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The Ethnic Patterning of Health: New Directions for Theory and Research
Author(s) -
Smaje Chris
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9566.ep10934605
Subject(s) - ethnic group , sociology , racism , multiculturalism , objectivism , epistemology , meaning (existential) , postmodernism , health equity , gender studies , social science , anthropology , health care , political science , pedagogy , philosophy , law
This paper argues that analysis of the ethnic patterning of health has failed adequately to examine the social meaning of ethnicity, while too often becoming enmeshed in unhelpful dualities which counterpose material to cultural explanations, multiculturalism to anti‐racism, and sociology to epidemiology. Against the background of anthropological, objectivist and postmodern theories in the broader sociology of ‘race’ and ethnicity, the paper develops a concept of ethnicity for the purposes of health research. This is used to evaluate biological, migration‐based, material, cultural and racism‐based explanations for the ethnic patterning of health. It is argued that these types of explanation are best understood within an interactive framework. The methodological implications of this for future research are discussed.