Using Indigenous Australian drama to break cultural barriers in healthcare relationships. Issue 1 (29th May 2009)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matharu, K
• Is Part Of: Medical humanities. Volume 35:Issue 1(2009)
• Page Start: 47
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2009-05-29
• Subjects: indigenous Australia -- minority health -- cross-cultural understanding -- theater; Medicine and the humanities -- Periodicals; Medical ethics -- Periodicals; 616.1
• DOI: 10.1136/jmh.2008.000364
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-215X

Abstract

Abstract : Since colonisation, the marginalisation of Indigenous Australians has adversely affected their language, culture and health. Mainstream society has failed to address social differences and establish culturally-appropriate health programmes for these groups. This paper extracts important humanistic themes within the context of health from four Indigenous Australian plays written during a period of social unrest in response to past oppression: (1) The dreamers, by Jack David; (2) Murras, by Eva Johnson; (3) Coordah, by Richard Walley; and (4) The keepers, by Bob Maza. These plays will be analysed to (a) illuminate human suffering from an indigenous perspective, based upon social and cultural planes of analysis; (b) understand the socio-cultural basis of poor health; and (c) instruct healthcare professionals that health is a social construct that can be interpreted as the product of select plays that are not solely based upon an illness narrative.