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Healthcare staff's racialized talk: The perpetuation of racism in healthcare

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  • Hamed, Sarah
  • Bradby, Hannah
  • Thapar-Björkert, Suruchi
  • Ahlberg, Beth Maina

Abstract

Research points to the existence of racial bias and beliefs among healthcare staff but does not explicate accounts of racialization in healthcare and the day-to-day utterances that have racializing effects excluding minoritized users' right to care. This study understands racism as structural and embedded in societies and institutions, including healthcare, as well as in interactions and talk. Through excavating accounts of healthcare staff's talk that devalues minoritized users, this study posits talk as reflective and constitutive of the dominant structure of racism within which it is situated. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 58 staff in Sweden, the study delineates three categories through which racialized talk differentiates between minoritized and majoritized users. These are: Characterizing minoritized users as ‘bad’ users, Characterizing minoritized users' health complaints as unworthy and finally, Devaluing minoritized users as justification for suboptimal and differential care. Healthcare staff accounts show that continuous racialization of minoritized users maintains existing power-relations representing Western users as civilized and non-Western users as uncivilized and problematic. Through reiteration, these practices of exclusion become invisible, normalized, and assume the status quo. It is imperative to address racialization as it has implications for the core ethics of healthcare.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamed, Sarah & Bradby, Hannah & Thapar-Björkert, Suruchi & Ahlberg, Beth Maina, 2024. "Healthcare staff's racialized talk: The perpetuation of racism in healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 355(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:355:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624005380
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117085
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dominic Teodorescu & Irene Molina, 2021. "Roma street-workers in Uppsala: racialised poverty and super precarious housing conditions in Romania and Sweden," International Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 401-422, July.
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    3. Maina, Ivy W. & Belton, Tanisha D. & Ginzberg, Sara & Singh, Ajit & Johnson, Tiffani J., 2018. "A decade of studying implicit racial/ethnic bias in healthcare providers using the implicit association test," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 219-229.
    4. Yin Paradies & Jehonathan Ben & Nida Denson & Amanuel Elias & Naomi Priest & Alex Pieterse & Arpana Gupta & Margaret Kelaher & Gilbert Gee, 2015. "Racism as a Determinant of Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-48, September.
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