Discrimination Against Aboriginals: Social Work Theory and Practice

This article discusses the discrimination faced by aboriginals in Australia and the role of social work theory and practice in addressing this issue. It explores the importance of cultural competence and promoting social justice for the well-being of indigenous communities.

Running head: SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE
SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE
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Topic: discrimination against aboriginals
Social workers are trusted professionals, who provide support, guidance and assistance to
individuals, families and communities in their time of need. Social work is not only a profession
but also a passion, a drive to help others. Moreover, they leave a positive lasting impact that is
associated with the well-being of others (Cheung, 2016). Certain places are composed of diverse
culture, where social injustice is highly possible to occur. Australia is one of the nations that
have a large population of aboriginals and Torres Straits Islander people known as the First
Australians. They have a long history in the land of Australia, the land where they are now faced
with several challenges. Today, the land, winds and water of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
islanders peoples are used and shared by the maximum population of the country. However, the
situation is must worse than merely sharing their land, water and wind where the aboriginals are
discriminated and deprived of their resources. Social workers acknowledge the Torres Strait
islanders people and aboriginals, their contribution and sacrifices, their continuing and enduring
cultures that has deepen and enriched the life of the nation as well as communities. Social
workers make commitments to acknowledge the contribution of the aboriginals and aim to work
on the historical and contemporary disadvantages experienced by Aboriginals and Torres Strait
Islander people and implement them in the social work practice. In a similar discourse, the paper
aims to discuss the way social workers are responsible for ensuring that their method is culturally
competent, sensitive and safe.
Indigenous culture in Australia is strong and diverse in its natural way. They make a vital
contribution to the nation’s identity. In Australia, the word ‘discrimination’ is a subtle sword that
is used against the aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders (Fiske, Hodge & Turner, 2016). They
are often deprived of their fundamental rights from due to their race or their heritage or ethnic

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origin. Australia has a history of American people during the colonized period when white
people failed to understand the aboriginal culture (Malaspinas et al., 2016). The wide gap and
difference between their culture and the culture of the first Australian lead to unpleasant attitude
towards the aboriginals. The rich culture of the indigenous people was certainly leads to
ignorance of the culture since it was difficult to understand. During this period, thousands of
aboriginal people were killed, punished and deprived of their fundamental rights associated with
their land, water, forest and winds. Even today in the contemporary era, aboriginal people
continue to feel misunderstood by non-indigenous people. According to the indigenous people
many legislative acts reflect a white point of view and lack the understanding of the aboriginals.
The aboriginals who are living the professional life, approximately 70 per cent claim to have
experienced discrimination. The condition of indigenous Australian is a national disgrace for the
discrimination has led the people belongs from aboriginal culture lack behind. They lack
educational opportunity, job opportunity, healthcare and wellbeing beneficiaries and many
fundamental rights (Rigney, 2017).
The idea is that there is a constant struggle in the society which occurs due to conflicts
between different social classes or groups. There is a scare of resources and opportunities. Every
group struggles to attain more resources as they are limited in society and they must struggle
with other groups in order to get access and retain the resources. Groups in power or privileged
will always try to protect their own interest. Therefore, they block the progress of other groups
(Craib, 2015). The structure of the Australian society can be explained with the struggle. Here
the white Australians try not to give away their powers in the hand of aboriginals, hence create
blocking in their progress. Those in more powers, non-indigenous create laws that will certainly
feel like a benefit to the aboriginals however, they are only little or no benefits. The reason

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indigenous people are treated unequally is to prevent them from claiming the power and
resources. The land, water, forest and resources are at present in the hand of the powerful.
Through education and other mediums of help, aboriginals will only claim their position back,
making the ones in power lose power. This can be done unconsciously or consciously. Hence,
the condition of the aboriginals and the discrimination against them is to prevent them from
getting access to the limited resources of the society (Parsons, 2017).
The profession of social work has played a significant role in its involvement with the
indigenous peoples. It has been noted that several times aboriginals are the clients of social
service agencies in many areas. The Australian Association of social worker (AASW) has been
working with the aboriginals for years, respectfully acknowledging aboriginals and Torres Strait
Islanders’ people as the first Australians. The present condition of aboriginals and the result of
decades of discrimination call loudly for social justice. Social justice is embedded in every
mission of the present day’s social workers. It is not only ethical but also necessary to promote
social justice by the social workers in their work with others. Social justice includes ensuring that
the aboriginals are getting equal opportunities, participation in decision making and they are
provided with the essential amenities to thrive as a member of the society. Also, while promoting
the social justice social workers bear the responsibility of enhancing the social welfare of the
indigenous people (Bell & Adams, 2016).
It has always been an essential concern for social workers and social service workers
regarding social justice. The profession is built on the concern of social justice, and social justice
plays an important role in opening access and opportunity for everyone, specifically for the
people in greatest need. The reason it is vital to involve social justice in social work is for they
work directly with the people in need. Although social workers are not the only one who works

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with the people in need, they work directly with the individuals who are most affected by social
injustice (Hepworth eta l., 2016). Involving social justice provides special perspectives to the
social workers while helping the disadvantaged. They become aware of the problem and help
them get access to the resources for healthier and more stable lives. There have been
circumstances where the clients feel helpless and underserved since they lack both family and
financial support. They lack the support that most people often consider as granted. They feel
demoralizing and daunted while relying on public welfare. This is the area where the social
justice aspect of social workers works ensuring that they feel secure, have access to food, clothes
and shelter along with health care needs (Kumashiro, 2015). Also, a glimpse of the problem
provides the bigger picture where the condition is associated with the entire community. For
example, when a social worker working with an aboriginal, who is homeless after he is deprived
of his land, can highlight the fact that there are more aboriginals losing homes hence, giving rise
to the homelessness. It is also important for social workers to understand the importance of
equality and social justice in order to provide help and protect them from the injustice that makes
them a victim of other social issues. Regardless of the client’s gender, race, faith or sexual
orientation, it is the duty of the social workers to serve their clients. When they work considering
social injustice and inequalities, they understand the source of their problem and condition. Also,
understanding the core of the social issue and the problem helps in understanding the situation of
the family and similar families that presents the overall perspective of the entire community.
Understanding the gap in the knowledge and possessing the idea of the community will help
provide the appropriate help and support to the community from in the future is not only a
national aspect but also an international aspect.

