Communities and Justice

Culture, language and religion

A person's decision-making ability may be impacted by culture, ethnicity, religion or language skills. This does not mean the person cannot make their own decisions. It just means that these factors may influence the decision-making process or the final decision made.

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In some communities and in some families, a person may regularly allow or prefer the head of a household, a parent or an elder of the community to make all the important decisions. This means individuals with the right to make their own decisions may freely allow others to make important decisions on their behalf.

Sometimes the decision-making process is collective and involves the whole community in meetings and discussions about the decision, such as in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Some religious beliefs may impact on the decision made, or how it is made. For example, some Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists hold particular beliefs that might affect their decisions about various medical treatments.

When English is not a person's primary language they may have difficulty with English language skills. This might affect communication of information about the decision to the person or communication of the decision to others.

Last updated:

27 Nov 2024