Factors Impacting Aboriginals

The consequences of globalization have significantly affected the health and culture of the contemporary Australian society. This article explores the factors impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their cultural practices.

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Factors Impacting Aboriginals
Name
Institution

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Factors Impacting Aboriginals
The consequences of globalization have significantly affected the health and culture of
the contemporary Australian society. Regardless of the values, beliefs and attitudes, the
consequential enhancements in in the country’s cultural diversification has helped me identify
some culturally competent practices that shape the society. Of the competent practices that I have
identified are the people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Being the original and native
populations of Australia, these people have managed to maintain their traditions and beliefs
which were once prevalent in the country (Andersen, Edwards, & Wolfe, 2017). I personally
believe that as a minority population, these people’s main intention is to live a private and
secluded life even though they maintain close ties with their family in a much broader sense. The
respect they have for their culture, ethnicity and heritage makes them take part in all the
contemporary events that honors their beliefs. Despite their contribution in shaping the history
and economy of Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander still remain segregated from
the non-indigenous groups. However, despite retaining their cultural practices, they have not
hesitated to adopt new ones. They also have more sympathetic and empathetic nature
characterized by strict values of the family towards other people. This has helped shaped my
views in regards to the respect an individual should have towards the society, culture, family and
friends. My perception towards the people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander has been
shaped by their history. This group of people faced immoral battles that wanted to do away with
their culture, however, they fought so hard to establish and maintain their strong identity. Bach
and Larson (2017) argue that these indigenous people were invaded by aliens who attempted to
make them adopt the modern culture, which they declined. Even in the modern times, the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are the only people who have maintained a single kind of

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adaptation. This has helped me understand how important culture is to this group of people.
Clearly, they do not want to lose their identity which I acknowledge. However, the fact that the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have stuck to their culture has made them experience socio-
economic disadvantage on all sectors (Clarke, 2015). The fact that most of them have poor
education as well as poor income has made access to health care services hard for this people.
They additionally trust that their wellbeing is connected to command over their physical
condition, of network confidence, of equity and is of dignity. This has made me understand that
these indigenous have no control over their lives thus the unhealthy lifestyles which contributes
to some illnesses. I have come to understand that the negative features of their social
environment trigger their illnesses. According to aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
community, wellbeing does not mean the physical prosperity of an individual but rather the
social, passionate and social prosperity of the entire network. This has shaped my understanding
that these people value their identity and would protect it by any means possible. Anything
interfering with their culture and way of life is what they consider unhealthy. The understanding
of the wellbeing and health involves the whole community throughout the entire life-course and
not individuals (Harwood, 2015). For these people, healthcare services should attempt to attain
the state where everyone is capable of achieving their full potential as human beings as well as
bring about total wellbeing of the entire community. This involves broad issues like social
equity, value, rights just as customary information, conventional recuperating and association
with nation. The fact that the aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community’s concept of health
encompasses mental and physical health, cultural and spiritual health has given me an
understanding that these people have great respect towards the well being of the entire
community rather than individual well-being. However, there is an equality health gap between

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the non-indigenous people and the aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community (Thorpe,
2017). This can be attributed to the fact that the poverty levels among the group is high. In this
regard, the indigenous people should be stringent towards enabling health equality rights so as to
adopt to the current trends in the society. Personally, I believe that the indigenous people have a
more opportune life that has been created by the lifestyle trends of the current urbanized world.

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References
Andersen, C., Edwards, A., & Wolfe, B. (2017). Finding Space and Place: Using Narrative and
Imagery to Support Successful Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
People in Enabling Programs. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 46(1), 1-
11.
Bach, T. M., & Larson, B. M. (2017). Speaking About Weeds: Indigenous Elders' Metaphors for
Invasive Species and Their Management. Environmental Values, 26(5), 561-581.
Clarke, P. A. (2015). The Aboriginal ethnobotany of the South East of South Australia region.
Part 1: seasonal life and material culture. Transactions of the Royal Society of South
Australia, 139(2), 216-246.
Harwood, A. (2015). Horis, neffs and aunties: Social media, language and identity for young M?
ori in Australia. Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture, 6(1), 7-21. Retrieved from

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http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/cjmc/2015/00000006/00000001/
art00002
Thorpe, N. (2017). Labor to establish national caucus to increase Indigenous representation.
NITV. [online] Retrieved 23 November 2017, from https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-
news/article/2017/02/20/labor-establish-national-caucus-increase-indigenous-
representation