Essay: Neo-liberalism and Health Disparities in Australian Healthcare

This essay delves into the intersection of health sociology and neo-liberalism, specifically examining its impact on the healthcare of Indigenous populations in Australia. The introduction highlights how global forces and neoliberal policies, such as privatization and deregulation, have influenced healthcare systems worldwide, framing patients as consumers. The essay investigates sociological perspectives like Marxism and Functionalism to understand how these ideologies shape healthcare inequalities. It explores the effects of neo-liberalism on Indigenous health, discussing how policies have exacerbated health disparities and limited access to quality care. The analysis covers the Biomedical Model and the implications of neo-liberalism on healthcare practitioners. The essay uses sociological theories to understand the impact of neo-liberalism on the health systems, particularly among the minority groups like the Aboriginals. The paper investigates sociological perspectives and neo-liberalism, neo-liberalism political agenda on offering health of Indigenous people in Australia, and the impact of neo-liberalism on health practitioners. It concludes by emphasizing the need to address the health disparities created by neo-liberal policies, advocating for equitable healthcare access for Indigenous Australians.

Running Head: HEALTH SOCIOLOGY
Health Sociology
Name
Institution

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Health Sociology
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Sociological Perspectives and Neo-Liberalism...............................................................................4
Neo-liberalism and Health among Indigenous People in Australia.................................................5
Marxism Perspective....................................................................................................................7
Functionalism Perspective...........................................................................................................8
Biomedical Model........................................................................................................................8
Implications of Neo-liberalism on Healthcare Practitioners...........................................................9
Conclusions....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
The healthcare systems globally have been influences by diverse political agendas that
continue to influence the delivery of healthcare services to the influences. The global forces
along with mechanisms, for instance, multilateral organizations like the World Trade
Organization (WTO), the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and European Union
(EU) have promoted neoliberal ideologies. Neoliberal policies seen as globalized phenomenon in
many developed nations, such as Australia (Bell & Green, 2016). Neoliberals stress an
entrenched commoditization in the delivery of healthcare via a process of privatization,
deregulation, as well as decentralization. Consequently, health has been modelled while patients
are seen as consumers in the market. The primary arguments advanced by neoliberals is that
more alternatives results in healthy competition, and this will tend to promote access,
affordability, as well as quality of healthcare in hospitals and healthcare centres. In Australia,
promoting the health of the Indigenous people has become a major challenge since as there are
huge health disparities between the Indigenous persons and non-indigenous population. The
current gap in the health has been attributed to the entrenched neo-liberalism political agenda
that continues to impact the health outcomes of the Indigenous persons in Australia. The
neoliberals have promoted the idea that patients are consumers and health remains individualized
where it negatively affect the health of the Indigenous people (AIHW, 2015).
Sociological theories have offered a platform towards understanding the impact of neo-
liberalism on the health systems. The theories provide an explanation on the current gaps in the
healthcare system both in developing and developed nations. Studies have shown that the

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Indigenous people, especially the Aboriginals have suffered from the burden of diseases that
include non-communicable diseases that impact the quality of care. The neo-liberalism political
agenda in Australia have created a hierarchy in the society in regard to socioeconomic that has
resulted in marginalization; the agenda stresses on individual choices, independent decision-
making and responsibly of one’s health. The paper will investigate the sociological perspectives
and neo-liberalism, neo-liberalism political agenda on offering health of Indigenous people in
Australia, and the impact of neo-liberalism on health practitioners.
Sociological Perspectives and Neo-Liberalism
Sociological perspectives have been instrumental in providing understanding on different
factors, particularly social determinants that affect the health of a given population. The
sociological theories have provided the basis of understanding the neoliberals’ ideologies in
influencing the healthcare systems, mainly among the minority groups like the Aboriginals. The
theories and perspectives underscore the significance of structural and functional factors in the
society shaped by ideologies from neo-liberalism (Schrecker, 2016). They play a significant role
in explaining the role of different systems in present healthcare inequalities. The present
healthcare system in Australia has demonstrated ineffective in addressing the health disparities
that exists between the Indigenous and non-indigenous population in the country. Based on the
Marxism, the Australian society has promoted capitalist philosophies reflected through the neo-
liberalism where the market is believed to be the citizens where they consume the goods
(healthcare services) produced by different multinationals and other healthcare providers
(Aalbers, 2013). In addition, institutional theories endeavour to provide an explanation in the
manner the social contexts, such as institutions are pressured by different systems and shape

