Landscapes of Self-Determination: Power, Culture and Equity

1. Landscapes of Self-Determination: Power, Culture and Equity Part One: Widening the Cultural Lens Dr Lewis Williams, Director Prairie Region Health Promotion Research Centre August 16, 2005 Mental Health Promotion: Identity, Power & Culture Summer School 2005

2. Source • This presentation is based on Lewis Williams’ PhD research, referenced on the last slide.

3. Defining Culture Culture can be thought of: • “as shared systems of meaning, symbols, norms & worldviews held by particular groups” • It can be applied to ethnicity, gender, sexuality etc. • Culture is conveyed through institutions, public policy, media, dress, thoughts, words and actions. • Culture is multi-faceted, dynamic, contested and changing.

4. Defining Power Power can be thought of as operating at the individual, group and institutional levels: • “Power within” – the exercise of personal power • “Power with” – the collective exercise of power by a group • “Power over”- the ability to enforce particular behaviors or influence thinking, often through legislation, use of media to shape public attitudes and policy debate

5. Power-Culture Refers to the dynamics between different forms of power and culture that are activated from context to context. Different forms of power (such as personal, group and institutional) are brought into dynamic interaction with different cultural systems (such ethnicity, gender, class), resulting in varying forms of self-determination relations. Power-culture dynamics and associated opportunities self-determination, will vary from situation to situation (Williams, 2001).

6. Mental Health Promotion as Self-Determination Mental Health Promotion is primarily : “a process of enabling individuals and communities to express consciously constructed (cultural) identities and aspirations through access to capacities such as land, language, housing, economic resources and decision making institutions in ways that are mutually empowering” (Williams, 2004) Williams, L. (2001). Identity, culture and power: Towards Frameworks For Self-determination of communities at the margins. Unpublished PhD Thesis: Auckland.

7. Perceptions and Beliefs “Teen Beaten on Her Way to Holiday Fireworks” A heavy-set aboriginal female who approached the grouped for a cigarette… started ‘whalingon my daughter’ when they refused. StarPhoenix July 4, 2005, A3 “Sask. Native Population to Explode” StarPhoenix June 29, 2005, A3 “Girls’ Terror as Patient Escapes” A mother rushed six girls to safety when a patient at a neighbouring mental health unit smashed into her garden. BBC News on-line, July, 12, 2005 “MLAs Get into Argument Over Stronach Comments” Conservative MLA Tony Abbott apologized Wednesday for saying Belinda Stronach prostituted herself for a cabinet position, but his comments still caused a confrontation with a Liberal MLA. "There's a right way to say things and there's a wrong way to say things, and I chose the wrong way," said Abbott, who said Stronach whored herself out for power after she left the federal Conservatives for the Liberals Tuesday. "As soon as I got home and talked to my wife about it, she thought it wasn't good and it was the wrong thing to say. And I certainly realize that and I apologize." - CBC News On-line, May 19, 2005

8. Not only does he “sometimez” hate himself, he despises gays. “I want to be normall…have a wife…lotz of children…but wat can I say…I love men” (shorthand common among young computer users) Globe and Mail 2005 Perceptions and Beliefs “Not Disabled Enough for Paid Wheelchair” A Laval man wants the Quebec government to pay for a wheelchair. But it says his disability is not severe enough to qualify. David Murray lost a leg and nine toes to diabetes. But Quebec's medicare benefits board says it takes ten lost toes to qualify for a wheelchair. "What do they want for crippled? The two legs cut off? The two arms?" …“You get aggravated you know? Because when you work all your life and you help a lot of people and now you need help and you can't get it." …But the health minister says rules are rules, and money is limited. - CBC News on-line March 24th , 2000 “Half of Canadians Say Homosexuality ‘Abnormal’: Poll” StarPhoenix June 2, 2005, A11

9. "Power-culture" Being in the Centre Male White Abled bodied Wealthy Heterosexual

10. Key Elements that Comprise the Internal and External Agency Landscapes Source: Williams, L. (2001). Identity, culture and power: Towards frameworks for self-determination of communities at the margins. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Massey University: Auckland

11. Fire Dancers (Auckland) Orakei Marae Papua new Guinea Karekare (Auckland) Samoa Papua new Guinea Auckland City Solomon Islands A Pacifika Experience

13. Landscapes of Self-Determination: The Story of Shifting Power-Culture Dynamics

14. Why are Power-Culture Dynamics Important for MHP Work? • Influence access to mental health capacities • Influence our internal worlds – how we think and feel about ourselves • Structure the agency landscape

15. References. • Williams, L. (2001). Identity, culture and power: Towards frameworks for self-determination of communities at the margins. Unpublished PhD Thesis: Massey University: Auckland. • Williams, L. Labonte, R. and O’Brien, M. Empowering social action through narratives of identity and culture. Health Promotion International, Vol 18 (1), 33-40. • Williams, L. & Labonte. (2003). Changing health determinants through community action: power, participation and policy. Promotion and Education, Vol X (2) 65-71.