Understanding Vulnerability, Rights, and Participation in Supporting Wellbeing

This document discusses the concepts of vulnerability, rights, and participation and their importance in supporting the wellbeing of society. It explores how governments and society can work together to minimize harm to vulnerable populations. The document includes case studies and references to further research.

CSV2109 – Alternative Assessment
Notes

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Question 1. Understanding the three concepts of vulnerability, rights, participation can
provide a society with a baseline for supporting the wellbeing of its members.........................1
Question 2. Examining how governments and society as a whole can minimise harm to its
most vulnerable populations.......................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

MAIN BODY
Question 1. Understanding the three concepts of vulnerability, rights, participation can provide a
society with a baseline for supporting the wellbeing of its members.
Underhill and Rimmer, (2016) sought to establish the fact that, Vulnerability is considered
to be as one of the diminished capacity of the individual or group in order to cope up with,
anticipate, resisting and recovering from the impact of physical or natural Hazard. The concept
of vulnerability is both dynamic as well as related. Vulnerability is further categorised into
physical vulnerability, social vulnerability, economic vulnerability and emotional vulnerability.
Natural hazards tend to eventually lead to high degree of disaster. When the natural hazards
tends to intersect with the society this in turn creates high degree of vulnerability in order to
support the well-being of the individuals within the society. Disaster risk assessment is one of the
pre-dominant approach for quantifying the variables and characteristics associated with the
hazard. Increase in number of population and high degree of optimised highly interconnected
system in turn eventually results in leading to increased number of vulnerability and exposure
(Australian Vulnerability Profile, 2020). Societal decisions tends to affect the vulnerability
which in turn are the result of cumulative, multiple, non-linear processing by which trade-off
between different roles, values and knowledge are managed. A catastrophic natural event tends
to result in rapid cascade of events across interconnected system like water, food, transport,
communications, energy, capacity to care and health. However vulnerability to the disaster in
turn is created by decisions, choices and trade of which has been made by the society.
Maron and et.al., (2015) examined the fact that, concept of rights is considered to be as the
ethical, social and legal principles of freedom. Rights are considered to be as a fundamental
normative rules which helps in telling people what is allowed and owed to people in accordance
with the legal system, ethical theory and social convention. However, rights is considered to be
of utmost importance in disciplines such as ethics and law in order to avoid social conflicts.
Rights are considered to be fundamental for the civilisation in order to establish pillars of culture
and society. Every individual within the society has the right to choose, right to use work, right
to live, right to strike, right to vote, Right to equal treatment, right to exist, right to freedom, right
to constitutional remedies, right to property, right to safety, right to freedom of religion, right to
freedom, Right to information, right to issues reliance, right to information act, right to Internet,
Right to seek election within Parliament, right to express, right to receive federal assistance, etc.
1

in order to create a strong set of baseline in order to support the well-being of the members
within the society. Crouch, (2019) sought to establish the fact that, these fundamental rights are
considered to be highly important for the society because it has in protecting the freedom and
liberties of the citizens against any sort of innovation which has been carried out by the state and
also helps in preventing the establishment of the dictatorial rule and authoritarian within the
country.
Deeming, (2016) argued that, the concept of participation in turn tends to state that, the
public or individuals are effectively included within the societal activities. Participation is
considered to be as one of the voluntary procedure which helps the individual inclusive of the
disadvantaged people because of ethnicity, education, income and gender which tends to control
the decisions which can influence the decision making of an individual person. The key
significant essence of the participation is that it tends to exercise choice and voice. Participation
concept is considered to be as the catalyst which leads to further development, encouragement
and also tends to create a sense of responsibility which helps in ensuring that the things has been
carried out in a legal and reliable manner. Community participation is crucial because it is useful
in creating awareness among the key stakeholders associated with how to the funds has been
used in order to decide on the wellbeing. Moreover, when the communities tends to participate
then the accountability and the transparency of the leaders in turn tends to create high quality
standards for the project. Participating in events, programmes, social activities, etc. helps in
creating a baseline which helps in supporting the members.
Hence, it has been concluded that, these three concepts which includes vulnerability,
rights, participation helps in providing a society with an appropriate baseline in order to support
the wellbeing of its members. It helps in effectively improving the functioning of the individual
within the society and reduce the risk of vulnerability.
Question 2. Examining how governments and society as a whole can minimise harm to its most
vulnerable populations.
Lähdesmäki and et.al., (2016) sought to establish the fact that, Government and society
tends to play one of the key significant role in order to effectively minimize the harm to the most
vulnerable population. The most vulnerable population mainly comprises of the homelessness,
family and domestic violence, LGBTIQ community, social workers, carers, youth and children,
refugees, people who has blood borne viruses, people who has exited prison, etc. are considered
2

