7
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Neighbours and Strangers — on Losing the Track

(Associate Professor of Psychiatry)
Pages 251-256 | Published online: 06 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

The cultural gap between the colonists and their indigenous neighbours was an insurmountable tracking difficulty for the young nations of Australia and New Zealand. Scattered across the island continent lived Aborigines, unappreciated; and to the north, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The cultural distance, one of colour, of custom, of creed, of consciousness and of cash, was too wide to cross. But cultural distances between neighbours inevitably lead to tracking failures, characterized by misconceptions, fears, and ultimately, conflict.

Psychiatry has some capacity to define these tracking failures, and to assess their danger. In this paper, Australia's psychiatric approach to its neighbours is examined. Two challenges are specified. In the developing countries: it is subsistence versus surplus psychiatry — do we comprehend the distinction? In Aboriginal Australia: it is the Aboriginal mental health system — do we appreciate its existence? An Aboriginal scripture (bark painting) provides the text.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.