Diabetes isn't an "Aboriginal" disease, in the same way that it's not an "obese" disease exactly... you might screen an apparently healthy Aboriginal person for something like diabetes as you would/should ANYBODY who for WHATEVER reason might have a higher risk for it, or likewise for any disease. None of them are "Aboriginal" diseases but rather have many potential factors which will increase risk and they should all be taken into account when distributing health care and funding, not just race.
And Aboriginal people are disadvantaged in the health system because of cultural divides* and many of them living in remote areas, and I have said that these ARE issues that should be viewed partly as "Aboriginal" issues. Other than that the only reason Aboriginal people would be treated differently than non Aboriginal people would be from racist actions by health workers which is hopefully minimal and if not isn't going to be solved by putting more money into the system, anyway.
As a slight aside, you bring up the point "Racial groups are bullshit social constructions" which is true because we draw imaginary lines around the world to group people, when the within-group differences are significantly greater than the between-group differences that we create. I would like to point out that this is THE SAME for your point "the way we normally distribute health care resources leads to Aboriginal people being disadvantaged". There are many Aboriginal people who are not disadvantaged in the health system and many non Aboriginal people who are. Yes there is a difference between the health advantage of being Aboriginal or not Aboriginal but the differences WITHIN those two groups are more significant. This is my entire point with all this argument... "The Aboriginal Health Problem" is as bullshit a construct as any other imaginary racial dividing lines we choose to create.
*Cultural divides that talking about "The Aboriginal Health Problem" will only increase.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2008-04-08 08:14 am (UTC)And Aboriginal people are disadvantaged in the health system because of cultural divides* and many of them living in remote areas, and I have said that these ARE issues that should be viewed partly as "Aboriginal" issues. Other than that the only reason Aboriginal people would be treated differently than non Aboriginal people would be from racist actions by health workers which is hopefully minimal and if not isn't going to be solved by putting more money into the system, anyway.
As a slight aside, you bring up the point "Racial groups are bullshit social constructions" which is true because we draw imaginary lines around the world to group people, when the within-group differences are significantly greater than the between-group differences that we create. I would like to point out that this is THE SAME for your point "the way we normally distribute health care resources leads to Aboriginal people being disadvantaged". There are many Aboriginal people who are not disadvantaged in the health system and many non Aboriginal people who are. Yes there is a difference between the health advantage of being Aboriginal or not Aboriginal but the differences WITHIN those two groups are more significant. This is my entire point with all this argument... "The Aboriginal Health Problem" is as bullshit a construct as any other imaginary racial dividing lines we choose to create.
*Cultural divides that talking about "The Aboriginal Health Problem" will only increase.