people. The economic development of the country will be rapid when the accessibility to the state resources is not limited to a few individuals. Provision of education will advance the level of expertise in the country and may facilitate the economic as well technological development (Basit & Tomlinson, 2012). It enhances the political participation of the people, which leads to the introduction of new ideas in leadership that may facilitate the growth of other sectors of the nation. The government has gone ahead to set up boards and agencies that take a keen look at the violation of the policies and take appropriate actions (Otsuji & Pennycook, 2011). It has seen a reduction in the population that was at first experiencing isolation in the past. It has made it possible for the people to understand their rights as the citizens of Australia (Healey, 2011). The increased awareness makes the people work harder to untie themselves from the strings of poverty that has been prevalent among the people. Increased awareness has made those campaigning for elective posts to use the social policies as the manifesto for their elections. Despite the numerous advantages that come with social inclusion, there are those still opposed to it because they risk losing their social status. They perceive the enlightenment of the others in the society poses a challenge to their economic performance (Wearing, 2011). The groups of individuals who prefer accumulating wealth for their personal gains are the ones in the forefront fighting the idea of the inclusion. At times, they are the people given the duty to oversee the implementation of such policies and will be glad to see their downfall. They would prefer the maintenance of status quo and would not be in a hurry to push for the transformations to take place (Basit & Tomlinson, 2012). Such groups require identification followed by elimination from the system, which is to transform the social lives of the people in Australia. In conclusion, social inclusion is a significant concept that should often feature in the development of policies in whichever setup. It does not limit itself to financial deprivation but should center on the capability of the people. The Australian system tends to adopt the capability-centered approach, which has been able to build a happy and healthy community full of enthusiastic people. It makes the people have the morale of rising above the ordinary standards to achieve their best in all their undertakings. Therefore, when adopting the social policies, there is a need to include the aspects of social inclusion. References Australian Social Inclusion Board. (2010). Social inclusion in Australia: How Australia is faring. Canberra, A.C.T: Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Basit, T. N., & Tomlinson, S. (2012). Social inclusion and higher education. Bristol: Policy Press. Clark, A. (2009). Not a Solution at All?: Communities and Social Policy. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=074421068819271;res=IELHSS on 21/4/2015 Hallsworth, M. (2011). Policy‐Making in the Real World. Political Insight, 2(1), 10-12. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2041-9066.2011.00051.x/abstract on 21/4/2015 Healey, J. (2011). Poverty and social exclusion. Thirroul, N.S.W: Spinney Press. Long, E. (2010). The Australian social inclusion agenda: a new approach to social policy?. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=402454527819882;res=IELHSS on 21/4/2015 Otsuji, E., & Pennycook, A. (2011). Social inclusion and metrolingual practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(4), 413-426. Wearing, M. (2011). Strengthening youth citizenship and social inclusion practice—The Australian case: Towards rights based and inclusive practice in services for marginalized young people. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(4), 534-540. Read More