SOAD8014 Introduction to Australian Health and Human Services Essay 2 Sample
Guidelines on how to complete this Assessment:
The aim of this assessment is to help you refine your critical thinking and essay writing skills regarding health and human services. You have been introduced to the complexity of health and human services in creating better conditions for most people, especially vulnerable populations, and in making welfare systems more effective and sustainable. This is all possible through understanding the economics, interconnectedness, and interactions between the government and individuals.
In module 1 you have watched the TEDx Talk - The Myth of 'Us' and 'Them', where Professor Peter Whiteford discusses the welfare state. In his closing statement, Professor Whiteford asserts that "the reason why we need to move beyond the myth of them and us, is that, actually we are all in the same boat. We're all in this together."
For this assessment, you will need to write an argumentative essay stating whether you agree or disagree with Professor Whiteford's position. Provide a sample case or policy that is implemented in Australia to illustrate and support your argument.
You can use the DIEP model to help you think through your argument. A guide for how to write an academic argument can be found (here).
Additional Guidelines:
Suggested structure
Introduction: 100 words
Body: 1500 words
Conclusion: 200 words
• You can use "I" or "me" in your essay-my personal preference
Solution
Introduction
The welfare policy of Australia plays a significant role in addressing the societal risks, fostering equity and ensuring the basic standard of living. The essay for university assignment help aims to analyse Professor Whiteford's perspective on the welfare of the state. The study has also highlighted the importance of social security programs, universal health care, and equitable support systems to mitigate the vulnerabilities across the life course. The study has upheld the principles of Medicare and NDIS to analyse welfare recipients and insufficient support levels. Additionally, the essay has incorporated the DIEP model to examine the support and contradictions of Australian policies. By exploring the interplay between redistributive mechanisms and welfare discourse, the study has addressed the demographic challenges to create an inclusive and sustainable welfare state that promotes collective well-being.
Describe: Explanation of Professor Whiteford's Position
The position of Professor Whiteford holds the importance of relevant and fair social policies for the resolution of systemic problems and enhancement of quality of life. He further notes that good policies form a protective net for the vulnerable groups of society on which the economy's and society's future growth depends (youtu.be, 2017). According to Whiteford, learning to mitigate income gaps and restricted social needs satisfaction can help in reducing social discrimination. Suitable measures may prevent such discrimination in education and health systems.
Whiteford also believes all social policies must be designed to address structural barriers and inclusivity. He raises concern over the provision or lack of significant service delivery across the population. Healthcare, education and social security services are some major elements that help society move forward (youtu.be, 2017). Furthermore, Whiteford recommends empirical policies founded on different population metrics. He said that without such analysis, policies may end up lacking impact or even worsening inequality.
Whiteford stated the relative relationship between economic activity and social policy. The author further ensures a positive correlation between inequality decrease, workforce engagement, productivity, and lighter costs on governments in the long run. Last but not least, he emphasizes the ethical need for studying inequality. In his opinion, people in any society must have a right to have good opportunities for living irrespective of their socio-economic status. This position is based on the concepts of fairness, justice and the need for correcting inequity owing to sustainable solutions for society.
Interpret: Argument
With the submission to Professor Whiteford’s administrative stance, I agree that only fair social policies can eliminate the pre-existing adversity burden and build social equity. This approach can be supported with the help of the example of Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). NDIS is a policy to help people with disabilities (Veli?Gold et al. 2023). Funds, specialized care plans and services are provided by NDIS. NDIS shows that well-directed social policies can decrease inequities. As a result, all types of individuals can access societal facilities to a gainful extent, thereby increasing the quality of life and narrowing the socioeconomic divide.
The success of the NDIS is aligned with Whiteford’s assertion that sound policies will improve access and overcome the structural gaps. As mentioned in the implementation of the amended bill, people with disabilities were limited in access to services. Different services for disabled people might be unaffordable either financially or geographically (Whyle & Olivier, 2023). From the aspect of equity, Whiteford states that people of any income should have access to all kinds of services. The criteria that come under the NDIS scheme involve every Australian with a disability which creates a significant gap in the equality aspect.
