Health 20 MC
Introduction to Health Sciences
Lecture 7: Health Disparities III
Instructor: Jen-Hao Chen, Ph.D
Race and Health
We all know that African Americans have worse health than whites. Why?
Race and Health: The Role of SES
Sociologists have a long history in looking for explanations of the racial inequality in health.
We have discussed the importance of socioeconomic status in affecting health.
SES as a fundamental cause
Affect multiple proximate causes that have direct links to health outcomes
Race and Health: The Role of SES
One group of sociologists argued that socioeconomic status is responsible for the racial gaps in health
According to this perspective, why African Americans have poorer health than whites is because they have lower socioeconomic status
African Americans are poorer, are more likely to live in “disordered” neighborhoods, have lower level of education……all contribute to the poor health of African Americans
Race and Health: The Role of SES
William Julius Wilson: A distinguished sociologist at Harvard University
In his controversial book ”The Declining Significance of Race: Blacks and Changing American Institutions (1978)” He argues that the significance of race is waning, and that for African Americans, class (or socioeconomic status) is comparatively more important in determining their life chances.
He points to the high rate of poverty of African Americans
Race and Health: The Role of SES
It should be noted that Wilson did not say that “discrimination”, “racism” doesn’t matter.
He argues that “discrimination” “racism” do matter. They are important determinants of high poverty rate and low SES of African Americans, which in turn affect their life outcomes.
Race and Health: The Role of SES
However, other scholars argue that even if blacks and whites have equal socioeconomic status, blacks will not achieve the same good health conditions as whites.
Why?
Here is get another distinguished scholar at Harvard University: David Williams
Race and Health: The Role of SES
David Williams: Because blacks and whites differ in their ability to transform socioeconomic resources into good health. Institutional racism devalues blacks’ socioeconomic resources
https://www.ted.com/talks/david_r_williams_how_racism_makes_us_sick/up-next
Discussion
Which perspective is more convincing? Why?
Race and Health: The Role of SES
WJ Wilson: SES is responsible for the relationship between race and health
David Williams: SES is NOT responsible for the relationship between race and health. Institutional racism is.
Race and Health: The Role of SES
How can we verify which perspective between explain the cause of racial disparities in health outcome?
If Wilson is correct, then they should be no difference in health between Black and White, given the same SES
Race
SES
Health
Race and Health: The Role of SES
How can we verify which perspective between explain the cause of racial disparities in health outcome?
If Williams is correct, we can still find differences in health between Black and White, given the same SES. Because there is another pathway that channels through institutional racism
Race
SES
Health
Racism
Race and Health
So now, evidence appears to support the idea that race itself affect individuals’ health independent of socioeconomic status
So we know race leads to differential health outcomes
Gender Differences in Health
Women live longer than men in every developed country in the world
However, women spend more years in poor health than men.
Women are more likely to suffer from nonfatal, chronic conditions such as arthritis and disability that do not necessarily result in their death but do depress their quality of life.
Women live longer than men in every developed country in the world
It is also important to note that men and women are susceptible to the same diseases, even though women outlive men; for example, the top two leading causes of death for both men and women are heart disease and cancer.
Biologically, women are more robust than men. For example, estrogen helps to reduce women's risk of heart disease by lowering the circulation of harmful cholesterol, whereas testosterone puts men more at risk of life-threatening conditions by causing immunosuppression (Owens 2002). However, because biological explanations fail to explain why the gender gap in health differs over time and by social group, they are rarely discussed prominently in sociological studies of gender disparities in health.
focus on social and contextual factors that shape men's and women's behaviors, social positions, and well-being
focus on social and contextual factors that shape men's and women's behaviors, social positions, and well-being
Why Men Have More Risky Behaviors?
Gendered Society
Gendered Society
Some attitudes/behaviors/life styles appear to be gender neutral
For example: easy-going, being a morning person…etc.
Many, however, are not gender neutral. These include many health-related behaviors.
Note: Keep in mind our definition of health behavior: an action taken by a person that can affect physical health
Gendered Behaviors
Classroom Activity
Write down one health behavior that men (or boys) are encouraged/expected/more likely to do
Write down one health behavior that women (or girls) are encouraged/expected/more likely to do
Gendered Behaviors
Classroom Activity
Write down one health behavior that men (or boys) are encouraged/expected/more likely to do
Write down one health behavior that women (or girls) are encouraged/expected/more likely to do
Men:
Women:
Why Men and Women Are Socialized Differently?
Why Men and Women Are Socialized Differently?
Each society has different “scripts” for men and women
“Scripts” are implicit cultural norms that guide behaviors of men and women
Why Men and Women Are Socialized Differently?
Gender Script Theory
Children learn about gender by acquiring scripts through everyday social interactions
Behaviors have a gender stereotype component
Masculine
Feminine
Deviance of Gender Norm
We are in a gendered society
Gender scripts guide men and women what to do in every situation
What if some people deviate from the gender scripts?
For example, if a man’s behaviors deviates from the stereotype of being masculine. Is there any health consequence?
Deviance of Gender Norm
Healthier or not? Why or why not?
Deviance of Gender Norm
Keep in mind that: both society and individual behaviors contribute to a person’s health and well-being
Individuals: have healthier behaviors
Society: Punish deviant people
Deviance of Gender Norm
Some people choose to deviate from gender norm
However, most people follow the gender norm in our society
In some cases, if people know that they deviate from the gender norm, this may make the situation even worse (especially in men)
Deviance of Gender Norm
Experiment by UC Berkeley Social Psychologist
Distribute questionnaire of two groups of randomly assigned men
Ask them to fill out a questionnaire to test their level of masculinity (the questionnaire is fake, has nothing to do about their masculinity)
They are told (based on their test) whether they are masculine or not
Deviance of Gender Norm
Observe the behaviors and their lives several months after the questionnaire experiment
Guess what happen to these two group of men
Group 1: They are told that they are masculine
Group 2: They are told that they are feminine
Deviance of Gender Norm
Group 1: They are told that they are masculine ~ Nothing change in their behaviors and lifestyles
Group 2: They are told that they are feminine ~ they try to engage in a lot more “masculine” behaviors
Deviance of Gender Norm
This phenomenon is called masculine overcompensation
Overcompensation makes men go into the extreme because they want to change their behaviors/lifestyles so that they are not considered as “feminine” people anymore
Deviance of Gender Norm
However, overcompensation is not observed among women
Women do not do more feminine behaviors if people told me they are NOT feminine enough