Reflective Assignment on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

This reflective assignment delves into the profound influence of culture and cultural conservation on health beliefs, particularly within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It emphasizes the significance of cultural connections, family networks, and kinship groups in shaping health behaviors, while also acknowledging the economic hardships faced by these communities and their impact on health beliefs. The assignment explores the role of cultural identity in fostering unity and conformity, and addresses criticisms and stereotypes perpetuated by mainstream media. It further examines the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous populations, highlighting the stigma associated with mental health and the rejection of biomedical views of disease due to historical traumas like colonization and forced separation. The author's personal experiences reveal a holistic approach to health that encompasses physical, social, cultural, emotional, and spiritual aspects, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individuals, community, and the land. Desklib provides similar solved assignments for students.

Running head: REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
In terms of heath behavior, it has been perceived that culture and cultural conservation
plays a very important part in shaping these health beliefs. It has been referred in many
researches that the culture acts as a fundamental factor in case of health behavior. I have often
seen the importance of the cultural connections in terms of family networks and the kingship
groups, who were quite influential on the behavior of health. These indigenous people had strong
obligation towards their families including provision of support to the members of the family.
They maintained a very sharing and sociable lifestyle. However these families faced a lot of
economic hardships which in turn again affected their health beliefs (Sunderland, 2015).
Through my personal experiences I understood the importance of cultural identity for the
aboriginals and the Torres Strait islanders. This cultural identity had an effect on them that was
unifying that was successful in leading an expectation of conformation. These indigenous people
have often been criticized by others especially the non-indigenous population because of their
different lifestyle choices (Parker & Milroy, 2014). According to them it was considered
culturally inappropriate or non-Indigenous. However in my viewpoint, the lifestyle choices of
the aboriginals and the Torres Strait islanders might he different from that of the other
communities of the mainland, but it is incorrect to view them as inappropriate or culturally
backwards.
Mainstream media has always played a big role in shaping the opinion of individuals
regarding any issue. Here the Australian media too had played a role to shape my ideas of the
about the aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islanders. The media continuous has provided racist
stereotyped opinions in respect to the aboriginal population (Kingsley et al., 2013). Going
through the media coverage related to the Aboriginals and the Torres Strait islanders, I have
often perceived that the views are mostly negative or typically stereotyped. Most of the times,

2REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
the voices of the indigenous have been lost amongst the voices of the non-indigenous
population . My ideas regarding the aboriginals always been manipulated by the media portrayals
that highlight the indigenous as the problems of society. However when it comes to several
advertisements and documentaries, they have been treated in a positive manner.
While going through literature, I have come across several studies which has discussed
about the social and emotional well being of the aboriginals and Torres Strait islanders
population. This is often related to the mental health of the individuals of this population
(McNamara et al., 2018). After careful observation I have deduced from the literature that there
is a stigma associated with these individuals of this particular population. These indigenous
people have been rejecting the views of biomedical of a disease for a long time. This has
developed as a result of the psychological events that have occurred and in turn have disrupted
the mental and physical processes. Most of the people of this community has undergone the
consequences in terms if colonization along with the evolution of the social, bureaucratic and
legislative norms for a period of 200 years (Lowe & Yunkaporta, 2013). According to my
viewpoint, these factors had a profound effect on the social and cultural determinants of the
population, in turn affecting their health beliefs.
From the literature survey it was also seen that there were presence of issues among the
individuals of this community regarding the removal of children and forced separation. This
issue had led the path for development of inter-generational trauma along with use of drugs and
alcohol abuse (Murphy, 2015). Apart from reports from the literature survey, my personal
experiences with the Aboriginals have made me realize that they have a very holistic approach
towards health and well-being. This not only involves physical, social, cultural or emotional
aspects but also the spiritual aspects of the individuals in addition to the community as a whole.

3REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
While interacting with these indigenous people I have come across certain terms like
‘punya’ by which they mean wellbeing. They believe that this punya connects their people with
the place and the laws (Parnell, Morris & Jacobs, 2017). This has played a role in shaping my
ideas regarding them and their core beliefs that includes the traditional concepts. I too formed a
notion about life and death from their ideas as well as the about the relationship of an individual
with their motherland. Through my interaction with the aboriginal communities, I could form an
idea about their spirituality and healing aspect. It is an important aspect for them, especially
when seen in the context of colonization.

4REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
References
Kingsley, J., Townsend, M., Henderson-Wilson, C., & Bolam, B. (2013). Developing an
exploratory framework linking Australian Aboriginal peoples’ connection to country and
concepts of wellbeing. International journal of environmental research and public
health, 10(2), 678-698.
Lowe, K., & Yunkaporta, T. (2013). The inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
content in the Australian National Curriculum: A cultural, cognitive and socio-political
evaluation. Curriculum Perspectives, 33(1), 1-14.
McNamara, B., Gubhaju, L., Jorm, L., Preen, D., Jones, J., Joshy, G., ... & Eades, S. (2018).
Exploring factors impacting early childhood health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander families and communities: protocol for a population-based cohort study using
data linkage (the ‘Defying the Odds’ study). BMJ open, 8(3), e021236.
McNamara, B., Gubhaju, L., Jorm, L., Preen, D., Jones, J., Joshy, G., ... & Eades, S. (2018).
Exploring factors impacting early childhood health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander families and communities: protocol for a population-based cohort study using
data linkage (the ‘Defying the Odds’ study). BMJ open, 8(3), e021236.
Murphy, E. (2015). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Green Left Weekly, (1072), 5.
Parker, R., & Milroy, H. (2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an
overview. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and
wellbeing principles and practice. 2nd ed. Canberra: Department of The Prime Minister
and Cabinet, 25-38.

5REFECTIVE ASSIGNMENT 1
Parnell, D., Morris, S., & Jacobs, R. (2017). Engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples in the ‘Proper Way’.
Sunderland, N., Istvandity, L., Lakhani, A., Lenette, C., Procopis, B., & Caballero, P. (2015).
They [do more than] interrupt us from sadness: Exploring the impact of participatory
music making on social determinants of health and wellbeing for refugees in
Australia. Health, Culture and Society, 8(1), 1-19.