Indigenous and ‘Settler’ Relationships, Episodic and Structural Violence

Toward an Understanding of the Poor Health Status of Indigenous Australian Men

“…However, addressing the plethora of health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people, particularly men, cannot be accomplished simply by changing one government policy or providing more services. The problems are embedded in social structures and institutionalized discrimination, as well as unemployment, poverty, dispossession, and cultural oppression (Mellor, 2012). It is unlikely that men will be able to engage in more healthy lifestyles until these multiple barriers are addressed.…”

“…The presence of the Indigenous research assistant encouraged the participants to feel secure and safe, and male interviewers were deemed appropriate because gender roles are separated in Indigenous communities. Given the geohistorical context of Australia, in which Indigenous peoples have been subjected to racism and discrimination for more than two centuries (Mellor, 2012), we followed Finch’s (1993) suggestions on how to minimize the influence of relative power relationships on the participants’ responses. All focus groups and interviews were conducted on the participants’ own “territory,” in an Indigenous community center or in the participants’ home.…”