Introduction
Racism is a belief in certain human beings who possess or have different behavioral characteristics that correspond to inherited attributes. Racial inequalities have also manifested in most American societies through the racial differences in the health sector, bankruptcy, police brutality, housing privileges, unemployment rates, and incarceration rates (Barkan, 2017). Therefore, this research paper will look at racial and ethnic inequality and healthcare as a social problem.
Summary of the Article
In the news article titled “A history of race and racism in America,” racial inequality is regarded as a form of American tradition as black people earn close to less than 23% compared to their fellow American counterparts. The black people in America also have a higher probability of getting incarcerated on a specific day. During early 1991, several black people were under the correction system’s jurisdiction compared to colleges, universities, and other learning institutions (Kendi, 2017). However, over recent years, there has been an increase in social progress and economic barometers. Nevertheless, the country still has a lot of work to do and implement policies to give black people equal rights. The black people also firmly believe that someday they will have equal rights just like their American counterparts (Kendi, 2017). In addition, most Americans tend to think that being white is a privilege in society. At the same time, close to half of the population in America says that being black or Hispanic influences one’s ability to get ahead.
Analysis of the Article Concerning Health Care as a Social Problem
Race is among the four social concepts that refer to inherited features and characteristics such as skin color, facial features, and structure. In the US, it is pretty more straightforward for one to notice that people differ physically as some people tend to have dark skin. In contrast, others have white skin and this in some cases leads to discrimination or racial inequality (Valdez & Golash-Boza, 2017). Ethnicity is another form of social concept; it is regarded as one of the most complex forms of a social construct as it plays a vital role in impacting personal identity and how people relate socially.
Prejudice and stereotypes are another form of a social concept or construct as it entails a negative attitude, what someone feels, or what one believes. An illustration of this is how some individuals, especially in the healthcare environment, think that black Americans are inferior and do not deserve premium healthcare services. Most black Americans have poor health care outcomes compared to whites, Asians, and even Hispanics. For example, black women are close to 3% times more likely to die due to maternal issues than white women. In addition, the infant mortality rate among black women per 1000 births is a higher number than that of the US, which is 5.8 (Barkan, 2017). However, the vent may vary from one state to another. Nonetheless, social stratification is also a social construct that plays a crucial role in ranking people and classifying them in society. It also brings several universal inequalities as it advocates for unequal distribution of resources, promoting discrimination and racial and ethnic disparities.
Conclusion
In addition, black women also have a higher probability of being overweight than white Americans. Nonetheless, in most American hospitals, black people do not receive premium and optimum care compared to white people (Friesen & Blease, 2018). Kendi (2017) argues that the whites have a high probability of getting services. Thus, the African American individuals are not likely to gain access to potentially life-saving cardiac procedures, mainly because of their skin color.
In conclusion, racial and ethnic inequalities over the past years were an American dilemma as there were no appropriate policies and regulations for curbing this challenge. However, after the 1960 demonstrations and riots, the discrimination against black Americans became a topic of discussion. Moreover, it is clear that racial and ethnic inequalities are depicted through police brutality, income, education, and health statistics. Although in the recent years there has been an increase in diversity and social progress.
References
Barkan, S. E. (2017). Social problems: Continuity and change. University of Minnesota Press.
Friesen, P., & Blease, C. (2018). Placebo effects and racial and ethnic health disparities: An unjust and underexplored connection.Journal of Medical Ethics, 44(11), 774-781. Web.
Kendi, I. X. (2017). A history of race and racism in America, in 24 chapters.New York Times. Web.
Valdez, Z., & Golash-Boza, T. (2017). US racial and ethnic relations in the twenty-first century.Ethnic and Racial Studies, 40(13), 2181-2209. Web.