Social Work Targets Ad The Achievement

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

SOCIOLOGY 1
Introduction
The practice based profession, social work targets towards the overall well being and the
achievement of the common good of population in need (Guttmann, 2013). This assignment
revolves around the remote Indigenous population in NSW and their view towards the recent
‘Bill Leak Cartoon’ which have published in the Newspaper targeting the community as the least
privileged and the most vulnerable and discriminated class in the society (ABC News. 2016).
The assignment is the analysis of the cartoon that has been published together with the
recommended measures that can be taken by the community members, as suggested from the
perspective of a social worker.
Discussion
The concept of post structuralism explains the way of theorizing which is rooted within
the structuralism. The fundamental assumption of post structuralism lies over the fact that study
of the structures is culturally conditioned and hence subjected to misinterpretations and myriad
biases. According to Fox (2016), post structuralism rejects the notion of structuralism and
argues that fundamental knowledge over systematic structure and phenomenology is impossible
due to the biases. Regarding the context of discrimination and looking down upon the rural
indigenous population of NSW, post structuralism approach argues over the arranged hierarchy
and the classifications of the society which are making the population, the most vulnerable
(Jennings, Bond & Hill, 2018). The context of power, culture and langue with the consideration
of post structuralism can be explained in the light of the construction of the representation of
cartoon. As explained in ABC News. (2016), the cartoon showcased discriminatory and racist
representation, furthermore highlighting the reality of the current status of the indigenous

SOCIOLOGY 2
community of people in the society. The cartoon sheds light over the rate of vulnerability faced
by the rural Indigenous population of NSW.
The concept of power is further demonstrated in this picture or cartoon where the Indigenous
man with a can of beer is seen of not remembering the name of his son. The cartoon portrayed
the rural aboriginal as the underprivileged and second class of the society who are constantly
look down upon the upper class and forms a bad role models resulting the destruction of society.
Power plays an important role in classification of class within the society. The meaning of the
cartoon depicted the aboriginal population as the lower section of people in the society and the
minority communities whose voice are silenced by the powerful leaders in country (Priest et al.,
2012). The cartoon published in the newspaper questioned over the concepts of equality in the
society, the fairness among the aboriginal and the non aboriginal population if the country
together with the rate of social justice over the population in terms of racial and colonial factors.
From the perspective of a social worker, I believe the philosophical base of my social
working towards the discriminated and vulnerable population, that is the indigenous population
in NSW involves addressing social justice and fairness within the population. The publication of
the discriminatory and racist cartoon showcased the critical challenges regarding Indigenous
affairs as well as disgraceful attitude towards the Indigenous population in Australia.
The critical social work theory that can be explained in this context of addressing the
cartoon and the harmful, degrading portrayal of indigenous population in NSW is the system
theory. This is because the system theory portrays the behavior of human as well as the
challenges from the perspective of individual within the context of interrelated and complex
systems (McKee & Pedersen, 2018). This holistic range of theory enables the requirement,
experience as well as the behavior of the individual interaction among the system. From the

SOCIOLOGY 3
context of system theory, it is essential for a social worker to consider all factors within system
effecting the work as well as the client for making the system supportive and healthy (Reamer,
2013). Towards addressing the racist and discriminatory approach showcased in the published
cartoon, as the social worker I should view the scenario from the system theory approach by
understanding the mental and psychological trauma of the indigenous community people
regrading the display of the community as the most vulnerable and under privileged class within
the society. While considering the effects of the societal values of the indigenous community
people, system theory is applicable to understand the improve the societal hierarchy that looks
down upon the indigenous rural population, thereby considering their right to dignity and safety.
(Canda, Furman & Canda, 2019). The addressable or the strategic recommendation that can be
provided to the elders and the people of the community towards the harmful portrayal of
indigenous population includes educating the population. According to Bodkin-Andrews and
Carlson (2016), the way one treats the other community people in the society reflects the ways
they have been actually taught to treat the others. Improvement of human rights protection within
the country for the Indigenous rural communities is another approach that can be taken by the
government when the elders initiate to lodge complain against the offensive cartoon publication
(Kowal, 2011). It is important for the elders of the community to raise concerns regrading the
publication which portrays systematic racism and discrimination by looking down upon the
community people as the second class of the society.
Conclusion
To summarize, the cartoon publication portrayed systematic racial discrimination
together with social exclusion of the rural indigenous population in NSW. These discrimination

SOCIOLOGY 4
has lead to the gross violation of human rights of the indigenous group of population. From the
perspective of a social worker, I believe that this portrayal has disrupted the ethics and values of
social works, since it disrupted the achievement of the common good of the society which targets
the welfare and human rights of all the citizens of the society irrespective of any social class
barrier.

SOCIOLOGY 5
References
ABC News. (2016). Bill Leak cartoon an 'attack' on Aboriginal people. [online] Available at:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-04/cartoon-an-attack-on-aboriginal-people,-
indigenous-leader-says/7689248?pfmredir [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].
Bodkin-Andrews, G., & Carlson, B. (2016). The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian
identity within education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 19(4), 784-807.
Canda, E. R., Furman, L. D., & Canda, H. J. (2019). Spiritual diversity in social work practice:
The heart of helping. Oxford University Press, USA.
Fox, N. J. (2016). Health sociology from post-structuralism to the new
materialisms. Health:, 20(1), 62-74.
Guttmann, D. (2013). Ethics in social work: A context of caring. Routledge.
Jennings, W., Bond, C., & Hill, P. S. (2018). The power of talk and power in talk: a systematic
review of Indigenous narratives of culturally safe healthcare communication. Australian
Journal of Primary Health, 24(2), 109-115.
Kowal, E. (2011). The stigma of white privilege: Australian anti-racists and Indigenous
improvement. Cultural Studies, 25(3), 313-333.
McKee, M., & Pedersen, A. (2018). Efficacy as a predictor of bystander anti-racism in support of
Indigenous Australians. Australian Community Psychologist, 29(2).
Priest, N., Paradies, Y., Stevens, M., & Bailie, R. (2012). Exploring relationships between
racism, housing and child illness in remote indigenous communities. J Epidemiol
Community Health, 66(5), 440-447.
Reamer, F. G. (2013). Social work values and ethics. Columbia University Press.