HLSC120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Socioeconomic Status, Health Promotion
Definition of Health
“Health” to Aboriginal peoples is a matter of determining all aspect of their life, including
control over their physical environment, of their dignity, of community self esteem, and of
justice. It is not merely a matter of the provision of doctors, hospitals, medicine or the
absence of disease and incapacity.”
Health is “not just the physical wellbeing of an individual but the social, emotional and
cultural wellbeing of the whole community. This is a whole-of-life view and includes the
cyclical concept of life-death-life.”
Strength Based Approaches
● Concentrate on inherent strengths of individuals, families, groups and organisations,
deploying personal strengths to aid recovery and empowerment...focus on health and
wellbeing...Goal is to promote the positive.
● The need to educate Australians about the serious health and social disparities that
affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has resulted in an over emphasis
on “bad news stories”
● The portrayal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in some parts of the
Australian media are overwhelmingly negative
● This stereotype perpetuates racial stereotypes which further impacts on the health of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
A strength based approach
● Involves focusing on stories about successful health interventions and positive
qualities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
● Emphasises the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were strong and
healthy and functional prior to colonisation
● Looks for opportunities to build on and support existing strengths - rather than
focusing on “the problems”
● Recognises the importance of people’s environments and their resilience
● Does not ignore problems and challenges but focuses on potential and abilities
Multidisciplinary and Multisectorial Healthcare
● Traditionally doctors, nurses and other health professionals have been the dominant
power in health care systems (biomedical approach)
● A (comprehensive) primary health care (PHC) model underpins Community Health
services in Australia and requires that power rests with the person at the centre of
care
● Comprehensive PHC based on the principles of social justice, accessibility, public
participation, intersectoral collaboration, emphasis of health promotion and equity
● PHC model fits well within an Indigenous framework for health
● PHC approach: health is determined beyond the health care system
● Health is considered with regard to social, cultural, economic, political and
environmental factors
● Also housing, employment, town planning, education e.g poor housing and
overcrowded living conditions → respiratory disease
● Multisectorial collaboration refers to cooperation and coordination across government
and non government departments to address these issues
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Health to aboriginal peoples is a matter of determining all aspect of their life, including control over their physical environment, of their dignity, of community self esteem, and of justice. It is not merely a matter of the provision of doctors, hospitals, medicine or the absence of disease and incapacity. Health is not just the physical wellbeing of an individual but the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the whole community. This is a whole-of-life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life. Concentrate on inherent strengths of individuals, families, groups and organisations, deploying personal strengths to aid recovery and empowermentfocus on health and wellbeinggoal is to promote the positive. The need to educate australians about the serious health and social disparities that affect aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples has resulted in an over emphasis on bad news stories . The portrayal of aboriginal and torres strait islander health in some parts of the.
