Nowadays, there are many different social issues throughout the world, some of which are difficult to solve. It is formulated by the fact that the solution of these issues often is not beneficial for a certain group of people, usually for authority bodies. The reason for this is the necessity to develop a variety of models and strategies, which in turn may lead to new issues. The most popular social problems are those related to the ethnic aspect, thus, the racial category. The purpose of this work is to analyze social problems associated with the indigenous people of Canada. Nowadays, indigenous Canadians are facing several difficulties which hinder receiving social services adequately, and the most relevant one is the healthcare issue.
Firstly, one should notice that the healthcare issue related to the indigenous people of Canada is not the only one. Thus, the indigenous community is faced with racial issues and problems associated with the preservation of cultural traditions, social inequality, and discrimination (Nelson, 2019). It can be manifested both in an open form, for example, statements on racial grounds, and in a closed-form. The closed-form includes difficulties in obtaining some social services (for example, due to an increased level of bureaucracy), which are manifested in relation to indigenous peoples. However, the healthcare issue seems to be the most relevant as it includes several aspects, some of them directly indicating the worse level of healthcare for indigenous people of Canada (Jarvis, 2018). Moreover, these factors relate not only to modern problems but also hereditary ones, namely those that have arisen as a result of a prolonged malfunction.
The roots of the hereditary problem as a part of healthcare social issue lie back to times of the Canadian residential school system. Thus, First Nations people are widely experiencing social and psychological trauma beyond the generation of children who attended the residential schools (Jarvis, 2018). It is often called intergenerational trauma, which is linked to a plurality of mental health and social issues (Jarvis, 2018). Additionally, it was possible to establish that nowadays, there are problems that directly indicate the lower level of receiving services, including medical ones. Thus, only 44% of First Nations people report good health versus 60% of non-Indigenous people, in addition, they have a shorter life expectancy (Nguyen et al., 2020). Moreover, some diseases prevail among indigenous peoples, which indicates the urgency of this issue.
Further, the historical background has its beginning during the Second World War, namely its end. Thus, after the war, the first foundations of social inequality of the modern kind were established. It was especially widespread among the indigenous population, most of whom lived (and live) in poverty, which formulates the impossibility of obtaining adequate healthcare services (Nelson, 2019). Currently, the major stakeholders are Indigenous peoples (Indians, or First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) and the government, along with medical personnel. The contribution of the country’s authorities to this problem, as already indicated, is formulated mainly by the creation and maintenance of capitalism and social inequality. On the contrary, the contribution of indigenous peoples is unconscious, namely renunciation and distancing from the others.
The stakeholders’ response was substantiated by the reasons that influence this social issue, namely the actions of the authorities and the population. Thereby, the authorities attempted to improve the existing system by elaborating development strategies (Greenwood et al., 2018). It included creating laws and regulations and improving existing norms regarding indigenous peoples and the provision of services. The main task was to simplify the process of receiving medical services and improve the ratings indicated above (life expectancy, good health reports range). The response of the population was the expected actions of dissatisfaction with the existing system manifestation. It included local rallies, however, they did not reach the national level. Further, people have tried to submit applications, complaints, or recommendations to improve the provision of health care services.
Moreover, this issue also includes the impossibility of obtaining adequate medical interventions for the indigenous population of certain groups. One such group is people with HIV who face a number of difficulties. Thus, there are reports that people living with HIV are facing stigma and discrimination (Woodgate et al., 2017). In turn, it causes barriers for them to access services to support family, community, peers, and short- and long-term healthcare services (Woodgate et al., 2017). Moreover, one of the main barriers to health services for indigenous peoples is racism. Racism affects the quality of health care at all levels, from primary to intervention level (Matthews, 2017). However, the researchers suggest possible strategies for solving the problem and for improving the current system.
