Aboriginal Children, History and Health : Beyond Social Determinants

This volume traces the complex reasons for the disturbing discrepancy between the health and well-being of children in mainstream Australia and those in remote indigenous communities. The high rate and root causes of ill-health amongst Aboriginal children are explored through a unique synthesis of historical, anthropological, biological and medical analyses. The book considers growth faltering as an emblem of the crisis of Aboriginal parenting, why it is a moral problem for the Australian nation, and why the conventional framework of social determinants of health is inadequate.

This volume traces the complex reasons behind the disturbing discrepancy between the health and well-being of children in mainstream Australia and those in remote Indigenous communities. Invaluably informed by Boulton’s close working knowledge of Aboriginal communities, the book addresses growth faltering as a crisis of Aboriginal parenting and a continued problem for the Australian nation. The high rate and root causes of ill-health amongst Aboriginal children are explored through a unique synthesis of historical, anthropological, biological and medical analyses. Through this fresh approach, which includes the insights of specialists from a range of disciplines, Aboriginal Children, History and Health provides a thoughtful and innovative framework for considering Indigenous health.