Transcript Health Studies – Introduction Unit

Social Justice
Principles
Diversity, Equity and Supportive
Environments
Social Justice Principles
Social Justice Principles
The social view of health is the foundation for approaches in improving health for
individuals and communities. On a world stage, the Jakarta Declaration states:
“there are new challenges in relation to addressing determinants with poverty
posing the greatest threat to health; the importance of particular settings such as
schools, workplaces and cities for health promotion [require] new responses such
as the creation of new partnerships for health to address the emerging threats to
health.”
A social view of health builds on the increasing evidence that the health of
individuals, groups and communities is influenced by many factors including the
economic, social, geographic, political, cultural and environmental
circumstances. Social Justice provides a critical eye for the examination of the
consistency, fairness and appropriateness of health outcomes for individuals,
groups and communities.
WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?
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Social justice means that the rights of all people in
our community are considered in a fair and equitable
manner. Social justice targets the marginalised and
disadvantaged groups of people in our society. Public
policies should ensure that all people have equal
access to health care services. People living in isolated
communities should have the same access to clean
water and sanitation as a person living in an urban
area. People of a low socioeconomic background
should receive the same quality health services that a
person in a higher socioeconomic income receives.
Information designed to educate the community must
be provided in languages that the community can
understand.
Social justice aims to reduce the level of health
inequalities in Australia.
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“Social justice is what faces you in the morning. It is
awakening in a house with an adequate water supply,
cooking facilities and sanitation. It is the ability to nourish
your children and send them to a school where their
education not only equips them for employment, but
reinforces their knowledge and understanding of their
cultural inheritance. It is the prospect of genuine
employment and good health: a life of choices and
opportunity, free from discrimination’”
Source: Mick Dodson, Annual Report of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Social Justice Commissioner, Australian Museum, 1993.
"Equity in health is not about eliminating all health
differences so that everyone has the same level of health, but
rather to reduce or eliminate those which result from factors
which are considered to be both avoidable and unfair.
Equity is therefore concerned with creating equal
opportunities for health and with bringing health
differentials down to the lowest levels possible."
Source: NSW Health, Four steps towards equity, 2003.
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Social Justice Principles
The three interrelated principles of Social Justice are:
 diversity,
 equity
 supportive environments
When selecting any issue in Health Studies, it is important to view
it through the ‘Social Justice’ lens.
These principles assist in establishing the authenticity of the issue;
they draw attention to inequities in health status and access to
health resources and help determine solutions.
Diversity
Diversity encompasses the variety of
characteristics, circumstances and
experiences of the stakeholders affected
by, or who affect the health outcomes of
the issue.
Diversity (cont.)
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Diversity involves recognising the wide
range of
▪ beliefs,
▪ values,
▪ attitudes and
▪ behaviours
of people and looking at health issues from
differing viewpoints.
Equity
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Equity, means fairness.
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It is used to examine the access that
stakeholders have to resources and to
determine if health outcomes are
indeed fair and just.
Equity (cont.)
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Equity looks at demonstrating concern for the
welfare, rights and dignity of all people.
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It looks at developing personal skills by recognising
disadvantages experienced by individuals or groups
and actions that can address them.
Supportive Environments
Supportive Environments, refers to the:
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Socio-cultural,
physical,
political,
emotional,
cultural,
educational,
economic and
social capital surrounds
in which positive health outcomes are supported, maintained or
promoted.
Supportive Environments (cont)
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Supportive environments can be
developed by recognising the home,
school and community as settings for
promoting healthy practices.
Comparing Different Groups
Health status of young Australians is generally high, but this does not
apply to all young people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people generally experience
poorer health than other population groups in Australia, as evidenced
by the following statistics:
 Death rates are 2.8 times higher for young Indigenous males than
non-Indigenous males, and twice as high for young Indigenous
females than non-indigenous females
 Injury rate is 2.3 times higher for young indigenous males and 1.6
times higher for females
 Very high rates of hospitalisation due to violence
 22% of births in 1996 were to teenage mothers, compared with just
5% in the total Australian population.
Reason for these Inequalities
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Racism and discrimination
Low socio- economic status
High levels of unemployment
Poor housing and living conditions
Poor nutrition – lack of access to healthy
food
Substance abuse and misuse
Lack of education
ACTIVITY
Outlined below are scenarios that involve social justice issues. Identify the social justice issue in each scenario
and propose examples of health actions that can be taken to support social justice principles. Consider
which strategies are realistic/possible, which strategies would cause long-term problems for the
country / communities, which strategies have the potential to work and which are already being used
by the Government?
Social justice scenarios
1. A local hospital notices that women from a non-English speaking background are not taking advantage of
free breast screening programs in their community. Currently, all advertising about the program is in
English.
2.
A local primary school is situated on a busy main road. The school community have complained to the
local council about road safety issues and noise pollution.
3.
A local high school does not have wheelchair access to the art classrooms that are upstairs. As a result,
disabled students cannot participate in art classes.
4.
Small rural communities are experiencing significant difficulty in employing doctors and nurses. The local
residents are concerned about the impact on health services.
5.
A group of factory workers are concerned over the methods for storing poisonous chemicals. There are
over 20 different types of chemicals that are poorly labelled.
6.
A local bowling club is closing down. The members of the club are concerned that they are losing the only
social outlet in their community.
Homework Task
Find and describe two examples of
injustices in health (a specific individual, a
government decision, the management of
hospitals, etc)