Assignment on Cultural Studies

Running head: CULTURAL STUDIES
CULTURAL STUDIES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

CULTURAL STUDIES
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Task A
Four thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans, various parts of the Australia,
was inhabited by the clans of the Aboriginals. They lived the lives of the hunters and the food
gatherers. The advent of James Cook in the Australian soil marked the end of their free
living. The first Act of land ownership came with the arrival of the Europeans in the
aboriginal soil. The aboriginal residents were ousted from their own land (Dudgeon et al.,
2016). 1000s of the indigenous Tasmanians were massacred. By the year 1830 they were
relocated and were officially declared as extinct. The Immigration Restriction Act in 1901
was passed where Indigenous Australian children were removed from their families in te
name of civilizing them. Thousands of aboriginal children lost their parents and vice versa. It
gave rise to the “Lost generation” (Dudgeon et al., 2016).
Disease stuck a fatal blow to the peaceful living of the aboriginal people, who until
that time had been living an independent life, free of diseases. Their body had no resistance
against the viruses that were carried on by the sailors. Some of the deadly diseases
introduced during that time was syphilis, smallpox and influenza (Dudgeon et al., 2016).
The ATSI people’s problems with alcohol began with the invasion. With the arrival of
the first fleet of the Europeans, pubs were opened. Many of the Aboriginal labours were paid
in tobacco or alcohol instead of money. 60 % of the Aboriginal Australian drinkers die for
alcohol related causes in comparison to the non –aboriginal people. Since, the arrival of the
Europeans, the Aboriginals have been tortured and discriminated in terms of healthcare
education, employment and every single aspect of life. The level of the racism includes
systemic racism as well as racist remarks, behaviours and inadequate reporting and follow up
mechanisms, having a detrimental impact on the growth of ATSI medical workforce
(Markwick, Ansari, Clinch & McNeil, 2019). In spite of the approaches taken up by the

CULTURAL STUDIES
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government, to reduce the discrimination, the Aboriginal patients are more twice as likely to
quit western mode of treatment due to racial discrimination. The discrimination against
indigenous people has unique historical roots in colonization.
Indigenous people’s narratives gives a clear picture about the poor treatment by the
health care providers drawing a clear conclusion that racism was the only reason because of
their poor treatment. It has been stated that Indigenous people are often considered to be
poor, drunk or homeless and often have to stand in long queues (Wylie & McConkey, 2019).
The Aboriginal Australians have also indicated towards the deleterious of racism both
in physical and mental health. Exposure to racism can have negative psychological and
physiological effects. Parents of the lost generation or the members of the lost generation
might suffer from mental health disorder due to the high percentage of racism and
discrimination. Discrimination in the field of education and employment could have led new
generation to depression and risks of drug taking (Kelaher, Ferdinand & Paradies, 2014).
The ongoing racism and discrimination is still posing its impact on the Aboriginal
health. Discrimination included unwelcoming environment, such as not responding properly
to the grievances of the aboriginals, or name calling them, stereotyping, stigma and practice
informed racism (Truong, Gibbs, Paradies & Priest, 2017). Again, the health care workers are
sometimes reluctant to provide health literacy to these people. As a result there is lack of trust
and good relationship between health care providers and the patients. Discrepancies in health
care have kept the ATSI people to different kind of chronic disease like diabetes, asthma,
cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Part B
What?