to be as the vulnerable population who are considered to be at the high risk of getting hurt or
harm.
Bec, McLennan, and Moyle, (2016) examined the fact that, the government tends to focus
on developing reforms, policies, laws, rules, guidelines, etc. which are considered to be in the
best interest of the vulnerable population. This way it helps in providing them with the best
possible results and outcomes and it helps in the better attainment of the goals. Government has
to focus on providing key set of parameters for everyday behaviour of the vulnerable population
in order to protect individuals from any sort of outside interference which could hurt or harm
them. Government aims to meet any focus on providing well-being and happiness to the
individuals within the society. Government control on some aspects of the economy is crucial in
order to improve the well-being and also protecting them in adverse situation. The government
has to focus on performing their duties with utmost degree of accuracy and protecting the rights
of the individuals for providing them with equal set of opportunity without any kind of
discrimination. Underhill and Rimmer, (2016) sought to establish the fact that, the government
tends to focus on creating a strategy which helps in protecting the rights and duties of the
vulnerable population. The government also focuses on establishment justice and ensuring
domestic tranquillity for the vulnerable population in order to protect them from any
harm. Another key significant role of the government is to promote general welfare and on
securing the liberty among the vulnerable population in order to minimise the harm and attain
greater set of freedom to perform the duties in a legal and reliable manner.
Ravenswood, and Kaine, (2015) sought to establish the fact that, Society role is referred to
as the role of the person or responsibility to words the vulnerable community of population. The
key significant role of the society is to be supportive of the government and the vulnerable
communities in order to protect the rights and live a better life. Complete respect must be given
to all journalist as well as the professionals in order to provide them with accuracy and deserving
respect within the society. The society must comply with the human rights protection of the
vulnerable groups which helps in providing the specific solution to the problem and minimise
harm. The vulnerable population is referred to as the socially disadvantaged group who are at the
higher risk of being harmed and injured. The government and society must treat them with equal
respect and integrity by complying with legal set of laws and policies with utmost degree of
accuracy and efficiency. Society is useful because it helps in bringing out certain set of orders
3

and system by which human beings act in a certain manner. Nederhand, Bekkers and Voorberg,
(2016) examined the fact that, society is the combination of very degree of group of people who
belong to different culture and community come together to live in an ethical manner. It is very
crucial for the society to explain each individuals despite of the floors so that they can live a
happy and a normal life. Reduction in harm to the vulnerable groups tends to put high degree of
benefit to the vulnerable population. The government and society can engage in increasing
reference to support vulnerable population programmes and carry out various activities in order
to attain better results and equal opportunity to each individual within the society.
From the conducted study it has been summarized that, government and society tends to
play one of the crucial role in framing the society which helps in reducing the ham to the
vulnerable population of the society.
4

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bec, A., McLennan, C.L. and Moyle, B.D., 2016. Community resilience to long-term tourism
decline and rejuvenation: A literature review and conceptual model. Current Issues in
Tourism, 19(5), pp.431-457.
Crouch, H., 2019. Government and society in Malaysia. Cornell University Press.
Deeming, C., 2016. Rethinking social policy and society. Social Policy and Society, 15(2),
pp.159-175.
Lähdesmäki, T and et.al., 2016. Fluidity and flexibility of “belonging” Uses of the concept in
contemporary research. Acta Sociologica, 59(3), pp.233-247.
Maron, M and et.al., 2015. Climate‐induced resource bottlenecks exacerbate species
vulnerability: a review. Diversity and Distributions, 21(7), pp.731-743.
Nederhand, J., Bekkers, V. and Voorberg, W., 2016. Self-Organization and the Role of
Government: How and why does self-organization evolve in the shadow of hierarchy?. Public
Management Review, 18(7), pp.1063-1084.
Ravenswood, K. and Kaine, S., 2015. The role of government in influencing labour conditions
through the procurement of services: Some political challenges. Journal of Industrial
Relations, 57(4), pp.544-562.
Underhill, E. and Rimmer, M., 2016. Layered vulnerability: Temporary migrants in Australian
horticulture. Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(5), pp.608-626.
Online
Australian Vulnerability Profile. 2020. [ONLINE]. Available through<
https://research.csiro.au/eap/australian-vulnerability-profile/>
5