Assessment 3: Reflective Task
Question
What is racism? How does it impact on individuals and communities? Consider the situation of Indigenous Australians in comparison to your own situation.
Answer
The concept of racism refers to people being treated unfairly in society mainly because of their race to the benefit of those of another race. It is the process by which policies and systems, attitudes, and actions create inequitable opportunities and also some outcomes from the people depending on their race. In action or thought racism is more than just a prediction. When a prejudice leads to discrimination, oppression, or limiting of others’ rights – either by individuals or institutions – it is a manifestation of prejudice. European colonization of Australia began in 1788, and racism has been central to its organization ever since. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are Australia’s First Peoples. They have been subjected to racism since the beginning of European colonization. Today, Australian society is still shaped by the process of colonization and its beliefs (Kairuz, et al., 2020).
Over time, racism adapts and changes also, and in different ways, it can affect different communities. All the policies, laws, barriers, and ideologies are included in racism. It helps in preventing people to experience justice, equity, and dignity due to their racial identity. In the form of abuse, harassment, violence, humiliation, or intimating behavior it can come. Systemic racism, however, occurs in the form of inequities and injustices perpetrated by institutions and systems (Yadav, et al., 2020).
It is also known as racialism. It can also be known as the belief that into separate and exclusive biological entities humans are divided known as “races”.
According to me, race is also a term that is also applied to the economic, political or legal systems & institution which engage in or legal systems and institutions which engage in perpetuating discrimination. This discrimination can be occurred due to the different race or otherwise reinforce racial inequalities in income and wealth, civil rights, health care, education, & other areas (Belisle, et al., 2022).
racism is the system for assigning values and structuring opportunities based on physical properties like the texture of hair and skin color. Because of this system, some groups and individuals are treated unfairly and it also damages there mental and mental health. There is a wide range of impacts, from racial interaction in the workplace to racial discrimination in education, housing, and employment opportunities. Health, wealth, income, justice, and voting are just a few of the situations where it manifests itself. Individuals belonging to racial groups whose influence is socially & politically dominant also benefit unfairly from it. racism is institutional, structural, internalized, and interpersonal (Mayes, 2020).
Impact of racism on individuals and community
Individuals
I have done some research and it has been found that over eight hundred secondary school student’s racism had a vast mental impact mainly on the young people who have experienced it including the following:
1) Anger, sadness, being left out, and depression ongoing feelings.
2) A continuous fear of being attacked physically or verbally.
3) Increase heart rate, headaches, trembling, sweating, and muscle tension.
4) Apart from the family members, there have been trust issues.
5) Not wanting to go to school (Williams, et al., 2019).
These affect also reduced the individual ability to study or work and achieve their set future goals. People’s general well-being is also affected due to racism because they were denied to have equal access to jobs. Education and services.
I have talked to one student about racism and his reply was, ‘due to the racism there are many times when he questioned himself and why things with him have to be this way… he thinks that what would be his situation when he was white and how much better his life would be…’
Communities
The impact of racism is that it builds and creates communities where people cannot trust and respect each other. As Australia is one of the very diverse countries. Whenever there is the development of racial tension, all the people are affected by it.
For racism, there are no excuses or reasons. It is just completely wrong and there are also various cases where racism is against the law. Racism is affecting negatively the communities (Davis, et al., 2019).
For protecting the discrimination there have been laws made like the racial discrimination act of 1975. It makes racial hatred and racial discrimination unlawful in public places. The discrimination due to these laws protects everyone and also guarantees that before the law everyone enjoys equality, any way of their racial background (Mohai, & Bryant, 2019).
The situation of Indigenous Australians in comparison to mine situation:
When considering my situation with the indigenous situation I have analyzed that today more than half of the indigenous Australians live in the towns, and they are also living in terrible conditions when compared with mine situation. The place where I live is much better when compared with the indigenous Australians. We live in cities that are quite developed whereas when it is compared with the indigenous Australians today also they are facing violence and brutality. Every day of their lives, three out of four indigenous Australians are experiencing racism. It had also believed by non-indigenous Australians that almost 50% of indigenous Australians are provided unfair advantages by the government. In a similar situation, I think we have been provided 90% of equal chances when compared with the indigenous Australians (Mohai, & Bryant, 2019).
I, myself come in the rest of the Australian population. Some of the comparisons of the indigenous Australians when compared with my situation are-
1) When compared to my situation the health of the indigenous Australians is poor.
2) Indigenous Australians also don’t have equal opportunities to be as healthy as us which is non-indigenous Australians. They also do not enjoy equal health care and health infrastructure primary access (which includes water for safe drinking, healthy housing, services of rubbish collection, and effective systems of sewerage) (Ali, et al., 2021).
3) Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander & non-Indigenous Australians have made minimum progress in minimizing the inequality gap over the past decade, for instance when it comes to life expectancy.
4) When compared with my situation, Indigenous Australians are also facing a socioeconomic disadvantage.
5) The issue which have been faced by the Indigenous Australians is of high unemployment when compared with my situation (Mayes, 2020).
Reference
Ali, A., Rumbold, A. R., Kapellas, K., Lassi, Z. S., Hedges, J., & Jamieson, L. (2021). The impact of interpersonal racism on oral health related quality of life among Indigenous South Australians: a cross-sectional study. BMC oral health, 21(1), 1-11.
Belisle, J., Payne, A., & Paliliunas, D. (2022). A Sociobehavioral Model of Racism against the Black Community and Avenues for Anti-Racism Research. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-17.
Kairuz, C. A., Casanelia, L. M., Bennett-Brook, K., Coombes, J., & Yadav, U. N. (2020). Impact of racism and discrimination on the physical and mental health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in Australia: a protocol for a scoping review. Systematic reviews, 9(1), 1-6.
Mayes, C. (2020). White medicine, white ethics: On the historical formation of racism in Australian healthcare. Journal of Australian Studies, 44(3), 287-302.
Mohai, P., & Bryant, B. (2019). Environmental racism: Reviewing the evidence. In Race and the incidence of environmental hazards (pp. 163-176). Routledge.
Williams, D. R., Lawrence, J. A., & Davis, B. A. (2019). Racism and health: evidence and needed research. Annual review of public health, 40, 105-125.