Among the possible ways and strategies to improve health care for indigenous people in Canada, one may notice the general principle. It is based on improving attitudes, interactions, and services for indigenous peoples at all levels of service delivery. In the context of each patient, one needs to promote more culturally appropriate ways to interact with, assess, and treat Indigenous peoples (King, 2019). In other words, an analysis of the existing system should be done initially through a survey of indigenous peoples. Next, one should analyze the results of the survey and, based on this, draw up plans and strategies for improvement. This approach will be most effective as it will help visualize real problems for indigenous peoples.
There is currently no documented evidence that the problem has been resolved. However, as already indicated, researchers and social workers are proposing and developing possible strategies to address the issue. Speaking about the outcome of this question, one may notice facts and statistics that directly indicate a poorer level of health care for indigenous people than for non-indigenous people. The problem also resulted in cultural erosion in the health care system for the indigenous population (Matthews, 2017). Finally, one may notice that the result of this social issue is the deterioration of the indigenous population’s indicators of life since the level of health has a large impact.
Among the strategies used to develop the community, one managed to find only those that are planned for implementation. However, there are small-scale strategies and models that have already been implemented in the health care system in Canada. These include investment vehicles, public fees for expensive treatment, engagement of patients, and embracing methodologies. However, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is planning to implement some changes in the Canadian healthcare provision system (Fijal and Beagan, 2019). It includes large-scale changes that will be based on respecting and valuing Indigenous health and healing practices (Fijal and Beagan, 2019). This strategy seems to be effective for developing the Aboriginal community in Canada as it will affect many branches of the system.
In the context of this problem, one should not only analyze the existing methods and strategies for solving the problem but also suggest own ones. In this case, the problem lies more in indicators that directly indicate the worst degree of service delivery by indigenous peoples. In this context, I could suggest a system of rewards and motivation for medical and social workers if these indicators improve. Such motivation would be a powerful driving force for raising the health ratings of indigenous populations, as great efforts would be made. Moreover, the problem also lies in the manifestation of racism, which constitutes a cultural flaw. In this regard, I could suggest the development of a special cultural program for both children and adults. This program could contain a number of films, presentations, books that should be distributed to non-indigenous people. The main content of such a program would be historical, social, and cultural aspects of mitigating and disapproval of racist ideas and views.
As a result, it is worth pointing out that the social issue associated with the indigenous population of Canada and the health care system is relevant and open. Manifestations of this problem can be noticed at all levels of the health care system. The main indicator is indigenous health, service delivery, and life expectancy ratings, which are lower than non-indigenous ones. Moreover, indigenous populations are more prone to rare and severe diseases that are costly to be treated. Nowadays, there is no evidence of a solution to the problem, although work is underway to develop strategies for its mitigating. Among the possible solutions which I could recommend are motivational models for medical personnel and cultural programs.
References
Fijal, D., & Beagan, B. L. (2019). Indigenous perspectives on health: Integration with a Canadian model of practice. PubMed. Web.
Greenwood, M., Leeuw, S., & Lindsay, N. M. (2018). Determinants of indigenous peoples’ health, second edition: Beyond the social. (2nd ed.). Canadian Scholars.
Jarvis, C. (2018). Physical examination and health assessment. Elsevier Health Sciences.
King, M., Smith, A., & Gracey, M. (2019). Indigenous health part 2: The underlying causes of the health gap. The Lancet, 374(9683), 76-85. Web.
Matthews, R. (2017). The cultural erosion of Indigenous people in health care. CMAJ, 189(2). Web.
Nelson, R. (2019). Beyond dependency: Economic development, capacity building, and generational sustainability for indigenous people in Canada. Sage Journals, 3. Web.
Nguyen, N. H., Subhan, F. B., & Williams, K. (2020). Barriers and mitigating strategies to healthcare access in indigenous communities of Canada: A narrative review. Healthcare, 8(2), 112.
Woodgate, R., Zurba, M., Tennent, P., & Cochrane, C. (2017). “People try and label me as someone I’m not”: The social ecology of Indigenous people living with HIV, stigma, and discrimination in Manitoba, Canada. Social Science and Medicine, 194. 17-24. Web.