Conference Papers
Session H2.2. Health: Culture, Country and Connection
1. Jessamy Bath: Social Determinants of Indigenous Health: Country and Connection
There is little denying that health inequalities in Australia are shaped by the social and economic conditions in which people live. Relative disadvantage - from a social determinants of health perspective - translates to poor health outcomes. The World Health Organisation promotes health equity through action on the social determinants of health, but to what extent are these theories useful in explaining Indigenous health inequality? While Indigenous Australians occupy an overarching position of disadvantage and experience poor health outcomes, social determinants of health theories are based on the study of non-Indigenous populations. Through analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), this paper examines how Indigenous health translates across the social determinants of health, and considers how current models may be adapted or extended to include Indigenous specific factors such as connection to country and social connectedness. In this analysis, mainstream social determinants of health such as low employment, low income, high financial stress and poor housing were negatively associated with Indigenous health across urban and regional settings only. Indigenous specific factors, however, were positively associated with health across all geographical locations. The findings demonstrate that the social determinants of Indigenous health extend beyond current models and suggest policy makers need to look more broadly in understanding Indigenous health inequality.
Author bio: Jessamy Bath is currently a Research Assistant at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at the Australian National University. Since commencing this position in March Jessamy has been working alongside other CAEPR researchers on the Indigenous Population Project which aims to explore the dynamics and regional geography of Indigenous population and socioeconomic change. In 2010 she graduated from the University of Tasmania with First Class Honours in Sociology. Working under the supervision of Indigenous academic, Associate Professor Maggie Walter, her honours thesis explored the social determinants of Indigenous health using recently released data from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC). In December 2010 Jessamy completed an Internship at the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership in Cairns. During the internship she was responsible for evaluating an Indigenous ranger program and contributed to research into carbon and ecosystem service opportunities for the Indigenous people of Cape York.
2. Nanise Vacuago and Bonnie Hayward: Community Planned Project for Noongar Children in foster care at Armadale, Western Australia
This community planned project has been facilitated by a group of postgraduate students of Social Work at the University of Western Australia in Semester 1, 2011. Using existing records, reflection –on-action experience and networks, this project in a practical way fits into what Connolly and Ward (2008) refer to as human rights-based practice. Statistics have shown the highest number of Noogar children at Armadale Region, Western Australia are living in non-aboriginal foster care institutions and also under the care of the Department of Child Protection(DCP). Thus a lack of community service in connecting children back to their parents or kinship support. Also a direct breach of United Nation rights of the children and along indigenous rights of Aboriginal people. Positive response from a few stakeholders after a process of raising consciousness and with anticipation, can facilitate children back into its nurturing environment using a cultural investigator. There is a similar community based case-study done in Wisconsin, USA as a reference point, thus the group has de- contextualized to suit Noogar community. Cultural Investigator can be a kingship elder or Aboriginal social worker as supported by Oxenham(2000) to facilitate the overall kin relationships, provide progressive feedbacks and outcomes to responsible stakeholders and most importantly being responsible in building relationships between families which are directly involved with these children. There is no need to re-invent the wheel in taking up this project as there are existing Aboriginal networks like Aboriginal Family Legal Services and Community Legal Centres . The only limitation will be funding this pilot-project for at least the first three years (2012-2015) and subject for review. However, this community based project provides a practice framework which includes an ethical practice and most importantly building bridges between the young and old Aboriginal generations. Refs: Collony,M. & Ward,T.(2008). Morals,Rights and Practice in the Human Services:Effective and Fair Decision-Making in Health,Social Care and Criminal Justice,Jessica Kingsley Publishers,London; Oxenham,D.(2000). Aboriginal Terms of Reference : A Course Paper for the Indigenous Studies Program .Gunada Press, Bentley.
Author bio: Nanise Vucago and Bonnie Hayward are current postgraduate(Master level Year.1) students of Social Work at the University of Western Australia. Both are represented as indigenous people – Bonnie is an Aboriginal descent from Noogar community and Nanise is an indigenous Fijian woman. Strongly passionate about working in the field of indigenous empowerment and social policy.
3. Laura Bennetts-Kneebone: Footprints in Time, the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. Regional differences in family life, health practices and early education
Often Indigenous people are asked to give an opinion as to what other Indigenous people think, feel and experience. The search for a quick answer denies the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experiences, choices and lifestyles. One of the major points of diversity is that of location- urban, regional and remote. As participants in the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents talk directly from year to year about how they raise their children, the issues they face and their thoughts on a wide range of issues that impact on children’s learning, development and socialisation. This presentation gives an overview of some of the choices, experiences and issues that have been found in the first three waves of data from Footprints in Time, a study of around 1600 children across Australia. These are looked at by Level of Relative Isolation (LORI), which contrasts families living in urban areas (no isolation) to families in low, moderate and high/extreme isolation. This shows sometimes surprising similarities and differences in family composition and family life; use of health services and health practices; and childcare and early education.
Author bio: Laura Bennetts Kneebone works on Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. She has held a range of positions on this project in the last four years, including in research design, qualitative design and (currently) data management and analysis. She graduated with First Class Honours from LaTrobe University and previously worked for the university as a Tutor and Research Assistant in Linguistics.