Social Inequality In Australia Essay

The following report will focus on the health plan Koolin Balit: Victorian Government strategic directions for Aboriginal health 2012-2022 (Koolin Balit). This report will firstly provide an overview of Koolin Balit and will discuss the selected health plan Key Priority Area Two: Healthy Childhood. The at-risks groups pre-school and primary school aged Aboriginal children affected by the priority area will then be discussed. There are three Determinants of Health (DOH) that will be focused on throughout the report, these being education, food (access to and distribution) and access to care and health services (Keleher & MacDougall, 2016). Evidence will be used throughout the report to support the DOH and discuss the relevance of the DOH to Key Priority Area Two: Healthy Childhood.

Indigenous people accounted for 3.1% of the total Australian population (HealthInfoNet, n.d.). Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal are far more likely to die than other Australians before they are old. According to the most recent estimates, Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal men born in 2010 to 2012 are likely to live up to 69 years old and are about 10 years less than other Australian men. Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal women born in 2010 to 2012 are likely to live up to 74 years, almost 10 years less than other Australian women (HealthInfoNet, n.d.). Describe the nature and extent

Thus Indigenous Australians have are higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, poor school attendance, poor health, family violence and substance abuse than non-Indigenous Australia (Weatherburn, 2014).

To begin with, a clarification must be made. Although for the purposes of this assessment I will be using the term Indigenous Australians, it is not the most appropriate term to be using, as the technical definition of indigenous is ‘originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native’ (‘Indigenous’, 1987). The more correct term would be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

The significance for this research project is that it will provide relevant and up to date data of the current levels of physical activity within Australian adults. This project will deliver an in-depth analysis of the frequency, quantity, duration, and variety of physical activity among Australians. It will also provide information about what factors are promoting a healthy lifestyle and what barriers are preventing adults from achieving the recommended weekly levels of physical activity. The research will address:

A lot of aboriginal students are now graduating high school in the past few years. But, now they seem to rank lower in education, higher rates of unemployment, along with higher rates of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, which can lead to needing a lot more health care than the average person. (Dr. Chandrakant P. Shah. 2005, page.3)

For a number of years now, the woman in our society have been treated and continue to have the impression of being significantly inferior amongst their male counterparts and in almost all cases, woman of colour, in particular, are looked upon as more inferior than Caucasian women. More specifically in Canada, aboriginal people are perceived as an inferior class of people and in this case, aboriginal women are the most inferior amongst the inferior class (Halseth, 2013). These types of discrimination and obstacles have lead to multiple health-related issues that prevents aboriginal women from prospering in their communities which is an apparent link to their social determinants. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),

Over the last two decades the Australian population has faced a number of economic instabilities that has seen the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ increase. To determine who the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ are an in-depth investigation will be performed examining the circumstances under which the gap can be manipulated. The economic wellbeing of individuals is largely determined by their command over economic resources (ABS, 2009). The wellbeing of individuals who are classified as ‘haves’ are usually people who are asset rich, contain bonds, shares and are fairly affluent. The wellbeing of individuals who are classified as ‘have nots’ are usually the working poor, who have little assets and little investments i.e. bonds. These

     Many of the inequalities in the health of the Aboriginal people can be attributed to the

Cardiovascular disease is one of the major health problem that most of the countries are facing today and one of such countries is Australia. It is estimated that about 1 million of Australian population is affected by cardiovascular diseases and is among the leading cause of death in Australia ("Department of Health | Cardiovascular disease", 2016). It is also observed that the Aboriginal population of Australia is more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than other Australians ("Department of Health | Cardiovascular disease", 2016). In order to examine the health issue such as cardiovascular disease among Aboriginal men and women using social

Australian government today recognises that educational policies regarding Aboriginal people cannot be made without considering social and economic policies aimed at improving outcomes for Aboriginal communities in general (TICHR, 2006). Main contemporary issues facing Aboriginal communities are proving land ownership, remoteness, health status, education and employment status and social attitude of Non-Aboriginal population towards the Aboriginal communities (Challenges facing the Indigenous communities today, n.d.). Tackling this issue is not a simple task: the document “National Indigenous Reform Agreement” (2010) which aims to improve outcomes for all Indigenous Australians recognizes that this process needs approach from different aspects, taking into account “seven key building blocks: Early Childhood, Schooling, Health, Economic Participation, Healthy Homes, Safe Communities, and Governance and Leadership” (as cited in DET Queensland,

Aboriginal communities also face significantly higher incarceration rates, higher rates of HIV infection, and higher suicide rates amongst young adults and youth when compared to their non-Aboriginal counterparts (Gray, 2011). Violent sexual assault rates for Aboriginal women and girls are nearly three times that of non-Aboriginals and statistics on food security for Aboriginals living both on and off reserve land suggest that a startling 83% of individuals go without adequate nutrition, with Aboriginal children suffering disproportionately from malnutrition and other nutrition related health problems (Gray, 2011). Unfortunately, it is Aboriginal children and youth under the age of 14 who are particularly at-risk for nearly all areas of social deficit in Canada (Meissner,

Indigenous Australians have a shorter life expectancy, higher rates of infant mortality, poorer health and lower levels of education and employment than any other ethnic group in Australia

Western women have traditionally been perceived as the inferior sex, or the domestic partner, subjected wholly to the private sphere, and stripped of legal rights and standing. Meanwhile, men are depicted as the breadwinner, the strong, masculine and dominant partner, who belongs primarily to the public sphere. These historic gender norms have been deeply imbedded within Australia’s social foundation, and although society has gradually shifted away from these roles, evidence suggests that this gender inequality still riddles the modern day workplace. Liberal feminist groups have embraced this issue, and have classified it as being a true barrier to achieving the ultimate gender equality goal. Consequently, these liberal feminists along

This essay will be discussing the social inequalities within New Zealand. These inequalities can include unequal income, education and healthcare. Through extensive research of academic resources, I will be discussing how educational, family, social and political factors contribute to the development of these inequalities. I will also be providing a line graph that shows the unequal income between classes and a second line graph that demonstrates the difference in student success between high decile and low decile schools.