Addressing the caste system in U.S. healthcare in the era of COVID-19

International Journal for Equity in Health

Sunil Eappen¹  Normella Walker²  Karthik Sivashanker³  Jennifer Goldsmith⁴  Cheri Couillard⁵ 

[1] Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA;Department of Diversity, Inclusion, and Experience, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA;Department of Quality and Safety, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA;Department of Diversity, Inclusion, and Experience, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA;Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA;Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA;Trauma Therapist, Brandon Residential Treatment Center, Natick, USA;

关键词: Health;    Equity;    Racism;    Caste;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12939-020-01298-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

In healthcare, we find an industry that typifies the unique blend of racism, classism, and other forms of structural discrimination that comprise the U.S. caste system—the artificially-constructed and legally-reinforced social hierarchy for assigning worth and determining opportunity for individuals based on race, class, and other factors. Despite myths of meritocracy, healthcare is actually a casteocracy; and conversations about racism in healthcare largely occupy an echo chamber among the privileged upper caste of hospital professionals. To address racism in healthcare, we must consider the history that brought us here and understand how we effectively perpetuate an employee caste system within our own walls.

【 授权许可】

CC BY