Racial Disparities in Health Status and Access to Healthcare
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Racial Disparities in Health Status and Access to Healthcare
The article by Ruqaijah Yearby on structural racism in the United States explains that racism has existed for a long time. As explained, structural racism gives the dominant group advantages as they can access different resources and opportunities as compared to the nondominant group, which is disadvantaged (Ansell, 2016). Some of the resources and opportunities include employment, healthcare, and wealth (Macedo et al. 2019). The federal government has played a big part in promoting the structural racism as it has failed to impose the civil rights laws, which has, as a result, favored the Caucasians as compared to the African Americans as they can obtain more wealth, healthcare, and income.
The article uses quantitative data, for instance, when explaining the networth of different people, which varied mainly because of their race. The article explains that the net worth of Caucasians has increased by 45500 over a period of 30 years as compared to the net worth and wealth of African Americans, which has instead decreased by 1000 (Yearby, 2018). Some of the reasons that may have prompted the author to use quantitative data include the need for quantifying the effects of racial segregation by the use of numerical data. Also, the article deals with large samples, and hence the use of quantitative data would have been more appropriate.
I think Yearby’s statement that racial segregation has affected the quality of healthcare provided to the minority since they are unable to access high-quality health care is true since hospitals that are located in African American communities have reduced beds, and there are few health care providers. One of my reactions after reading the article was a surprise since, in a country that claims to uphold the rights of equality and has laws against discrimination, there is still discrimination. Everyone should be given equal opportunities that ensure the fair treatment of individuals.
References
Ansell, A. E. (2016). The new right, new racism: Race and reaction in the United States and Britain. Springer.
Macedo, D. M., Smithers, L. G., Roberts, R. M., Haag, D. G., Paradies, Y., & Jamieson, L. M. (2019). Does ethnic-racial identity modify the effects of racism on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal Australian children?. PloS one, 14(8).
Yearby, R. (2018). Racial disparities in health status and access to healthcare: the continuation of inequality in the United States due to structural racism. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 77(3-4), 1113-1152.