Intersectionality Based Policy Analysis of How Racism is Framed in Medical Education Policies Guiding Aboriginal Health Curriculum

Introduction: Racism has a profound impact on health inequities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Australian medical schools are required to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health curriculum in their medical courses and policies have been developed to support this work. Methods: The research question was: how is racism framed in medical education policies guiding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health curriculum for entry-level medical courses? Applying an Indigenous Research Paradigm and Intersectionality Based Policy Analysis, three key policies were analysed: Australian Medical Council (AMC) Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Primary Medical programs; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (ATSIHCF); Committee of Deans of Australasian Medical Schools Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework (CDAMS). Results: The AMC standards did not refer to racism, while CDAMS and ATSICF supported the notion that teaching students about racism would lead to reduced racism or increased anti-racism in healthcare practice. However, both policies’ learning objectives lacked inclusion of critical reflection required to inform responsive action to racism. As the CDAMS and ATSIHCF were not mandated, there is little accountability for medical schools to implement either of the curriculum policies. Conclusion: Realising the goal of medical practitioners who understand racism and practice anti-racism requires a multi-layered approach. This involves evidence-based teaching about racism and anti-racism, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership in curriculum development, inclusion of racism and anti-racism in medical school accreditation standards, and development of student critical reflection skills. Importantly, education and health institutions need to value and model anti-racism

Storying Ways to Reflect on Power, Contestation, and Yarning Research Method Application

Internationally within academia settler-colonial processes occur in various ways alongside a growth in the use of research methods conceived with Indigenous knowledges. However, most research environments and practices are built upon and privilege dominant non-Indigenous settler-colonial knowledge systems. It is within this power imbalance and contested space that Yarning research method is being applied and interpreted. Underpinned by an Indigenous Research Paradigm, we employed storying ways to examine researcher experiences of settler-colonialism and the Yarning research method. The story outlines challenges and pitfalls that researchers can fall into and critically examines how researchers can fail to recognise the depth of Indigenous knowledge embedded within the practice. This story is gifted by creating an imagined narrative interview with a character called Settler-Colonisation, whereby we identify a litany of settler-colonial processes impacting Yarning research. Scrutinising the epistemological and methodological practices and processes enacted in academia is imperative for better-informed application of Indigenous research methods and create sustainable research more generally

Is Aboriginal nutrition a priority for local government? A policy analysis

Copyright © The Authors 2017. Objective The present study aimed to explore how Australian local governments prioritise the health and well-being of Aboriginal populations and the extent to which nutrition is addressed by local government health policy. Design In the state of Victoria, Australia, all seventy-nine local governments\u27 public health policy documents were retrieved. Inclusion of Aboriginal health and nutrition in policy documents was analysed using quantitative content analysis. Representation of Aboriginal nutrition \u27problems\u27 and \u27solutions\u27 was examined using qualitative framing analysis. The socio-ecological framework was used to classify the types of Aboriginal nutrition issues and strategies within policy documents. Setting Victoria, Australia. Subjects Local governments\u27 public health policy documents (n 79). Results A small proportion (14 %, n 11) of local governments addressed Aboriginal health and well-being in terms of nutrition. Where strategies aimed at nutrition existed, they mostly focused on individual factors rather than the broader macroenvironment. Conclusions A limited number of Victorian local governments address nutrition as a health issue for their Aboriginal populations in policy documents. Nutrition needs to be addressed as a community and social responsibility rather than merely an individual \u27behaviour\u27. Partnerships are required to ensure Aboriginal people lead government policy development