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them to suit their needs. Furthermore, sociological theories attempt to ensure that the
understanding of the diverse healthcare systems and disparities in these systems are well-
understood. In relation to neo-liberalism ideologies, the healthcare systems have tended towards
privatization and deregulation that has not promoted equity as in the case of Australia. The neo-
liberalism ideologies has decentralized and deregulated the healthcare system in Australia
making it unfavourable for Indigenous persons. The healthcare impacts of social inequality have
been highlighted by biomedical model, but have not adequately provided convincing ground for
health disparities among the Indigenous persons in Australia (AIHW, 2015).
Neo-liberalism and Health among Indigenous People in Australia
Despite the declaration by the United Nations (UN) that health is a fundamental human
right, World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the Aboriginals and other Indigenous
people experience many challenges whilst accessing care. The Aboriginals in Australia have
reported higher unmet health needs when compared to non-indigenous counterparts. This has
been attributed to growing neo-liberalism policies and practices that stresses of an open market
system that is designed to promote competition. But these policies have been largest associated
to the declining rates of Indigenous people in accessing high quality care. Despite the shortage of
researches on the effects of neo-liberalism policies and practices on the health of the Indigenous
people in Australia, there are few studies that demonstrate that the ideologies of neoliberals have
increased health disparities between the Indigenous and non-indigenous persons (Jamieson,
Sayers & Roberts-Thomson, 2010).

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Domestic policy reforms in the healthcare sector in several nations including Australia
are now compelled to consider the global factors, which are influencing their design along with
implementation. These reforms in the healthcare sector have been largely driven by the need to
promote efficiency and to boost the aspect of choice plus participation to guarantee completion
in the sector. Neo-liberalism is a social, as well as economic system where the function of free
marketplace is specifically emphasized. The ideology of neoliberals calls for the interference of
the government only to fashion a favourable atmosphere where the free marketplace is
anticipated to work effectively (Gracey & King, 2009). The primary rationale for neo-liberalism
reforms is that improved choices (between private and public providers) in offering healthcare
services may result in more competition that will result in better quality of health services.
However, these reforms in Australia have been found to have negative impacts on the Indigenous
people because of their lower socioeconomic status that makes it hard to make choices on the
care they need. The current neo-liberalism has failed to address the needs of the Indigenous
persons in Australia since the reforms in the healthcare has resulted in increased
commoditization in the provision of healthcare services. This has made Indigenous people prone
to pressures over which they have no control. The neo-liberalism policies and practices have
made it hard for Indigenous people to make healthcare choices since their economic and social
status cannot allow them to make choices, which implies that the policies has disadvantaged
them in accessing care in Australia (Durey, Bessarab & Slack-Smith, 2016).
The neo-liberalism ideologies are believed to fundamentally affect many reforms in the
health sector in Australia affecting the provision of services to the Indigenous persons. In
Australia, the healthcare services have been incorporated into the logic of market as “product” to

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purchased and sold that has hugely worsen the health status of the Indigenous due to their
socioeconomic status and cannot afford the healthcare services in the “market”. There is no
doubt that the aim of healthcare providers in Australia is to make as the government has little
control due to neo-liberalism ideologies that limit their control in the healthcare system. This is
supported by Willis &Khan (2009) that argue that with the neo-liberalism ideologies, the need to
expand, as well as improve the quality of healthcare delivery will remain elusive for the
Indigenous people in Australia (Willis &Khan, 2009).
Marxism Perspective
The most powerful definition of neo-liberalism emanates from Marxist political
economy, where it is believed that neo-liberalism is the ideological project of a resurgent
political right. The Marxist believes that the spread of neoliberal policies was through the
influence of the global organizations like the IMF, WTO and the World Bank. The main agenda
of these institutions was to spread the word on the conditions to be attached financial support for
economic reorganization in many countries including Australia. Marxist underscore the fact that
neo-liberalism is a political principle linked to economic globalization and the advent of
financial capitalism (Dumenil &Levy, 2011). The main driver of neo-liberal policies are
political project designed to restore capitalist class power in the aftermath of the economic along
with the social crises of 1970s. The Marxists believe that the role of the government is to create
an environment and framework to support neoliberal practices. This reorganization has been
evident in the Australian healthcare system where the government has minimal control; the
healthcare sector is deregulated, privatized and decentralized. These are the ideals of the neo-
liberalism policies that have seen the marginalization of the Indigenous people in Australia

