race, ethnicity and health

define

• race

• ethnicity

• culture

• society

• race

  • socially constructed classification of people based on skin colour, facial features

• ethnicity

  • group of people who share the same ancestry, heritage, language, historical background

• culture

  • shared way of life, customs, language

• society

  • a structured community of people living together under shared laws

does race have a link to diseases

no - there is so much genetic diversity in a RACE

• even with the same genetics, environment has an impact on phenotype

why is biologising a race problematic

• ur using race as a biological shortcut which can lead to misdiagnosis or undertreatment

• there is no biological basis for separate races (no precise categories)

  • its a social/historical/political construct

what is colourism

• what is intra racial racism

bias based on skin tone within the same group

• bias based on ethnicity/ancestry or cultural hierarchy in a race

what can ethnicising health lead to

• what are common assumptions

• can lead to cultural stereotyping

  • people think that everyone in an ethnic group share the same characteristics

what are minoritied ethnicities

• racial and ethnic groups that are placed into a minority position through politics, discrimination rather than just existing as a smaller ppn

types of racism: define

• direct racism

• indirect/institutional racism

• ethnocentrism

• cultural racism

• direct racism

  • treating people less favourably because of their race

• indirect/institutional racism

  • when institutions intentionally or unintentionally promote policies that favour certain and discriminate against others

• ethnocentrism

  • assumptions about the needs of people from minority groups on the basis of their stereotypes

• cultural racism

  • racism for cultural differences - xenophobia, islamophobia

give examples of models for each type

explain the reason of racial/ethic inequalities using the biophyschosocial explanation

• bio

  • could be genetically vulnerable

  • or reflect patterned exposures to stress or disadvantage

• psycho

  • experiences of racism, discrimination, marginalisation

  • can lead to poor well being, chronic stress affecting biological systems

• social

  • poverty, exclusion

  • laws

what is the materialist-environmentalism explanation for racial inequality

• what is a criticism of this explanation

• that unequal access to material conditions of life (income, housing, nutrition, education, access to HC due to racism lead to exposure to risk/deprivation which explains differences in health

• Criticism: underestimate the cultural and psychosocial impacts.
  May not explain why groups with similar socioeconomic status
  still show different health outcomes

cultural-behavioural model

• what does this model emphasise

• what does it aim to describe about health

• criticism

• social context of health behaviour

• differences in lifestyle and behaviour (food, social events, alcohol, exercise) affect health

• criticism: blames indv or cultures, reinforces stereotypes

life course explanation

• what does it aim to explain about health inequality

• what creates lifelong health vulnerability according to this explanation

• criticisms

• health inequality is dynamic and accumulative not just one off

• early life disadvantage (poor housing, low income, food insecurity)

• criticism: underplays structural racism which leads to this

structural/fundamental model

• what is the affect of structural racism

• criticism

• it can limit access to education, housing, jobs, healthcare and representation politically

• lacks clear link of macrostructures to health outcomes

name the 5 models we just went through..

B, M, B, LC, S/FR

• biopsychosocial

• materialist

• behavioural

• life-course

• structural/fundamental racism

remplis les blancs

define intersectionality

• explains how categories of race, class, gender all overlap to create individual experiences of discrimination