However, the scheme has further carried on the positive economic benefits that Whiteford has focused on. The economic benefits will occur with the reduction of inequality and increase in productivity. The opportunities the NDIS have meant that people with disabilities can work, and it has created jobs in the disability care sector (Mellifont et al. 2023). More job creation in the disability care system has contributed to ongoing economic growth. This is further evidence of the value of investing in equitable policy in society.
Even though the issues of funding, and service delivery remain a challenge, the NDIS shows that it is possible to have an inclusive policy. This strengthens my view that focusing on equity is not only meeting ethical obligations but is also growing the social fabric and steadiness of the economy. Thus, I support Whiteford's views on deeds of social policies in managing systemic injustices.
In addition to the economic and social benefits, the NDIS highlights the power to foster social cohesion and inclusive policy-making. The disability policy supports individuals to maintain their mental health conditions, stimulate greater participation and increase independence in community activities (Gilchrist & Perks, 2023). Promotion of job creation within the service sector also can be stimulated by innovations in service delivery. After implementing all the strategies, the outcome can showcase well-designed policies that can strengthen the social values of marginalised groups and benefit the entire nation.
Evaluate: Policy Analysis
The welfare state in Australia highlights the critical role of addressing the needs of society to mitigate the risks and foster equity across the life course. The professor has emphasised the significance of social security programs and healthcare systems while critiquing the stereotypes and misconceptions of Australian policy programs (Zoega et al. 2024). Whiteford underscores the significance of the welfare state by addressing the vulnerability across the life course. Australian policies include Medicare, the national disability insurance scheme and various social security payments. Medicare ensures universal healthcare access by allowing Australians to receive the necessary medical treatments. NDIS also tailored the support to individuals with disabilities to promote independence. These programs are also aligned with the argument of Whiteford that centres around mitigating life’s unpredictable risks such as illness, ageing and unemployment. Whiteford has also shed light on the welfare of the society to reduce inequality. The progressive nature of Australia’s tax and transfer system supports this argument. Social security payments such as family tax and age pension ensure resources are directed towards the needy people (Tzeng et al. 2024). This approach reflects the ethos of fairness and equity of Whiteford advocates which demonstrates the policy and helps to promote societal cohesion by addressing disparities.
Moreover, Whiteford has critiqued the mentality of "us vs. them" in welfare debates to support recipients who are unfairly stigmatised. The policy of Australia discounts and reinforces these stereotypes to undermine the dignity of welfare recipients and create societal divisions. The contradiction of Whiteford emphasises the collective support and understanding to build a fair society which ensures equitable access to resources and opportunities. Whiteford stresses the significance of welfare in alleviating poverty, however, some policies of Australia fall short in this regard (Zoega et al. 2024). I think the vision of Whiteford regarding welfare effectively can mitigate the aforementioned risks and strengthen the basic standard of living for all citizens in the country. Whiteford has also pointed out welfare programs need to be inclusive and accessible; however, the design of Australian policies creates barriers for vulnerable groups. For instance, the policies of cashless welfare cards targeted Indigenous communities which were criticised for being paternalistic and discriminatory. Furthermore, the tax system of Australia supports redistribution and affects low-income households.
Rebuttal to Opposing Views
Critics of Professor Whiteford’s view could say that oversized social measures such as NDIS exhaust the state budgets and encourage people to rely on state support. They may argue that such interferences destroy individual independence and can be expensive to the taxpayers. They should allow market dictation as the best way of decreasing inequalities.
However, these reasons fail to consider the social and economic welfare aspects of fair policies. In terms of taxpayers, the market-driven approach can be more effective in reducing inequalities.
For instance, the Productivity Commission stated in its 2021 report that the NDIS is a major boost in Australia’s economy as it generates jobs in the disability care segment and has made disabled people, and their caregivers, gainful employment (Gilchrist & Feenan, 2022). This demonstrates that employment in the disabled care sector contributes significantly to Australia's economy. The improved access to essential services reduces the cost of healthcare. On the contrary, the NDIS sets people up and makes them more independent and productive and this cements the view that fairness is good for society and needs to be encouraged.
