The Sociological Impact of Racism on Indigenous Populations: An Essay

This sociology essay examines the pervasive impact of racism on indigenous populations, focusing on Australia. It explores how racism, both historical and contemporary, contributes to inequitable distribution of opportunities and negatively affects the health and wellbeing of indigenous communities. The essay references news articles, interviews, and statistical data to illustrate the effects of discrimination, including denial of rights, unequal access to services, and the devaluation of cultural identity. It highlights the link between racism and adverse health outcomes, such as increased rates of psychological distress, and underscores the need for intervention strategies to promote social equity and improve the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous populations. The essay concludes by emphasizing the critical role of governmental and international bodies in recognizing and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples.

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SOCIOLOGY
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Introduction
Racism in the world traced back to the contemporary and historical attitudes of the racist
community together with the negligence of the government over the standards of the United
Nations human rights and the incidents in the entire globe. According to () racism forms one of
the major social determinant regarding the inequitable distribution of the benefit and the
opportunity across the racial and the ethnic groups affecting the lives and their relationship with
the other community members of the country (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015).
The link among the self reported perception or the experiences regarding the racism and the poor
health status followed by the lack of social life has been well established in the context of the
lives of the Indigenous population of the world. The essay aims to highlight the effect of concept
of race towards the lives, well being of the indigenous population together with their relationship
with the non indigenous population in the globe. With the reference regarding the contemporary
times and the news paper article, the interview regarding indigenous current status and the
advertisement, the thesis statement of the essay argues with the impact of racism.
Discussion
In the context of the phrase regarding race as the imaginary concept that impacts the lives
of the first people of Australia, who are the indigenous people , it has been found that the impact
of racism has also extended towards the relations among the indigenous and the non indigenous
people in such an extensive way that there lies no differences among the fiction and the reality of
life.
Towards the effective acknowledgement of the existing factor of racism in the country of
Australia, Racism 'alive and it's kicking': June Oscar challenges new race commissioner's stance.

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(2018) stresses over the unique experiences regarding racism that is faced by the indigenous
people furthermore driven by the historical advantages and the colonialism. The indigenous
population through out the globe has long been discriminated against, deprived of their chances
and their opportunities and denied their basic and inalienable human rights towards the
participation in the society in the world as the equal citizens.
The history of the racism of the indigenous population ranges back to the disposition of
their lands under the approach of the Terra Nullius in the context of Australia. The indigenous
population have been denied their recognition in the founding document of the nation and were
subjected to exclusionary policies and legislations. Historical factors of race furthermore
includes the forcible removal of the children from the indigenous families accounting to the
painful history of racism in the globe.
According to the 2010, Australian Reconciliation Barometer, it has been found that 91%
of the Indigenous population and 64% of the other Australians had previous experience
regarding rate based policies that affected their community. As per the statistics of the barometer
it has furthermore been found that more than 81% of the indigenous population experienced race
as the factor of disadvantages.

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Figure – The rate of discrimination due to race among the indigenous population
Source - (Browne et a., 2016)
The figure above illustrates the report by the indigenous population towards their
experiences of discrimination due to race as compared to the non indigenous population in
Australia. More than 89% of the Indigenous community people reported that a higher rate of the
experience regarding racism and the non Indigenous Australians pretend to show that they hold a
very high and fairly level of prejudice , thus neglecting their community. More than 71% of the
Australians admitted the fact that the relationship and the connection between the Indigenous
group of population and the non indigenous population is not good and the community has still
been kept isolated in the society hampering their social life and emotional and health wellness.
The indigenous population in Australia are generally subjected to both direct and indirect
racism and discrimination together with the racial hatred and vilification.
According to the reports by Stephen's interview - AUSTRALIA - #HUMAN. (2016) the
indigenous population has been regularly experiencing racial discrimination in the context of the

