Graduate Certificate in Aboriginal Health in Rural Communities

Our knowledge of health comes from many different experiences, information sources and through different mediums. Our culture informs how we understand health and our expectations of health and health care. Western scientific knowledge also contributes to how we understand health. Furthermore, our experiences of health, illness, caring and wellbeing also contribute to our understandings of health.This unit explores various ideas about health and the integration, overlap and disjuncture of Aboriginal knowledges and Western knowledges of health.

This unit explores how the field of health is influenced by different, sometimes competing ideas about what constitutes knowledge and what effects this has for the health and wellbeing of populations. Focusing particularly on the perspectives of Aboriginal Australians, it examines the nature, intersection and implications of various forms of health knowledges.

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This subject requires students to undertake a project within an Aboriginal community on a topic selected by the student in consultation with the community. The subject critically examines key principles and processes involved in conducting community projects, and considers the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of such work. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the role and nature of community engagement and participation, application of the project, specifically in rural contexts, and potential outcomes for and empowerment of the specific community. In undertaking this subject, students will gain community development and project management skills and be introduced to a range of orthodox and alternative methodologies.

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Gender is one of the most influential social determinants of health globally. In this subject, students will develop an understanding of gender as a social construct distinct from biological sex and explore the role of gender in shaping health inequities. Through critical analysis of research, theory and real-world case studies, students will apply gender concepts and gender analysis to pressing global health challenges including transgender health, genital modification practices and gender-based violence.

This subject adopts a non-binary approach to understanding and examining gender and is grounded in a social determinants of health framework. It encourages students to apply an intersectional focus by considering how gender intersects with other social identities, such as race, sexuality and disability, to impact on the health of individuals, communities and populations.

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This is an elective subject in the Master of Public Health program that contributes to the Indigenous health stream and is a foundation subject for those interested in working with Indigenous peoples across the life course. In this subject, students will be introduced to local and global concepts, frameworks and methods used by Indigenous populations to promote health equity and foster a global view of Indigenous peoples’ health and wellbeing during the first 1000 days from conception to age 2. The First 1000 Days work in Indigenous communities is being developed and implemented across Australia, Indonesia and the Arctic Circle; providing a coordinated comprehensive intervention addressing the needs of Indigenous children and their families from pre conception to two years of age, thereby laying the foundation for their future health and well being. The subject will explore the First 1000 Days model and how to implement this model across different communities Australia wide, and with international partners. Providing an international and national context for First 1000 Days, the subject will provide students with an opportunity to engage with cultural knowledge; programs targeting neonate, men and women of reproductive age and effective interventions for families and children; national and international data and evidence; novel longitudinal study design and practical strategies to implement First 1000 Days with families, organisations and across regions and countries. Also explored are impacts of this period of life across a lifetime – the impact of the First 1000 Days on the Last 1000 Days; healthy adolescence, adulthood and healthy aging. The subject is offered both on campus and on line to enable students to complete the subject remotely if required.

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Our health is shaped by the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age. The unequal distribution of money, power and resources from local to global levels has significant effects on health. This subject will provide an overview of Australian and international evidence on how social, economic, environmental and cultural processes affect population health.

More specifically, the subject examines how health and wellbeing are shaped by a range of determinants including gender, poverty, socio-economic position, housing, employment and working conditions, race/ethnicity, discrimination and place. Students also explore structural barriers associated with colonialism, sexism, ableism, racism, stigma and violence. By integrating evidence from across these topics, this subject will use contemporary examples to unpack how health inequalities are generated and how health interventions might generate more equitable outcomes in population health.

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This is a compulsory subject in the Master of Public Health. Qualitative research plays an important role in public health as it can explain how people experience a particular health issue or why they perform a health-related behavior, taking into account specific social, political and economic contexts. Public health practitioners need to be able to undertake and interpret a range of published research (including qualitative research) in order to gather evidence for practice, identify gaps in evidence and evaluate current practice.

This subject will introduce students to qualitative research in public health - both the principles underlying design and the strengths and weaknesses of different qualitative methodologies. It will cover a range of methods, such as individual interviews, group interviews, visual and participatory methods. Each element of research design will be covered, from recognising research paradigms and sampling strategies through to the different types of analysis. Students will learn how to design, plan and evaluate qualitative research as sources of evidence in public health.

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This subject is a compulsory subject within the Master of Public Health. It lays the foundation for the degree and provides an orientation to the field of public health. It provides a critical overview of public health historical development, conceptual underpinnings and practice in the following domains.

History and distinguishing features of public health and population health: The historical development of public health is traced. The distinguishing features of public health, emphasising the health of groups and populations rather than a focus on the health of an individual, are presented and explored. Key points of transition in the health of populations over time are identified. The scientific disciplines that make up the toolbox of modern population health are described.

Determinants of the health of individuals, groups and populations: Determinants of health affecting the health of individuals, and populations are identified, recognising that social determinants work in concert with environmental and biological factors. The health of Indigenous people in Australia is examined and resources provided to assist in understanding common influences on the health of Indigenous people world-wide. The increasing importance of health and human rights locally and globally is discussed, including an examination of the ethical frameworks relevant to public health practice.

Strategies and Systems: Major strategies and approaches to public health including health protection, health improvement and health care quality assessment are presented, with illustrations from local and international experience. The elements and function of health systems are defined and the roles of principal public health agencies internationally and nationally are described.

Achievements and challenges: The significant achievements in public health from the late 20 th century through to the 21 st century are identified and emerging challenges and possible solutions are explored, including in relation to Indigenous populations.

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Social justice in public health holds the view that everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities, and the right to good health. Yet today, inequities in health are driven by unequal policies and practices based on the unequal distribution of money, power and resources among communities based on gender, class, race, place and other factors. Incorporating insights from the social sciences, this subject will engage with the social, political, economic and historical factors shaping the root causes of health inequities. Promoting social justice through strategies of health promotion, community development, empowerment and advocacy becomes a driving mission of public health. This subject will explore social justice concepts, issues and policy remedies – supporting the development of the necessary analytical tools and information to assess inequality and injustice and address historical and contemporary issues. Students will gain skills and competencies in public health advocacy, that focus on both individual and community level disadvantage, as well as social policy reform and community activism.

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This subject covers the five eras of Indigenous policy and introduces a set of strategies for analysing and evaluating government policy in a range of fields. Applicable in all policy areas, analysis and evaluation skills are often required in government agencies, industry and community organisations in order to identify the impact of policy and provide direction on opportunity for change.

Indigenous affairs is frequently associated with narratives of failure. This subject provides the opportunity to understand the cause of those narratives and work within strengths-based approaches to analyse and evaluate of key policies in Indigenous affairs.

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