Reflection Essay PDF

Preview

Summary

Reflection assignment ...

Description

The Shaping of my Views, Beliefs and Feelings towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. To preface this piece, I would like to state that I feel as though I have never truly been able to form my own views and beliefs on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. To provide some context, I grew up in an inner-city suburb in Brisbane and attended private Catholic Schools, where Indigenous communities were devoid. Furthermore, my family has instilled in me a set of values that revolves around equality, treating others as you’d like to be treated, and that everyone deserves respect. Consequently, I feel as though the conclusions I have drawn are based around the little that was taught in school, opinions of family members, and those of the media. In primary school, I recall lessons spent reading and discussing stories from the dreamtime such as the Rainbow Serpent and the Creation Story. However, the opinions I formed at this young age made it appeared Indigenous Australians would frolic around in their communities, telling ‘fairy-tale’-like stories to one another. I didn’t realise until later that storytelling was handed down through the generations to give each member a sense of identity, a feeling of belonging and a connection to their land (Jenkins, 2013). Moving forward, my early teen years are where my own views and opinions were most severely impacted by those around me. My uncle spent 2 years in Mt Isa as a police officer, where he often saw people rowdy, intoxicated and disorderly. He would regularly come home with stories of ‘drunken and homeless Aborigines’ who would physically and verbally assault him and his fellow officers. I never anticipated

his stories to have such a long, lasting impression on my own opinions or behaviour. However, now that I’ve been provoked to provide insight into my feelings towards the Indigenous, I realise that while I would never talk down to them or treat them differently, I see them in a different light to other Australians. Bhanji and Beer (2013) point out that while new evidence may contradict initial impressions or stereotypes, our preconceptions are often not easily overcome. I have had a few, fleeting conversations with Indigenous peoples, and these encounters have always been pleasant: no intoxication, homelessness or abuse; just polite, pleasant Australians. Despite this, I still hold this preconceived idea of ‘drunken and homeless Aborigines’. I believe most of my learning on the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been through the media. I was largely unaware of the significance of the Stolen Generation until I saw The Sapphires (2012), a movie with one scene depicting an Aboriginal girl being taken from her community because she was ‘white enough’ to be brought up in mainstream society. Channel Nine’s Love Child also provoked thought, as one of the characters was Aboriginal and she was constantly told nobody would adopt her newborn because it was ‘black’. I was made to enlighten myself on the harsh reality of being Indigenous before the 21 st century. This triggered some questions of my own: Why haven’t I been taught this at my high school? Does this mean their suffering is not worth our time? I was only 9 years old when Kevin Rudd made his Sorry Day speech, and I think such an important moment in time should be taught throughout schools. Harrison and Sellwood (2016) emphasise the importance of teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture, and stories in schools, particularly on the Stolen Generations and the adjoining effects of transgenerational trauma. I believe such education would instil

that Indigenous Australians have a deep-rooted history that deserves the same, if not more, attention as the colonisation of Australia. I often wondered, even though healthcare is, for the most part, free for Australians, why our Indigenous have a higher prevalence of not only physiological diseases but mental illnesses as well (Hellsten & Hakiaha, 2017). Until recent reading on transgenerational transmission and trauma, it never fully clicked. I now realise that mental health conditions for Indigenous Australians can be due to several risk factors, such as, personal or family trauma from being or being related to a Stolen Child, constant underlying racism and being judged for the colour of their skin (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016; Hampton & Toombs, 2014). I believe it is so important to listen to patients’ circumstances as a nurse, it’s unacceptable to disregard any person’s thoughts, views, or heritage. This reflection has made me think about my own beliefs and encouraged me to read more into the cultural barriers in healthcare. I thought equality in healthcare was the best solution and I now realise that to achieve equality, we need to focus on equity (Li, 2017). As Li (2017) recommends, as a budding healthcare professional, I’m going to continue to build on my cultural competency to work towards breaking down cultural barriers in healthcare and ultimately achieve equity for all Australians.

Reference List Bhanji, J. P., & Beer, J. S. (2013). Dissociable Neural Modulation Underlying Lasting First Impressions, Changing Your Mind for the Better, and Changing It for the Worse. Journal of Neuroscience, 33(22), 9337-9344. doi:https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5634-12.2013 Hampton, R., & Toombs, M. (2014). Indigenous Australians and Health : The Wombat in the Room. (R. Hampton, & M. Toombs, Eds.) South Melbourne , Vic: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquestcom.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=1986010

Harrison, N., & Sellwood, J. (2016). Teaching about the Stolen Generations . In Learning and Teaching in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education (3rd ed., pp. 53-69). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from https://ebookcentralproquest-com.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=4786461 Hellsten, D., & Hakiaha, H. (2017). INDIGENOUS MENTAL HEALTH IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. In K. Evans, D. Nizette, & A. J. O'Brien, Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing (4th ed., pp. 237-250). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Retrieved from https://www-clinicalkey-comau.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/nursing/#!/content/book/3-s2.0-B9780729542319500188 Jenkins, S. (2013). Counselling and Storytelling How Did We Get Here? Psychotherapy and Politics International, 11(2), 140-151. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wileycom.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/doi/full/10.1002/ppi.1297 Li, J.-L. (2017). Cultural barriers lead to inequitable healthcare access for aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. Chinese Nursing Research, 4(4). Retrieved from https://ac.els-cdn.com/S2095771817301044/1-s2.0-S2095771817301044main.pdf?_tid=52dc5234-5f28-4563-b5fa871fd31215d1&acdnat=1534486991_393607b8f5fab167907243934e6520ae...