Race and Health Flashcards
Social institution
a system of behavioral and relationship patterns that order and structure the behavior of individuals in core areas of society
Racialized institution
an institution where experiences differ based on people’s racial categorization
How does an institution become racialized?
different pathways of entering, navigating, and experiencing the institution
Institutional racism
the practices, both formal and accepted, within and across institutions that reproduce racial inequalities
De jure racism
formal laws that promote racism
De facto racism
accepted social norms that promote racism
Structural racism
public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms that work to reinforce and perpetuate racial inequality, often so commonplace that they become status quo
Systemic racism
structural racism + legacy of unequal distribution and how they interact with interpersonal discrimination that exists today
What is different about systemic racism?
places an emphasis on the legacies of discrimination and how they interact with interpersonal discrimination that exists today
Health outcome
some measurement of health, life expectancy, or other indication of physical or mental wellbeing
Health disparity
difference in health outcomes exists between 2 subpopulations in a larger population
Health inequity
a health disparity that is rooted in some unfair, unequal, or otherwise stratifying social process or circumstance
Example of racial health disparity
mortality attributable to heart disease has declined much faster for white Americans than Black; emerged because of access to treatment (not biological difference)
Sociological explanations for health inequities
socioeconomic differences by race, culture, racial discrimination and racism
Are socioeconomic differences by race a reason for health inequities?
not a likely explanation for racial health disparities
Socioeconomic status
anything that establishes differences in access to resources, broadly defined, and anything that contextualizes your engagement with resources
Is “culture” an explanation for health inequities?
it possibly could be a reason
Hispanic Health Paradox
Hispanic immigrants tend to have better health than native born immigrants or people from their home country
Immigrant health selection
immigrants tend to be healthier, on average, than sending and receiving countries, and they tend to return to their host country as their health declines
Acculturation
the process in which immigrants adapt to the new cultural norms
Audits
is there different treatment if the only difference in social interaction is race
Bertrand and Mullainathan study
sent several resumes out to the same jobs w/ only difference being name to reflect different race
What were the results of the Bertrand and Mullainathan study?
white racially coded names were 50% more likely to receive a callback than their Black racially coded named counterparts
Pager study
another job application audit study, racialized name and criminal records
What were the results of the Pager study?
white applicants with a criminal record were more likely to get a callback than Black applicants without a criminal record
Gaddis study
another job application study, changed racialized names and educational institutions
What are the results of the Gaddis study?
white applicants from less selective schools are just as likely to receive a callback as Black applicants from selective schools
What do race surveys study?
measures experiences of discrimination directly and different types of discrimination
Major life discrimination
highly consequential instances of discrimination that have major disruptive or disadvantaging effects on social wellbeing, mental or physical health, finance or economic station, or social opportunity
Everyday discrimination
discriminations in everyday interactions, settings, and circumstances that are often commonplace and routine in daily life
Effects of high levels of discrimination on health
poorer health due to more stress/stressors
What does increased stress everyday lead to
allostasis (changing things like cardiovascular and metabolic function, accelerated aging)
Allostatic load
a composite score of several biomarkers that measure stress in the body; high allostatic load is associated with increased health risks
What is the relationship between discrimination and health outcomes?
discrimination (major life and everyday)–> stress response (persistent unhealthy stress)–> increased allostatic load –> health consequences
Life course
demographic framework for considering how health impacts individuals at different stages in life and physical development
Epigenetics
the chemical environment around genetic material that influences how genes are expressed (methylation of chromosomes, does not change DNA)
Critical period/biological imprinting
early life exposures biologically imprint or program health in ways that manifest in adulthood
Cumulative/chains of risk
exposures from risk factors during childhood lead to higher risk exposures in adulthood
Cumulative advantage and disadvantage
feedback loops of health disadvantage where poor health begets poor health
Weathering hypothesis
the stress inherent in living in a race-conscious society that stigmatizes and disadvantages Black individuals and causes disproportionate physiological deterioration along racial lines
Epigenetic change
changes to chemical environment around genetic sequence that influence expression or recession of genes
Reproductive justice framework
the right to not have a child, but also the right to have children and to raise them with dignity in safe, healthy, and supportive environments
Birth control
individuals trying to achieve their reproductive desires and states facilitating this right
Population control
state defined population goals that may or may not represent individuals interests, state enforcing these goals
4 dimensions of reproductive inequality
coercion in the birth control movement, unequal targeting of drug use during pregnancy, insufficient care during pregnancy/labor/delivery, unequal access to infertility treatment
Coercion in the birth control movement
formal policy, informal practices, or limitations applied to people so that they do not have full agency or control over their fertility choices
Unequal targeting of drug use during pregnancy
inequities of pregnancy drug testing out of fear of crack dependent babies
Insufficient care during pregnancy, labor, and delivery
increased pressure to have a C section, reports of biased treatment, large amount of Black maternal mortalities
Unequal access to infertility treatment
racial disparities in who experiences infertility