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The reasons for the social injustice and inequality against the aboriginals are not simply
for the years of unfair treatment and behaviour towards the aboriginals. Considering the
sociological theoretical explanations of social injustice and inequality, the problem is vast and
much more comprehensive in its magnitude. The structural social work theory is part of critical
progressive tradition that is concerned with the broad political dimensions and socio-economic
factors of society, specifically focusing on the impacts of capitalism. The impact of the
capitalism has certainly influenced in the creation of unequal relation among individual. The
prime goal of this approach is to reduce the social inequality through the transformation of the
western civilization. The social workers following the theory focus on the interplay between
which influence and limit the materials circumstances of service by the users (Blankenship,
2018). It can be explained that the condition of aboriginals is due to the political and socio-
economic dimensions of the society. It is the influence of the euro-centric civilization that has
left behind its impact on the society of Australia. The structural approach originated from the
work of Maurice Moreau that focuses on the wider social structure on the individual’s personal
problems. The wider social structure is the capitalist society of the colonized period which yet
has successful impact on the society and holds some responsibility for the condition of the
aboriginals in the society. Social workers are required to be skilled in casework and family
counseling, community organization and group work in order work with the structural approach.
Social workers through understanding and adopting critical social work perspective are
expected to solve the problems of the aboriginals and contribute by creating socially just society.
The task of teaching critical social work has certainly begun (Payne & Askeland, 2016).
However, it becomes highly frustrating when the critical social work is needed to be done. The
early critical theory is broadly explained by Marxist. According to critical theory, the account of

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the social forces of domination takes its theoretical activity in order to be practically connected
to the object of study. It is simply not merely descriptive; it is a method through which social
change is instigated by providing knowledge of the forces of social inequality. It also informs
political action aimed at emancipation.
According to the anti-oppression theory in social work is to belief that it is wrong to use
any being without their free consent. It is important to undertake their consent and opinion. The
belief that it is wrong to impose on the life of any being including force, control or otherwise
disrespect is anti-oppression theory. It is the duty to oppose oppression and provide equal
treatment to everyone. It is important to isolate the thinking of discrimination on every aspect
including race, gender, ethnicity and other aspects (Crichlow, 2015). Equality among every
individual is the major priority. The theory holds that all people should be treated as equal and
should possess the same political, social, economic and civil rights. Commonly it applies to the
concept that everyone should be held equal under the law and society at large. Therefore every
person is equal and therefore should be treated equally including aboriginals and Torres Strait
Islanders people. The discriminating on the basis of race, gender and ethnicity will not promote
the value of the individual over the state as it will promote the interest of the minor group or the
aboriginals.
There are certain theories that social workers use that help them understand the concept
of social injustice and inequality. These theories help them understand the importance of
understanding social justice and equality. The concept of self is the way an individual think
about themselves and the way an individual evaluates them. Understanding self is to be aware of
one and has a concept of oneself. It gives the perception of ‘who am I?’ as a person. For
example, a person may understand the concept of self by being aware of their likes and dislikes.

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It understands the motives and acts of self that is called self-understanding (Lauren, 2018). The
term self-concept is a general term that is used to refer to the ways someone thinks about or
perceives them. It is important for humanism and social psychology that is used even in social
work. According to Lewis, the concept of self can be divided into two types, existential self and
the categorical self. The awareness of self begins at the early ages when an individual begins to
realize the sense of being separate and distinct from others and the awareness of constancy of the
self. The categorical self includes the realization or awareness that he or she is an object in the
world. In social work, the social worker helps the discriminated group understand and modify
their perception ‘the self’. The sense of self-identity is highly associated with the understanding
of self. The notion of a unified self is dominated by a single or more than one socio-cultural
identity (Jennings, 2016). The discriminated group associate themselves with the identity that
often leads them to low self-esteem, hence making them prone to oppression and discrimination.
In order to help them become clear with the multiple aspects of identity articulate an interlocking
nature of oppression such as class, race and disability. According to the uni-dimensional concept
of the ‘self’ assumes that one major aspect of human generates consistent patterns of human
experiences across time and place that provide an individual with the idea of their social identity
(Zhoc & Chen, 2016). Social workers help the aboriginals understand while working with them
that no one form of oppression can or should dominate any other group. This would help the
aboriginals realize their human rights and their position in society in the future. Helping them
understand that they are equally capable and equal comparative to another group of people has a
scope for the indigenous people to take initiative about them and fight for the rights that they are
assigned as human.

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As discussed above, social workers are trusted professionals, who provide support,
guidance and assistance to individuals, families and communities in their time of need. Social
work is not only a profession but also a passion, a drive to help others. They play an important
role in reducing discrimination. They are even a medium to help them realize their value in
society. Social workers are professionals, and with their abilities and understanding of social
justice and inequality, they not only provide equal help to the aboriginals but also help them
understand the aboriginals their social position. By helping individuals they interact with
families and working with too any families help them bring change in the community.

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