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refusal towards house rents, refusal towards the restaurant entry and food offerings to the
indigenous population. Race has furthermore expanded its position when the indigenous
population experiences biasness in employment opportunities and access to health services.
According to ‘Racist’ Christmas video insulting Indigenous people dropped by Coca-
Cola. (2019) the context of the indirect racial discrimination is are more obscure. The context of
the racism extend towards the racial hatred and the racial discrimination of the Indigenous people
are generally practiced in various of the ways. Some of the most common examples include the
racially offensive prints and materials over blogs, social media and the videos. Furthermore
racially discriminative and offensive comments in the publications of the books, newspaper and
magazines against the Indigenous people contributes to the widening gap among the wellbeing
and the connection and the Indigenous and the non Indigenous population.
Impact of Racism
The effect or the impact of racism on the Indigenous population is diverse in nature. The
context of racism has some of the debilitating effect on the Indigenous people for the
devaluation of the cultural identity and pride for having adverse effects over the mental and the
physical health. As per the researches and the data by the governmental agencies, the factor of
race and discrimination are liked towards the range regarding the adverse health conditions
among the Indigenous population. These includes smoking, intake of drugs, use of the illicit
substances, poor level of the self assess status of health and the high level of the psychological
distress among the individuals (These Powerful Ads Targeting Casual Racism Are Coming To A
TV Near You, 2019). As per the news paper article and the advertisements regarding the racial
discrimination , there lies a major impact over the ethnic and race based discrimination regarding

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the wellbeing and the mental health that has furthermore found some of the similar emerging
evidences regarding the links among the discrimination and the obesity, high rate of blood
pressure and diabetes.
The effect of the racism over the Indigenous population has been the subject towards the
ongoing researches. According to This Canadian TV show wants to address racism. Some
Indigenous people say it's doing more harm than good. (2019) the experience regarding the
factors of the racism furthermore undermine the confidence and trust of the individual regarding
their self. As per the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the discriminated Indigenous
population are subjected to lack of proper access towards the health care services, schooling and
educational facilities. The destructive effect of social dislocation that is caused by the factor of
racism is clear in the current researches. The context of the racism and the barriers in the culture
led many of the Indigenous population of not being diagnosed and undergo proper treatments in
the most effective and required way. Furthermore the context of the social exclusion together
with the discourage towards the social participation and the gathering is one of the major factor
contributing the degrading emotional wellness of the Indigenous population.

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Figure - Racial discrimination among Indigenous population
Source - (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015)
The figure above highlights the factors that results among the Indigenous community
targeting the racial discrimination. As per the research survey and the analysis by the newspaper
and the publications of the advertisements, it has been found that one among four of the
Australians does not believe that the racial discrimination tends to have any of the negative
impacts for the Indigenous population, thus targeting the poor connection and the relation among
the Indigenous and the non Indigenous population.
Conclusion

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Thus it can be deducted from the above essay that racism forms one of the major social
determinant regarding the inequitable distribution of the benefit and the opportunity across the
racial and the ethnic groups affecting the lives and their relationship with the other community
members of the country. The context of racism has some of the debilitating effect on the
Indigenous people for the devaluation of the cultural identity and pride for having adverse effects
over the mental and the physical health. As per the researches and the data by the governmental
agencies, the factor of race and discrimination are liked towards the range regarding the adverse
health conditions among the Indigenous population. These thus requires interventions strategies
by the state and the national government together with the United Nations for the recognition of
the right of the Indigenous population for a better living and regarding their social wellbeing
improving the connection and the relationship among Indigenous and the non indigenous one.

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References
‘Racist’ Christmas video insulting Indigenous people dropped by Coca-Cola. (2019). Retrieved
from https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2015/12/03/racist-christmas-video-insulting-
indigenous-people-dropped-coca-cola
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2015). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Performance Framework 2014 Report: Detailed Analysis. Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare.
Browne, A. J., Varcoe, C., Lavoie, J., Smye, V., Wong, S. T., Krause, M., ... & Fridkin, A.
(2016). Enhancing health care equity with Indigenous populations: evidence-based
strategies from an ethnographic study. BMC health services research, 16(1), 544.
Racism 'alive and it's kicking': June Oscar challenges new race commissioner's stance. (2018).
Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-07/racism-is-alive-and-kicking/
10344522
Stephen's interview - AUSTRALIA - #HUMAN. (2016). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVBt536w_U
These Powerful Ads Targeting Casual Racism Are Coming To A TV Near You. (2019).
Retrieved from https://junkee.com/casual-racism-human-rights-ads/126351
This Canadian TV show wants to address racism. Some Indigenous people say it's doing more
harm than good. (2019). Retrieved from
https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-10-01/canadian-tv-show-wants-address-racism-
indigenous-people-say-its-doing-more-harm

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