Deficit discourse and strengths-based approaches: Changing the narrative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing

Deficit discourse and strengths-based approaches: Changing the narrative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing Report

• Author(s): Fogarty, Will, Lovell, Melissa, Langenberg, Juleigh, Heron, Mary-Jane
• Published: 2018
• Publisher: The Lowitja Institute

Link to resource Report broken link

Abstract: This report explores strengths-based approaches to shifting the deficit narrative in the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector. There is evidence that deficit discourse has an impact on health itself — that it is a barrier to improving health outcomes. This report is the result of desk-based research, carried out over six months at the Australian National University’s National Centre for Indigenous Studies. There are some serious barriers to implementing strengths-based models of development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. These include: (a) an often broad, weak or ill-defined conceptual base for research, policy and program design; (b) a tendency in the grey literature in particular to use platitudes or to ‘pay lip service’ to strengths-based ideation; and (c) a real paucity of strong qualitative evaluation. This includes a lack of formative evaluation design. In addition, there is almost a complete lack of evaluation of actual impact on discourse itself and, in turn, on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes. Similarly, we found no evaluation techniques specifically designed to measure or demonstrate shifts in the discourse around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. We have identified two ‘successful’ justifications for using strengths-based approaches to influence a change in the narrative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: the utilitarian approach and the binary approach. In certain circles there is an increasing awareness of strengths-based approaches and we are hopeful that such approaches will continue to be critically explored, developed and implemented, and that recognising the rights, culture, diversity and strengths of Australia’s First Peoples will become the norm.

• Urls: https://www.lowitja.org.au/sites/default/files/docs/deficit-discourse-strengths-based.pdf
• Publisher Location: Melbourne