Barriers to change: RCAP and Aboriginal healthcare in Manitoba the perceived impact of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples on Aboriginal health, health services and health policy in Manitoba.

摘要

This thesis provides a portrait of the perceived impact of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People (RCAP) on health policy and systems in Manitoba, through qualitative research and a series of interviews with experienced people in the field of Aboriginal health in Manitoba. The integrating argument for the thesis is that numerous factors can potentially affect the fate of royal commission reports and in the case of RCAP's recommendations on health care for Aboriginal people there were many obstacles to adoption. The thesis identifies constraints within the field of public policy, health policy and Aboriginal policy/politics. The interviews confirm the existence of these multiple constraints. Throughout the thesis, four key cross-cutting issues are also examined: sovereignty, resources, structure and culture. The research reveals that most of the barriers to change in the field of Aboriginal health lie within the realm of public policy and that the federal government must drastically change its approach to dealing with Aboriginal people and issues in order for significant positive change to occur.