Apply an awareness of culture as a factor in all human behaviour
Contents
Overview 3
What you’ll learn 3
Migration 4
Effects of migration on Australia 5
Effects of voluntary migration on the individual 7
Effects of forced migration on the individual: refugees 10
Migration, multicultural Australia and aged care 15
Rituals, celebrations and spirituality 18
Cultural safety in aged care 21
Cultural competence at work in aged care 22
Staff roles and cultural competence 29
References 32
Acknowledgements 32
Feedback to activities 33
Overview
This topic will introduce you to the concept of migration, the effects of migration on Australia as a whole, and the experience of migration for individuals. We will look at the differences for individuals between voluntary migration and refugee arrival in Australia. Finally, we will address the multicultural nature of Australia’s ageing population and what this means to the aged care industry and you as an aged care worker.
On completion of this resource you will be able to recognise the impact on the individual of migration and seeking refuge in another country. You will be able to apply an awareness of this impact to aged care clients and the ageing population of Australia in general.
What you’ll learn
On completion of this topic you will be able to apply an awareness of culture as a factor in all human behaviour. In particular you will ensure that
· work practices followed are culturally appropriate.
· work practices followed create a culturally and psychologically safe environment for all persons.
· work practices are reviewed and modified in consultation with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Migration
This topic defines migration and looks at some potential reasons behind both the decision to migrate and factors leading to a forced migration.
The term migration comes from the verb ‘to migrate’, meaning to move from one country to another. People may migrate for many varied reasons, with each reason affecting each individual in a unique way. In this resource we will look at two broad categories of migrants: those who migrate voluntarily, and those who are forced to leave their country of origin and seek refuge elsewhere.
Reasons for choosing to migrate voluntarily may include:
· access to public education and health care
· greater freedom of choice
· social equality
· democratic participation
· better quality of life and longer life expectancy
· climate
· work opportunities
· adventure and/or new experiences
· family reunion.
Those who are forced to leave their country and seek refuge elsewhere are generally fleeing persecution, war and conflict.
Activity 1
You are visiting a friend or relative in a foreign country, a country where you do not speak the local language. During the visit you fall seriously ill and find yourself restricted to a health care facility where the culture and language is foreign.
The food provided to you is unfamiliar and unappealing to your tastes. There are strange smells everywhere, and all around you people are speaking a foreign language. You do not understand the treatment you are being given, or what your diagnosis is. There is no information available to you in your first language. The only time you can communicate is when your friend or a relative comes to visit you.
How do you feel in this situation? What are your wishes? How do you cope with what is happening to you?
There is no feedback for this activity
You can see that the experience of being in a foreign health care system could be very daunting, confusing, isolating, and unsettling. Do you have any clients that might feel this way?
Activity 2
In this activity you will check your understanding of the definition and concept of migration.
Fill in all the gaps with words taken from the list.
country forced move origin refuge voluntarily
The verb ‘to migrate’ means to ______from one to another. In this section we looked at two broad categories of migrants: those who migrate ______and those who are ______to leave their country of ______and seek ______elsewhere.
Go to the end of this topic for feedback
Effects of migration on Australia
Part of the process of understanding the effects of migration on you, your clients and co-workers involves recognising how our own lives and the very society we live in have been affected by migration.
The benefits of cultural diversity become obvious when we look at the way our country has been shaped by migration. Once we recognise these benefits it is easy to value the unique input that different cultures have in our lives – the diversity of experience offered at our doorsteps.
Australia really is a nation of migrants. Only a very small proportion of our population has had family residing here for more than about 200 years – that is, indigenous Australians are the only Australians to have ancestors in this country dating back more than approximately 200 years.
Today, 43% – nearly half – of our population was either born overseas or has at least one parent born overseas, and between us we speak some 200 languages (source: Australian Government Dept of Immigration). These facts make Australia one of the most diverse countries in the world.
What are some of the benefits we experience from living in such a diverse society?
· We have access to a vast array of cuisines, allowing us to experience flavours from around the world.
· We have the opportunity to enjoy a broad range of cultural activities – music, art, celebrations, films and performances.
· We can be exposed to new ideas and different perspectives and benefit from varied insights.
· We have the opportunity to learn about the cultures found in different parts of the world.
The benefits mentioned above may be experienced by individuals directly. We also benefit from migration and cultural diversity indirectly through the impact on Australia as a whole.
What are some of the benefits of immigration to Australia?
· The multitude of languages spoken by Australians aid international relations.
· Our workforce is enhanced by hard working people with specialised skills.
· Small businesses started by migrants help strengthen our economy.
· Our society continues to become more inclusive and can reap the advantages of many diverse people living peacefully side by side.
· Migrants’ networks and links with others around the world expand Australia’s international trade, business opportunities and professional exchange.
· The major infrastructure work in Australian cities was achieved by migrant labour – without this our country could not function as it does today.
From the examples provided above we can see Australia and its residents have been affected by the migration process in many varied positive and desirable ways.
The diversity of clients and workers in the aged care industry is reflective of Australia’s continually developing society – benefits and all.
FoodEateries advertising an array of cuisines /
Infrastructures built by migrant labour
Railway tracks /
Cultural diversity
Church and Aboriginal paintings
We learn from others
Faces originating from around the world /
Traditional therapies
Shop signs advertising yoga and massage therapy /
Cultural events
Posters advertising reggae music, yoga etc
The pictures taken in Sydney show the diversity of experiences offered as a result of immigration. Such experiences can enrich our lives and broaden our horizons.
