Sociology Assessment: Dignity of Risk and Discrimination

This sociology assignment examines the concepts of "Dignity of Risk" and Discrimination Legislation and their application within the Child Services sector. It defines "Dignity of Risk" as the balance between protecting children and allowing them self-determination, particularly for children with disabilities, and it emphasizes the importance of allowing children to participate in activities while providing appropriate supervision. The assignment also addresses Discrimination Legislation, including the Age Discrimination Act, the Disability Discrimination Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, and the Racial Discrimination Act, and how these laws promote integration and equal opportunities for children with disabilities, diverse gender identities, and those from minority groups. The assignment emphasizes the need for supportive and encouraging caregiving practices that avoid discrimination and promote inclusion. References to related academic works are also provided.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Sociology Assessment
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIOLOGY ASSESSMENT
1. Understanding what is meant by, “Dignity of Risk”, and how it is applied to the
Child Services Sector
“The term “Dignity of Risk” is essentially a notion that self-determination as well as the
right to take risks of a reasonable nature are necessary for self-esteem, and dignity and that
overly cautious caregivers, who are concerned about their duties of responsibilities and care
ought not to impede this dignity of risk.1 The concept of dignity of care can be applied to elderly
people who are placed under the supervision and responsibility of care givers, people who have
mental health problems and people who live with disabilities2. Dignity of Risk as a concept can
also be applied to services pertaining to child care especially for children who live with
disabilities. Parents or care givers of children who have disabilities want to protect them and
keep them from harm at all costs, and in the process end up preventing their children from
participating in physical and other activities that could possibly bring them harm because of their
disabilities. Such parents or care givers should leave it to their children to decide whether they
desire partaking in such activities or not, and if they do, should allow them to engage in the
concerned activities, keeping a strict eye on them in the process to avert them from getting hurt
instead of denying their children the right to get involved in the activities altogether. By doing
so, they will be according the children the dignity of risk, letting them self-determine whether
they want to get involved in the risk or not, and supervising them well enough to ensure they
don’t get hurt.3
1 Case, Mary Anne. "Abortion, the Disabilities of Pregnancy, and the Dignity of Risk." U of Chicago, Public Law
Working Paper 705 (2019)
2 Chapman, Richard A. "Creating Communities in Which Everyone Belongs: A Case Study in Supported Decision-
Making." In Promoting Social Inclusion: Co-Creating Environments that Foster Equity and Belonging, pp. 195-200.
Emerald Publishing Limited, 2019
3 Vellani, Fayyaz. Understanding disability discrimination law through geography. Routledge, 2016.

2SOCIOLOGY ASSESSMENT
2. Understanding what is Discrimination Legislation and how it can be applied to the
Child Services Sector
Discrimination Legislation pertains to the laws that prohibit discrimination on grounds of
disability, race, age, sex gender identity, intersex status, as well as sexual orientation in specific
areas of public living, including employment and education.4 The four principal legal
instruments associated with discrimination legislation in Australia are the Age Discrimination
Act of 2004, the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992, the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984 and
the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975. Discrimination legislation in Australia can be applied
well enough to the domain of child care services.5 Care givers of children who are differently
abled, who do not identify with any particular mainstream gender, and who belong to minority
groups in Australian society, need to be encouraged to become well integrated with mainstream
Australian children. They need to be encouraged to take part in much the same activities that
regular or normal children do, and not be excluded from these on account of their disabilities or
sexual orientation. Parents and care givers of children who do not conform to mainstream
activities and living need to be supportive and encouraging of their children’s desires and wishes
instead of discriminating by comparing them with regular children.6
4 Vellani, Fayyaz. Understanding disability discrimination law through geography. Routledge, 2016.
5 Quinlan, Michael. "Born (Again) This Way: Why the Inherent Nature of Religiosity Requires a New Approach to
Australia's Discrimination Laws." Michael Quinlan," Born (Again This Way: Why the Inherent Nature of
Religiosity Requires a New Approach to Australia's Discrimination Laws," from Augusto Zimmerman (ed) A
Commitment To Excellence (Connor Court, 2018) 96-147 (2018).
6 Dixon, Roselyn. "Towards Inclusive Schools: The Impact of the DDA and DSE on Inclusion Participation and
Exclusion in Australia." In The Palgrave Handbook of Education Law for Schools, pp. 283-295. Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham, 2018.

3SOCIOLOGY ASSESSMENT
References
Case, Mary Anne. "Abortion, the Disabilities of Pregnancy, and the Dignity of Risk." U of
Chicago, Public Law Working Paper 705 (2019)
Chapman, Richard A. "Creating Communities in Which Everyone Belongs: A Case Study in
Supported Decision-Making." In Promoting Social Inclusion: Co-Creating Environments that
Foster Equity and Belonging, pp. 195-200. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2019.
Dixon, Roselyn. "Towards Inclusive Schools: The Impact of the DDA and DSE on Inclusion
Participation and Exclusion in Australia." In The Palgrave Handbook of Education Law for
Schools, pp. 283-295. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.
Quinlan, Michael. "Born (Again) This Way: Why the Inherent Nature of Religiosity Requires a
New Approach to Australia's Discrimination Laws." Michael Quinlan," Born (Again This Way:
Why the Inherent Nature of Religiosity Requires a New Approach to Australia's Discrimination
Laws," from Augusto Zimmerman (ed) A Commitment To Excellence (Connor Court, 2018) 96-
147 (2018).
Vellani, Fayyaz. Understanding disability discrimination law through geography. Routledge,
2016.