The nature of social inclusion and exclusion Flashcards
Example of pluralism not being accepted
The Australian system of government based on the Westminster system of the United Kingdom and generally does not recognize Aboriginal Customary Law
Micro, meso and macro level of pluralism
Macro level
- Australian Constitution sets out a system of government in which people with different interests, beliefs and lifestyles can participate is the democratic process.
- ‘Racial Discrimination Act’ (1975) and the ‘Sex Discrimination Act’ (1984)
Meso ‘Acknowledgement of Country’
Micro-level pluralism can be viewed through the lens of cultural practices such as language, food choices and rituals within the home
An overview of similarities between individuals and groups
‘Human universals.’ Their traits are:
Languages and cognitions
- All cultures employ some type of communication and symbolism
- Speaking English 80%
Society
- Social class (low, middle and upper class) and social stratification.
Myth, ritual and aesthetics
- Belief system, celebration of life and death and other ceremonial events
Technology
- Innovation and the development of different technologies to improve efficiency is part of human evolution.
Housing ATSI people
Statistics
Lack of access to appropriate housing can result in homelessness, poor health and lower rates of employment and educational participation
According to 2016 Census (ABS), ATSI people were:
- Half as likely to own their own home (with or without marriage)
- 3x as likely to live in overcrowded dwelling
Exclusion in Australia ATSI
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey on income and housing (2018) provides statistics
- 47% of Indigenous Australians experience social exclusion, compared with 25% of all Australians.
Exclusion in Australia ATSI micro, meso, macro level examples
Micro
Fragmented families
The Stolen Generation
Experiences of racism can lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes
Loss of language
Meso
Difficulty in accessing services such as health care due to cultural and geographic difference
Limited engagement with the school system due to past traumas and culturally inappropriate settings
Macro
Current political processes make it difficult for ATSI people to have power over decisions made on their behalf to solve issues prevalent in their community
Exclusion in Australian society
- ATSI prejudice
- ATSI contact
Surveyed nearly 6,000 Australians
In December 2021, one in five Australians were highly prejudiced against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
1 in 5 people “never” have any contact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or LGBTI people
The … score was …
Inclusive Australia Social Inclusion Index
62 out of 100 at the end of 2018. It has remained generally stable since the first wave of data collection in May 2017
This score suggests that Australia has room for improvement in social inclusion.
Inclination towards inclusion Australia
Although most were reluctant to be involved in political action, more than 1/2 were willing to do small but important things every day to promote social inclusion.
These included saying hello to people from other groups, speaking up in the face of discrimination, and listening to and validating the stories of people from other groups.
Statistics of ATSI people + LGBTIQ+ discrimination in Australian society
By the end of 2021, more than half of ATSI people had experienced major discrimination in the last 2 years.
December 2017, around the time of the Federal Government’s Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey the percentage of LGBTIQ+ people who experienced everyday discrimination increased significantly (from 35% in May to 50% in December 2017).
Who Experiences Social Exclusion in Australia?
Annual data (2018), the data below shows that certain groups continue to experience the highest rates of social exclusion:
- Women are more likely to be excluded than men.
- Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 47% experience social exclusion.
- Early school leavers are three times as likely to experience exclusion as those with a diploma or degree.
- About one in six children in Australia live in poverty. These children generally have poorer educational outcomes than more advantaged children.
Interventions to close exclusion for children living in poverty Australia
Interventions such as anti-bullying programs and increased funding for schools in disadvantaged communities can help.
In 1987, Prime Minister Bob Hawke famously pledged to end child poverty by 1990.
- As a result of his government’s actions, child poverty initially declined before increasing again. - - Child poverty rates now are only slightly lower than in 1999.
The high costs of social exclusion at school
- ATSI
- Compared to non-ATSI
Children who reported lacking items that most children see as essential were identified as experiencing child deprivation.
Over one in four Indigenous children and children with a language background other than English also lived in poverty.
By comparison, this was the case for only one in eight children who were not part of a marginalised group.
Depth concepts
Social mobility
Social class
Socioeconomic status
Life course
‘Race’
Ethnicity
Social differentiation
Equality
Human rights
Prejudice
Discrimination
Micro level exclusion - Africa
Anna, born in Mauritius
- ‘Adopted with an older brother into a white family.’
- ‘Going to school, it was a bit hard to fit in because I was the only dark person at school. Lots of name-callings, staring, pointing, etc.’
Jafri refugee in 2005 from Uganda
- ‘I want to raise awareness in our society. We might look different, but we’re all the same people.’
- ‘I’ve never experienced racism until I came to Australia’
- For more than 2 years, he has been protesting outside Flinders Street Station in central Melbourne
