On the path to decolonizing health care services: The role of marketing

• Published in: Journal of Marketing
• Main Authors: George, Reece, D'Alessandro, Steven, Mehmet, Mehmet I., Nikidehaghani, Mona, Evans, Michelle M., Laud, Guarangi, Tedmanson, Deirdre
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia 2023
• Subjects: decolonization; First Nations; holism; actor-network theory; Indigenous; health marketing; Business; Marketing; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Sociology; Canada
• Online Access: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks2022-2026/3307; https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429231209925; https://ro.ecu.edu.au/context/ecuworks2022-2026/article/4308/viewcontent/On_20the_20path_20to_20decolonizing_20health_20care_20services.pdf

Despite considerable investment, health outcomes for First Nations people are well below those of the rest of the population in several countries, including Canada, the United States, and Australia. In this article, the authors draw on actor-network theory and the case of Birthing on Country, a successful policy initiative led by First Nations Australians, to explore the decolonization of health services. Using publicly available archival data and the theoretical guidance of actor-network theory, the analysis offers insight into how marketing techniques and technologies can be deployed to achieve improved health outcomes and implement decolonized approaches. The insights provided have theoretical implications for marketing scholarship, social implications for understanding and implementing an agenda of decolonization, and practical implications for health care marketing.