Useful links
Unit of study_
PUBH5120: Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Health
2025 unit information
This unit will significantly advance your philosophical, theoretical and practical understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and societies within the context of public health. We will use case studies grounded in diverse urban, regional and remote communities and the life experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to explore key constructs. These include transgenerational psychic trauma, racism, political structures and systems, cultural determinants, ethics, and global indigenous epistemologies. Together we will investigate the reasons why Australia has so far been unable to close the gap across almost all indicators of health and wellbeing, and explore innovative, ethical and effective solutions. Throughout this unit you will be encouraged to interact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics, health professionals and community members, and your unit coordinator, tutors and fellow students, and feel confident to ask difficult questions and debate the responses. Our aim is to give you the practical and conceptual knowledge and skills necessary to work respectfully and effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across the nation.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Public Health |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
|
None |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
|
None |
| Prohibitions:
?
|
PUBH5118 |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
|
None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand the concept of self determination and its connections to State power
- LO2. Understand theories and approaches to self determination
- LO3. Be able to describe structural racism and to distinguish structural racism from individual and overt forms
- LO4. Understand concepts of epistemology and epistemic values
- LO5. Gain insight into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander epistemologies
- LO6. Understand connection between culture and health
- LO7. Students will be able to label and describe different forms of racism
- LO8. Students will be able to identify different theories used when confronting racism as a public health issue for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- LO9. Students will learn what helps with healing from the negative health impacts of racisms
- LO10. Students will discuss and consider what works in countering racism in one's self; among one's personal and professional networks; and in institutions, with an emphasis on communication skills
- LO11. Students will be able to critically analyse and discuss a decolonising approach to health related research theory and practice
- LO12. Students will consider how to design respectful yet rigorous research or project plans/proposals using their critical thinking and reflective skills to inform Indigenous health research
- LO13. Students will discuss and consider how to work/walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as co-researchers in health-related projects using decolonising theory and methods
- LO14. Students can formulate their own framework(s) for research, work and practice in relation to Aboriginal health
- LO15. Students identify needed skills to support the implementation of these frameworks
- LO16. Students can anticipate, describe and analyse challenges and potential problems in work in Aboriginal health and can identify strategies for mitigating and managing these
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 2 2024
|
Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney | |
|
Semester 2 2024
|
Online | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 2 2025
|
Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
|
Semester 2 2025
|
Online | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
Find your current year census dates
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
