HSCI 130: Racism, Discrimination & Ethnic Differences in Health Pt 1

These flashcards cover essential concepts from the HSCI 130 lecture on racism, discrimination, and ethnic differences in health, helping students review key topics.

What is the definition of racialization?

Racialization refers to the processes by which people are systematically categorized and sorted into inferior social statuses according to perceived racial differences.

What is the relationship between racism and public health according to Nancy Krieger?

Studying how injustice harms health helps understand how it shapes population health and advocates for human rights, health equity, and ecological sustainability.

How is ethnicity defined in the context of health?

Ethnicity includes culture, ethnic ancestry, identity, language, religion, and race, forming a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon.

What are some key findings regarding ethnic differences in health?

Differences in health outcomes among ethnic groups are influenced by socioeconomic inequalities, cultural beliefs about health, and access to healthcare.

What has been observed about Indigenous health outcomes in Canada?

Indigenous people experience poorer health outcomes due to social exclusion and racism, with life expectancy 5 to 14 years shorter than non-Aboriginal Canadians.

What is the impact of intergenerational trauma on Indigenous health?

Rates of violence, abuse, and mental health issues are higher in Indigenous communities due to the effects of intergenerational trauma from the residential school system.

What is cultural competence in healthcare?

Cultural competence refers to behaviors, attitudes, and policies that enable professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

What does 'cultural safety' analyze in the context of health?

Cultural safety examines power imbalances, institutional discrimination, colonization, and colonial relationships as they relate to health care and health education.

What is the 'healthy immigrant effect' in public health?

The phenomenon where immigrants often show better health outcomes than native-born populations upon arrival, but these advantages tend to diminish with longer residence in the host country.

How do individual racism and institutional racism differ?

Individual racism involves personal prejudices and discriminatory actions, while institutional racism refers to systemic policies and practices within organizations that create unequal outcomes for racialized groups, regardless of individual intent.

Besides social exclusion and racism, what other factors contribute to health disparities among Indigenous peoples in Canada?

Key factors include the ongoing impacts of colonization, intergenerational trauma from the residential school system, loss of traditional lands and cultural practices, and barriers to culturally safe healthcare access.

What is structural racism?

Structural racism is a form of racism where entire systems, policies, and practices in society uphold racial group inequality.

What is 'everyday discrimination' in health research?

Everyday discrimination refers to routine experiences of unfair treatment due to one's race or ethnicity, such as being treated with less respect, receiving poorer service, or being subjected to offensive remarks.

How is discrimination commonly measured in health research?

Discrimination is often measured through self-reported experiences using standardized scales (e.g., Everyday Discrimination Scale), or by analyzing health data across racial/ethnic groups in relation to policy changes.

What is Nancy Krieger's concept of 'embodiment' in public health?

Embodiment refers to the process by which social and ecological exposures, including experiences of racism, 'get under the skin' and influence health through biological pathways.

What is the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in ethnic health disparities?

SES acts as a primary mediator, showing that lower income, education, and occupational status disproportionately affect racialized groups, leading to worse health outcomes.

How do cultural beliefs impact health behavior?

Different cultural understandings of illness, healing, and medical care can influence health-seeking behaviors, adherence to treatments, and preferences for traditional versus Western medicine.

What specific health issues are linked to the residential school system?

High rates of chronic diseases, substance abuse, mental health disorders, and infectious diseases are often linked to the trauma and systemic neglect experienced by residential school survivors and their descendants.

What is the distinction between cultural competence and cultural safety in practice?

Cultural competence focuses on practitioner skills and knowledge about different cultures, while cultural safety critically examines power relations, systemic discrimination, and the patient's experience of safe care within the healthcare system.

What factors contribute to the decline of the 'healthy immigrant effect'?

Factors include longer residence in the host country, acculturation stress, changes in lifestyle and diet, exposure to the host country's social determinants of health, and barriers to healthcare access.

What is the impact of colonization on Indigenous health?

The historical and ongoing dispossession of land, cultural suppression, and imposition of foreign governance systems continue to undermine Indigenous health, leading to poverty, loss of traditional healing practices, and reduced self-determination.

What is racism?

Racism is a system of oppression that involves prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior, often leading to systemic disadvantages for racialized groups.

What is health equity?

Health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, which requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences.

What are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)?

SDOH are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, including socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, social support networks, and access to health care.

What is acculturation stress?

Acculturation stress refers to the psychological and social difficulties that can arise from the process of adapting to a new culture, often experienced by immigrants and leading to diminished health and well-being.

How did the residential school system specifically impact Indigenous cultural practices?

The residential school system systematically suppressed Indigenous languages, spiritual practices, family connections, and traditional knowledge, leading to a profound loss of cultural identity and continuity across generations.

What are the key differences between individual, institutional, and structural racism in terms of their impact on health?

Individual racism involves personal prejudices; institutional racism refers to systemic policies within organizations; structural racism encompasses entire societal systems upholding racial inequality, with each having progressively broader and more entrenched impacts on health outcomes.

How does the concept of 'critical race theory' inform our understanding of health disparities?

'Critical race theory' highlights how race and racism are social constructs embedded in legal systems and societal structures, influencing power dynamics and perpetuating health inequalities by examining systemic rather than individual factors.

Beyond access, how do experiences of discrimination within healthcare settings specifically impact health outcomes?

Discrimination within healthcare settings can lead to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, mistrust in providers, reduced adherence to medical advice, and increased stress, all of which adversely affect health outcomes.

What is the significance of language barriers as a social determinant of health for ethnic minority and immigrant populations?

Language barriers impede effective communication with healthcare providers, leading to misunderstandings, reduced access to information, lower quality of care, and poorer health outcomes for individuals who are not proficient in the dominant language.

How do policy interventions aim to mitigate the effects of intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities?

Policy interventions aim to mitigate intergenerational trauma by supporting Indigenous-led healing initiatives, promoting cultural revitalization, providing trauma-informed care, and addressing underlying social determinants of health through self-determination.

What is the role of cultural humility in promoting culturally safe healthcare practices?

Cultural humility involves a lifelong commitment to self-reflection and self-critique, recognizing power imbalances, and developing respectful partnerships with patients, which is essential for fostering culturally safe and equitable healthcare environments.

How can the 'healthy immigrant effect' data be used to inform public health strategies for new immigrants?

The 'healthy immigrant effect' data can inform public health strategies by highlighting the need for early interventions to maintain immigrant health advantages, addressing acculturation stressors, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare and social support services.

What is the difference between race as a social construct and race as a biological concept in public health understanding?

In public health, race is viewed as a social construct, emphasizing its role in societal stratification and discrimination, rather than as a biological concept based on inherent genetic differences, as biological race has been largely debunked by scientific evidence.

How do historical injustices, beyond residential schools, continue to manifest as health inequities for Indigenous peoples?

Historical injustices, such as land dispossession, forced relocation, and resource exploitation, continue to manifest as health inequities through ongoing poverty, environmental racism, food insecurity, and loss of traditional healing practices.

What are some of the challenges in collecting race and ethnicity data in health research, and why is this data important?

Challenges include inconsistent definitions, self-identification complexities, and privacy concerns. However, this data is crucial for identifying health disparities, addressing inequities, and developing targeted interventions for racialized and ethnic groups.