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because of the ideology of free market. This is evident in healthcare in Australia where the
government only creates an environment that will favour neoliberal policies and practices and
continue negatively impacting the health of the Indigenous who cannot choice the healthcare
providers. Also, as Marxist argues, the neo-liberals policies have benefited the providers in the
free market at the expense of its citizens (Chapman, 2014).
Functionalism Perspective
The functionalism perspective is a sociological theory that explains how the society has
been organized based on functions by the different groups. The working class are usually
exploited by the right-wing political parties to vote whose goals appear not to benefit the
working-class. The perspective maintains that the working class are being exploited by the
political class to further their interests. Based on this perspective, the neo-liberalism offers the
intellectual support towards promoting ruling-class power over societies, as well as states. The
healthcare providers in Australia appear to be working for the political class and promoting their
interests of profits is their primary goal while exploiting the working-class in the society
(Labonté & Stuckler, 2016). The Indigenous people in Australia do not benefit from the current
healthcare system since their interests are not taken care of because of the dominance of the
political class in making important decisions in the healthcare system. The Indigenous people
continues to suffer because the neoliberal policies do not promote their health concerns and will
continue to suffer as the current healthcare promotes individual needs and depend on choices on
the provider one selects to manage the condition (Dumenil &Levy, 2011)..
Biomedical Model

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The biomedical model involves theories rather than distinct, single perspective and has
theories of biology and medicine among others. The model is deeply founded on positivism plus
empiricism, in which stress reduction, verification, forecast and justice in important in promoting
the understanding of a certain social phenomena. Empiricism is strictly linked to the
development of liberal political ideology along with neoliberal ideology, liberalism’s modern
equal practices noteworthy effect in the model. The biomedical model addresses the aspect of
access to care and inequalities in the access of health services (Humphrys, 2014). The association
between neoliberal values interfaced with other powerful discourses, especially that of
biomedical model of healthcare, which carries to shape the healthcare policies for the Indigenous
persons. There exist an important correspondence between the values plus assumptions that
support biomedicine and neoliberal philosophy. In the latest decades, the political shift towards
neo-liberalism has become individualized rather than collective. The biomedical model has been
effective in promote service deliver and promotion of health of Indigenous persons (Boxall,
2010).
Implications of Neo-liberalism on Healthcare Practitioners
I believe that the neoliberal ideals will fundamentally change the nursing profession
because of the element of the free market and deregulated healthcare. The ideology will change
the way services are offered to the population. I believe that there will mass movement of
healthcare practitioners to urban areas, including me will look for better compensation by
shifting to urban areas where there are potential clients that I can offer my services and get paid.
There will migration of healthcare workers to urban areas with promising clients and the
Indigenous people will be left to suffer in the rural settings. This will worsen the current

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healthcare disparities that exist in the system in Australia (Goldberg, 2012). Also, the attractive
neoliberal ideologies will make more healthcare practitioners to move to the private sector in an
effort to increase their status and will avoid working in public health sector where there are many
Indigenous people. The institutions in the private sector will offer market-based incentives that
will make it hard for the healthcare experts to better attend the Indigenous persons. This will
widen the health disparity gain Australia and for the coming years, the country’s healthcare
system will be worse than it is now (Jimine´z-Anca, 2013).
With the growing health inequalities in Australia between the Indigenous and non-
indigenous people, many healthcare experts have continued to question the critical reliance of
biomedical perspectives. These viewpoints challenges healthcare practitioners to provide more
theories that will promote nursing knowledge. The neo-liberalism has made it difficult for
practitioners to provide collective and holistic care since the ideology emphasizes on
individualistic nature of providing care to the patients. In addition, the continued adoption of
neoliberal views will affect the training and education provided to undergraduates and graduates
because they institutions will focus on quantity and not quality (Roberts-Thomson et al., 2014).
Conclusions
The ideologies promoted by neo-liberalism have devastating effects on the healthcare of
Indigenous people in Australia. The practices and policies advocated by neoliberals have
increased the healthcare disparities between the Indigenous and non-indigenous people in
Australia. The current disparities in the healthcare system in Australia have questioned the
efficiency of neo-liberalism ideologies in addressing the current health problems among the

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Indigenous people in Australia (McMillan, Schultz & Thompson, 2018). These policies and
practices have been seen as ineffective in addressing the health needs of low-income persons and
households and Indigenous people in Australia. It is apparent that there is the urgent need for the
Australian government to revisit the neo-liberalism policies and practices and develop a system
that will address the health of all citizens regardless of socioeconomic status. This will ensure
that Indigenous people access quality and safe care.

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