Effects of voluntary migration on the individual
It is important to recognise and understand some of the common effects of migration on the individual because such experiences can have a lasting impact on the person.
Understanding yourself and the people around you (such as your clients and colleagues) can assist the formation of satisfying interpersonal relationships and thus make your time at work more fulfilling and enjoyable.
Migrating to another country, while often exciting and offering the promise of a new and different life, can be an enormously stressful and difficult process. Some of the difficulties associated with the migration experience are listed below:
· Communication and language difficulties
· Difficulties adjusting to different foods
· Difficulties adjusting to the new culture and society: socialising, work practices, housing arrangements
· Feelings of isolation and loss of family and friends who did not migrate
· Fear of the unknown
· Nostalgia for home and feelings of homesickness
· Facing stereotyping and prejudice in the new country
Case study: Rosa Costa
Rosa Costa
Drawing of elderly woman with a rather forlorn expression
Rosa Costa was born in 1920 in Lipsi, a small Greek Island then occupied by Italy. Her husband Christoph was born in 1918, also in Lipsi. Rosa and her husband came to Australia with their son Nikolai, aged one, in 1947. The young family decided to make the hard move to Australia under the “Assisted Passages Scheme”, a post-war migration effort promising better employment and education opportunities in Australia. Once in Australia, Rosa and Christoph had another child – a daughter, Althea, born in 1949.
In Australia, Rosa and Christoph settled in Haberfield, Sydney, a suburb with a growing Greek community. The local community did much to help Rosa and Christoph when they first arrived and Christoph soon found work in a factory to support his growing family.
Although things were going well in the new country, Rosa greatly missed Lipsi and all her friends and family there. Sydney was enormous and frightening compared to Lipsi, where you could reach anywhere on the island easily by foot. Rosa missed the calm clear waters and private beaches, the green surrounds, space and clean air. She also missed the lifestyle of farming and fishing and the local specialities – dairy products, pastries and wine. But the promise of a better life for her children, of education and employment opportunities unheard of back home, made her persevere when things got tough.
Rosa spent most of her time in the local community and at home bringing up her children. She did not have the opportunity to learn English formally, yet picked up what she could along the way, and when Nikolai and Althea started school they taught her some more. Even though Rosa’s English became quite good, she preferred to stay close to home and rarely ventured far from the comfort of the Greek community.
Activity 3
1. How and why did Rosa and Christoph come to Australia in 1947?
2. Why did Rosa and Christoph settle in Haberfield?
3. Why was Sydney frightening to Rosa?
4. Name some of the things Rosa missed about home.
5. How did Rosa learn to speak English?
Go to the end of this topic for feedback
Activity 4
In this activity you will revise some common effects of migration on the individual by tricking true or false to the following statements.
True / False1. Migrating to another country can be an enormously stressful and difficult experience.
2. Migrants who do not speak English probably won’t experience language or communication difficulties in Australia because we have such a diverse society.
3. Adjusting to a new culture and society is easy.
4. Migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds might experience stereotyping and prejudice.
5. Most people who migrate do not feel homesick or miss family and friends in their country of origin because they are only a phone call away.
Go to the end of this topic for feedback
Effects of forced migration on the individual: refugees
While it is common to hear about ‘migrants and refugees’, it is important to recognise that the two words refer to very different groups of people. While both groups have effectively moved from one country to another, the circumstances leading up to that move are markedly different for each group.
Under existing Australian and international law, a refugee is defined as a person who has been forced to leave their country of origin due to the experience – or valid fear of – persecution on the grounds of:
· race
· religion
· nationality
· political opinion
· membership of a particular social group.
The person must also feel unable to return to his or her country of origin due to the experienced or anticipated persecution.
The major differences between migrants and refugees are outlined in the table below.
Migrants / RefugeesRunning to, not running away / Running away, not running to
Conscious choice to come to Australia / Rarely able to choose to which country to go
Are able to prepare for the move by:
· learning about the culture, language, job opportunities
· saying goodbye to family and friends
· packing precious things / Are rarely able to prepare for the move.
· Usually have little understanding of Australian culture, language, job opportunities.
· May have to keep their plans secret.
· May not be able to say goodbye to family or friends.
· May have to flee with no notice and only the clothes on their back.
· No opportunity to prepare themselves for new life
Can go home to visit or stay if things do not work out / Cannot go home to visit or stay without risking their lives or well-being
Can phone relatives and friends in country of origin / Often cannot keep in contact with family and friends in country of origin
Many have experiences severe trauma such as:
· Imprisonment in prisoner of war camps, detention centres, and/or refugee camps
· Torture
· Rape
In addition to the difficulties commonly faced by any person after moving to a new country, refugees may also experience a number of other concerns as a result of the circumstances leading to their flight.
Some of the specific difficulties faced by older refugees include:
· lack of knowledge about the new culture and society
· lack of knowledge about support services
· housing and employment difficulties
· financial hardship
· difficulties overcoming the impact of trauma, which can lead to depression and other mental health problems
· social isolation and loneliness
· concern for family and friends left behind.
Seeking refuge places great demands on coping skills, especially when a person has experienced trauma.