Discussion Post: Institutional Racism and Racial Inequalities in Health Care and Education
Social institutions organize almost every aspect of our social life, from education to healthcare and from the government to the media; and provide structure to our daily lives and deliver critically important services for our physical and emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, because of racism engrained in our society, institutions are not immune to biases. Compared with individual racism, institutionalized racism refers to the policies or practices structured into social institutions, which lead to systematic inequalities across racial groups. To further explore this, review the required resources and address the following:
o Based on the resources you reviewed, describe two racial or ethnic group health disparities. Explain how social determinants of health can lead to these disparities. What are long term consequences of these disparities?
o Based on the resources you reviewed, describe two racial or ethnic group educational inequalities. What factors contribute to these inequalities? What are long term consequences of these inequalities for racial groups?
o Explain how racial and ethnic inequalities in health and education are examples of institutionalized (or structural) inequalities.
o What is the "model minority" image and standard that many Asian Americans are held to in American society? Based on the resources you reviewed, explain why this image is a myth and a stereotype (be sure to address the methodological issues highlighted in the articles). How does this stereotype harm Asian American students?
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.