Comparison between personal racism and systematic racism

Running head: WELL-BEING
Well-being
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

1.
Comparison between personal racism and systematic racism:
Personal racism is a concept that involves experience of discrimination or stereotyping
based on racial differences and differences in values and behaviour of a person as per racial and
cultural different. In contrast, institutional or systematic racism is a form of racism expressed by
political or social institution resulting in disparities in the area of housing, income, employment,
justice, wealth and health care. Hence, personal racism is a type of discrimination linked to
values, attitudes, feelings and opinion and institutional racism is linked to discrimination
occurring due to policies, procedures, systems and practices (Payne, Vuletich & Lundberg,
2017). One example can also clear define the difference between personal racism and
institutional racism. For example, if a person is not allowed to enter a hotel because of his race, it
is a type of personal racism situation. In contrast, if a company restricts hiring people from a
specific racial group, it is an example of institutional racism.
Impact of power dynamics on contemporary practice in Australia:
Many people are discriminated based on their colour. Whiteness is a concept related to
those groups of individuals who enjoy certain privileges in society because of their power
dynamics. It is a cultural norm where certain groups are positioned at the top of the cultural-
racial hierarchy not because of biological category but because of white as a social construction.
These groups of people enjoy rights, benefits and advantages beyond those enjoyed by other
individuals in the society (Molloy, 2017). Hence, the imbalance of power and inequity is the
main factor that defines the white group and the impact of power facilitates domination of the

white group in society. The superiority of the whites over non-white ethnic groups informs
institutional culture and practices too.
The whiteness concept relate to contemporary nursing practice in Australia too because
white group enjoy many privileges within health care service and inequities exists in relation to
health access and availability of care for the disadvantaged groups like the indigenous
Australians. Durey and Thompson (2012) give the evidence regarding the effect of white Anglo-
Australian cultural dominance in health service delivery to indigenous Australian. Many nurse
are only involved in discriminating the indigenous people because they have negative attitude
towards indigenous people and the indigenous beliefs are subjugated to the dominant western
biomedical model in Australian health care system.
Comparison between cultural safety and cultural competency:
Cultural competence is defined as the set of skills, values and behaviours needed to meet
social, cultural and linguistic needs of different client group. On the other hand, cultural safety is
a list of expected behaviour that ensures respect for culturally and socially diverse client group in
health services (Holland, 2017). Hence, cultural safety is a competence that can come under the
provision of cultural competence. Cultural safety exemplifies both cultural awareness and
cultural sensitivity. However, the difference between the two concepts is that cultural safety is
term mainly focussed on the causes of inequality whereas cultural competence is a term that
determines the way in which individual skills and behaviour influence service provision and
addresses the negative impact of colonial history for disadvantaged group.
Cultural safety is often targeted during cultural competence training as it increases staff’s
understanding regarding the need to respect differences and understand the limitations of cultural

competence. It helps to identify the power differences that exist in health service delivery and
appropriately respond to such inequities through structured education. The lens of cultural safety
supports health care staffs to consider impact of racism and prejudice and challenge unusual
power relations (Repo et al., 2017).
2.
Reflection on one prescribed readings:
Report: One of the week 1-5 readings that grabbed my attention includes the 10 year review of
the Close the Gap Strategy by Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee (2018) because it
gave me idea regarding the actions that Australian government has taken so far to meet the goals
of the Close the Gap strategy.
Respond: I am overwhelmed by the reading as it developed my understanding that despite great
investment by Australian government, they are still not able to meet complex health needs of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Relate: My personal understanding was that government investment in different areas of health
care would resolve poor outcomes of indigenous people. However, after reading the 10 year
review, I developed the idea that critical thinking is needed to ensure that investment is made in
the right areas for promotion of indigenous health.
Reasoning: I got to learn that focussing on holistic factors of well-being such as addressing the
social determinants of health is vital for indigenous people because proper housing, employment
and health infrastructure also influence the engagement of indigenous people with the health care
system (Gee et al., 2014).