Week 7: Multiculturalism and Health

Picture 3: Migrants Rights. Migrant Tales (2016)

This topic concerns the cultural and health issues of immigrants into Australia.  The videos from Mark and Asif compared a resident visa, English speaking background, planned migration contrasted to an asylum seeker, temporary bridging visa, non-English speaking background, health and mental health issues.  Another video presented Mercy, an educated English speaking academic, talked about her culture and ease of assimilation into Australian life.  She also gave advice on how to speak to people about their culture or religious needs in a hospital setting. 

I was surprised to note that 60% of Australian population growth was due to migration and that at 30 June 2014, 28.1% of Australians were born overseas (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014).  The barriers to accessing healthcare and negative health outcomes posed a question about why migrants would not want to assimilate which would lead to friendships and easy support networks rather than voluntarily ostracisation. I also felt that Mercy presented herself and Ghana with dignity.  She taught me not to stereotype and how to respectfully ask about needs of culturally diverse patients.  Asif and Mercy’s examples of negative health outcomes were disappointing to hear from Australian hospitals. I researched some of the birth practices of Ghana women and found some will cut a baby’s face to ward off evil and perform “outsiding” or naming ceremony within three days of birth (Moyer, Adongo, Aborigo, Hodgson, & Engmann, 2014).  

I learnt that my family and culture has biased my thinking towards a White Australia Policy attitude (Jayasuiriya, 2015).  Previously, I felt I was open to cultural diversity, but upon reflection of my interactions with asylum seekers and planned migration colleagues,  I may not have given any of them the compassion and empathy I should have and never asked any of them whether I could help them in any way.

I will take away from this topic more empathy towards the hardship of moving to new country, by choice or force.  I now understand the types of suffering and will allow patients more time to get their ideas/message across.  In a healthcare setting, I felt that Mercy provided me with a way to show respect for someone without diminishing my own culture and value systems.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (b). (2014). Australia's Population by Country of Birth: 3412.0 - Migration, Australia, 2013-14. Retrieved from Australian Bureau of Statistics: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3412.0Main%20Features32013-14

Jayasuiriya, L. (2015). Transforming a 'White Australia': Issues of racism and immigration. Anthropological Forum: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Comparative Sociology, 25(1), 20.

Moyer, C., Adongo, P., Aborigo, R., Hodgson, A., & Engmann, C. (2014). 'They treat you like you are not a human being’: Maltreatment during labour and delivery in rural northern Ghana. Midwifery, 30(2), 262-268.