SOAN 279 - Conceptions of Race and Health: Black & White=Gray

FDR: SS4
Credits: 3

This seminar tackles the question of what is “race” and how does it affect health? In the United States, “race” is a concept frequently taken for granted. But what does “race” signify? Does race denote something inherently biological, cultural, or structural about one’s ancestry, background, or lifestyle? Is race truly a stable “ascribed” characteristic that has predictive implications for peoples’ everyday well-being? By specifically concentrating on the case study of health disparities for African-Americans in the United States, we explore the concept of “race”, and how societal conceptions of race affect health policy, people’s health outcomes, their access to healthcare, and their relationship to the medical establishment. Chin.