Plan
Whiteford’s speech provides useful tips that can orient me in the future when working in public policy or in social and economic welfare. Whiteford considers the welfare of citizens, promoting the significance of a fair and unbiased society. The statement balances between a vibrant and sound economy and equal rights for individuals. The systematic perspective will benefit me as I evaluate the effects of policies on various groups and work for just, equitable practices in the future. It also can help me to improve my capacity to implement policies that create enduring positive social transformation. Furthermore, his understanding of the services available to everyone can help me with tasks of focusing on small projects that aim to fight injustice for the poor, less privileged, and marginalised people in society. The outlook can help me gain the proper knowledge and insight needed for decision-making and policy change.
Conclusion
As per the analysis, it can be stated that, for an extension of fair social policies Professor Whiteford’s position is helpful when considering the effectiveness of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia. This program proves that meso-level interventions can enhance people’s skills, encourage their rights, and create sustainable social and economic returns. Using priorities such as dependency and the cost burden does not consider improvements in efficiency and potential of the NDIS. Imagining Australia provides leaders with a significant model to invest fundamentally in the equity frames. Proper investments in social policies, can deliver a fair service structure. In terms of having a sustainable society different aspects of social policies need to be understood to come up with a big picture. Significant investment in diverse societal aspects can build a strong base for all individuals to grab opportunities as per their capabilities. Therefore, it is possible to state that the presidential welfare policies in Australia are partly consistent and partly incongruent with the perspective of Whiteford. Medicare and the NDIS symbolise the nation’s social equality and safety, which explains Whiteford’s focus on risk aversion at various life-course stages. However, some of the issues that show poor policies include: welfare recipient discrimination, low benefit ratings, and unfair ethnic distribution. Furthermore, the paper has argued economic sustainability in the context of the welfare state, which states Australia will be better placed to serve the function if it enhances the welfare of the entire population and caters to the needs of disadvantaged citizens.
References
Gilchrist, D., & Feenan, C. (2022). Social Services Funding Indexation Project: Brief Overview of Project Rationale for Western Australian Council of Social Service. Available at SSRN 4800155.https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm?abstractid=4800155
Gilchrist, D., & Perks, B. (2023). See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil: The grey literature and Australia's failure to address change in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 58(3), 476-493.DOI: 10.1002/ajs4.270
Mellifont, D., Hancock, N., Scanlan, J. N., & Hamilton, D. (2023). Barriers to applying to the NDIS for Australians with psychosocial disability: A scoping review. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 58(2), 262-278.DOI: 10.1002/ajs4.245
Tzeng, H. M., Raji, M. A., Shan, Y., Cram, P., & Kuo, Y. F. (2024). Annual wellness visits and early dementia diagnosis among Medicare beneficiaries. JAMA network open, 7(10), e2437247-e2437247. https://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.37247&utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jamanetworkopen.2024.37247 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-023-02838-2
Veli?Gold, S., Gilroy, J., Wright, W., Bulkeley, K., Jensen, H., Dew, A., & Lincoln, M. (2023). The experiences of people with disability and their families/carers navigating the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia: Scoping review. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 631-647.DOI: 10.1111/ajr.13011
Whyle, E. B., & Olivier, J. (2023). A socio-political history of South Africa’s National Health Insurance. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1), 247.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02058-3
youtu.be, 2017. The myth of 'us' and 'them' - why we all need the welfare state | Peter Whiteford | TEDxCanberra. Retrieved on: 07-01-2025, from: https://youtu.be/IZU0zfA4E9I?si=qvbndxGSS-AwbqK8
Zoega, H., Falster, M. O., Gillies, M. B., Litchfield, M., Camacho, X., Bruno, C., ... & Pearson, S. A. (2024). The medicines intelligence data platform: a population?based data resource from New South Wales, Australia. Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety, 33(8), e5887. https://doi.org/10.1002/pds.5887
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