Acknowledging my Mother, Grandmother, G Mother, GG Grandmother, Daughter and Sister
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wledging my Mother, Grandmother, G Mother, GG Grandmother, Daughter and Sister
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Acknowledging my Mother, Grandmother, G Mother, GG Grandmother, Daughter and Sister. Racism as a Social Determinant of Indigenous Peoples’ Health. Charlotte Reading Centre for Aboriginal Health Research University of Victoria. Racism. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Acknowledging my Mother, Grandmother, G Mother, GG Grandmother, Daughter and Sister
Acknowledging my Mother, Grandmother, G Mother, GG Grandmother, Daughter and Sister
Racism as a Social Determinant of Indigenous
Peoples’ Health
Charlotte ReadingCentre for Aboriginal Health Research
University of Victoria
Racism1. A belief or doctrine that inherent differences
among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. A policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. Hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Social Determinants of Health
Superiority
Discrimination
Hatred
Forms of Racism• Structural• Stigma and Stereotyping• Social Exclusion• Interpersonal
Structural - The Indian Act• Defining identity
• Delegating land
• Controlling systems that influence health (economic development, education, health care, etc.)
Structural - Education• Does not acknowledge the history or
contribution of Aboriginal peoples
• Creates low expectations for Aboriginal students
• Inequitable distribution of resources to facilitate learning for Aboriginal students
Social Exclusion• Disconnection through legal sanctions,
institutional mechanisms or systemic discrimination
• Exclusion from social goods: failure of society to provide for needs such as housing and sanctions to deter discrimination.
• Exclusion from social production: denial of opportunities to contribute to and participate actively in society.
• Economic exclusion: unequal or lack of access to normal forms of livelihood.
Stereotyping and Stigmatizing
Demonized Other Idealized Other
Thrifty Gene Theory
“A post-mortem has already begun for the ‘thrifty-gene’ hypothesis, amid suggestions that science flirted with racism”
World Health Organization (2011)
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.
Distal Determinants
Intermediate Determinants
Proximal Determinants
Social Determinants of Indigenous Health
Distal (Root) Determinants
Most profound influence on the health of populations
Represent political, economic, and social contexts that influence all determinants.
Root Determinants
Colonialism (historic racism), contemporary racism,
Clear connection between social inequalities created by racism and the disproportionate disease, disability, violence and early death experienced by Indigenous Peoples
Historic Racism
“Colonization is a process that includes geographic incursion, socio-cultural dislocating, the establishment of external political control and economic dispossession, the provision of low-level social services and ultimately, the creation of ideological formulations around race and skin colour that position the colonizer at a higher evolution level than the colonized” Kelm (1998).
Racism as a SDIH
The collective burden of a repressive racist system has created conditions of physical, psychological, economic and political disadvantage for Aboriginal peoples.
Historic, successively traumatic events affect generations through ‘historic or cultural trauma’
Contemporary racism continues to detrimentally influences the health of Indigenous peoples
Conclusion
Historic and contemporary racism are directly and circuitously associated with:
increased stress though lack of controldiminished immunity and resiliency to
disease social problemsdecreased capacity to address ill health.
Chronic DiseaseGeographic dispersion;
economic marginalization
∨
Poverty; food insecurity
∨Poor diet; obesity
Diabetes
Infectious Disease
Historic trauma; contemporary discrimination
∨
hopelessness; childhood trauma
∨Intravenous drug use
HIV
Pathways to Illness
Conclusion
Racism against Indigenous peoples has consequences not just current health status, but also for the health of subsequent generations through the environments created by physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually unhealthy individuals, communities and nations.
Approaches to considerAn Indigenous Equity Lens applied
to every policy, program, service and practice implemented by local, provincial, territorial and federal government in Canada.
A nation-wide Indigenous- focused anti-racism social marketing campaign
Thank You
