Contemporary Health Impacts of Assimilation and Segregation Policies

This presentation critically analyzes the impact of historical policies, specifically assimilation and segregation, on the health outcomes of Aboriginal Australians. It examines how these policies have shaped contemporary health challenges, including limited access to healthcare, economic disparities, and the prevalence of mood disorders and substance abuse. The presentation highlights the long-term effects of these policies on the mental and physical well-being of Aboriginal communities, emphasizing the importance of understanding the historical context to build trustful and respectful relationships between First Peoples and healthcare professionals. It explores the role of stereotypes and prejudices in healthcare settings, the reluctance of Aboriginal people to seek assistance, and the need for culturally sensitive approaches to address health inequalities. The presentation also discusses the ongoing efforts by the government to improve infrastructure and interactions with Aboriginal communities and the importance of addressing the lasting impacts of past policies to ensure equitable healthcare access and improved health outcomes. The presentation emphasizes the need for health professionals to understand the historical context and develop culturally sensitive approaches to foster trust and respect within the healthcare system.

Running head: ABORIGINALS IN AUSTRALIA
ABORIGINALS IN AUSTRALIA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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The assimilation and the segregation era were two of the most important times of the
involvement of the first people in the Modern society. Despite this the processes taken to include
the different individuals in the society. The people of the society during the time were forced to
live in isolation according to the new laws implemented by the colonizers greatly affecting their
relationships. The segregation greatly restricted the movement of the first people with them
requiring to’ use identifications for their movement in the country. The half bred fair children
were taken away from their parents and forced to live in hostels to teach them about the western
culture.
The segregation era demarcated the areas of residence for the people in the society. they could
not move out of these areas and their movements were restricted among the different parts of the
society. The people needed special permission for the free movement in the parts of the society
where the colonizers lived. The era build a sentiment against the colonizers in the minds of the
first people thereby affecting their long term relations in the society. The children were isolated
from the parents and it affected the psyche of the children as well as the parents.
The taking away of the children and the different people in the society of the first people majorly
affected the psyche of the people and made them discriminatory against the different colonizers.
The state-wide curfews implemented in the society ostracized the first people from the society
because of the fear they had from the colonizers. This has affected them deeply hampering their
relations with the modern urban society and therefore not taking help of the infrastructure like
the healthcare. This lack of healthcare clubbed with their economic issued lead to a major issue
in the overall development of the first people.

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The policies of the segregation and assimilation had left a strong impact on the minds of the
people in the society as the first people abhorred any communication with the western society
due to the fear of losing their loved ones, being racially discriminated or the fear of the past. The
lack of the communication channel is strongly affecting the overall health of the individuals. The
racism that is still present in the society also affects the behaviour of the individuals.
The segregation and the assimilation were also government policies which greatly affected the
overall society so the first people are still afraid of accepting and external intervention in their
society. The policies however at the ground level are discriminatory due to the healthcare
personnel doing discrimination based on the stereotypes about the aboriginals. The first people re
seen to be alcoholics and over dependent on drugs because of which the healthcare providers
cannot judge the true intentions of the people in the society.
There are a number of stereotypes among the urban society about the first people like:
• The aboriginals are seen as violent group.
• They are thought to be avid drug users and thereby involved in the crime.
• They get undue favours from the law and the different governments laws.
• They are not religious and hence are sinners living in the society.
• They remain uneducated by choice turning into criminals
The modern policies are aimed toward the overall development of the first people in the society
and keeping their cultural integrity intact in the multicultural society. There have been set a
complete set of new ethics in the infrastructures for the ethical interactions with the first people

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without offending them and not reminding them of the gory history. The modern approach is
based on the mutual respect to both the religions not being discriminatory to each other.
The historical factors of the segregation and assimilation era has led to the ostracism of the first
people from the society affecting their health in a number of ways as they have no access to
proper infrastructure to insure proper health or healthcare facilities among them. This economic
and the socio-cultural divide makes them suffer from a number of mood disorders because of
which they also tend to be alcoholics and drug abusers. They also suffer from minor infection in
mass number due to lack of healthcare and sanitation as they suffered from massive hookworm
infections. The psyche of the first people were also affected by the discrimination due to the
history and the still prevalent stereotype and the prejudices about them. The stereotypes are so
strong that they the healthcare providers avoid giving painkillers to the first people fearing the
substance abuse or thinking that they are to strong which is the normal stereotype about the first
people of Australia.
The first people need the help of the modern infrastructure but they are reluctant to take help
fearing the experiences might repeat themselves. They also avoid all other facilities like
education and the social care for the same reason. The government is working on providing the
proper help and the infrastructure to the people in the society about the initiatives. They are also
training the people about the interactions with the first people. Though the process is on, it might
take a long time to regain the trust lost during the segregation and assimilation era and their
inculcation in the society.

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