Stereotypes against Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people PDF

Preview

Summary

Stereotypes against Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people...

Description

Stereotypes against Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people impact service delivery on both workers and the Aboriginal Torres Strait Island community because the stereotypical situations can be an issue on both sides, for example, workers may already be aware of some stereotypical prejudices against Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people and be equipped with the right knowledge and skills to work around and support their clients. Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people may already think and feel that services and/or workers have these stereotypes against them thus making them feel uncomfortable asking for help and wouldn’t be able to access services. Below are some current stereotypes against Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people and the reality:

Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people only live in remote area’s’: A person does not stop identifying as Aboriginal Torres Strait Island just because they live a ‘city’ lifestyle. In 2006, 31% of Indigenous people in Australia lived in major cities; 22% lived in inner regional Australia; 23% in outer regional Australia; 8% in remote Australia and 16% in very remote Australia (Reconciliation Australia (share our pride), n.d.).

Violence/Abuse against women and children are a part of Aboriginal Torres Strait Island culture: A harsh stereotype that goes to be completely false and untrue. Violence against women and children is a reality and issue that spreads across many families and communities regardless of race and ethnicity. Sunila Kotwal, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at White Ribbon Australia has quoted that “Violence against women is an issue in every Australian community and culture. There is no evidence that immigrant and refugee men are more violent than other men. (White Ribbon Australia, 2016)”.

Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people only excel at sports: There are and have been many influential role models and high achievers that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island. Just some of the many successful individuals include: Kristie Parker (Director of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Senior Executive role within South Australia’s public service), Bronwyn Bancroft (Artist that has had her artwork held by The National Galleries of Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia) and Michael James ‘Mick’ Dodson (first Indigenous Australian to receive a law degree following studies at Monash University in Melbourne, 2009 Australian of the year and was appointed Australia’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner in 1993 (Honour Roll, n.d.)).

Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people get special privileges: There is a stereotype amongst half Australians ‘(42 per cent) that believe Indigenous Australians are given unfair advantages by government’ (Beyond Blue). Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people have the same level of public benefits as people who are non-Aboriginal Torres Strait Island and do not get extra funding because they are Indigenous. However, there are specifically designed programs only delivered for Aboriginal Torres Strait Island people such as: Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Legal Services, The Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP) and The Indigenous Employment Programme (Australian Human Rights Commission , n.d.) ....