Social determinants of health
SOC 131
Race, ethnicity, and health
- How and in what ways does the story of Nandi and her family help to illustrate the way that race/ethnicity (or, more precisely, structural racism) contributes to the health inequities we see in the world today?
Gender and health
- How does gender – and structural sexism – impact health?
- What examples from the text make this most clear to you?
Social class and health
- How do the various indicators of social class (education, occupation, income, and wealth) impact the health of individuals and groups?
- What is the impact of an intersectional lens that takes into account social class, race/ethnicity, and gender?
Neighborhoods and health
Finally, let’s discuss the way that one’s neighborhood can affect their health independent of their own personal characteristics. This is what sociologists often call “neighborhood effects.” For example, even if you’re not poor, your health is likely to be impacted if you live in a poor neighborhood.
- Why is that?
Life expectancy disparities
Life expectancy at birth for the DC metro area.
- How could this notion of “neighborhood effects” help explain the huge variation in life expectancy across the metro areas?
Social determinants of health
The most commonly studied social determinants of health among sociologists are:
For today’s class, I’d like for you to break into small groups to discuss how these aspects of our social world impact health outcomes.