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Healthcare staff's racialized talk

The perpetuation of racism in healthcare

Bibliographic Data

ID4869293
AuthorsSarah Hamed (0000-0001-8547-8772, Stockholm University, corresponding author), Hannah Bradby (0000-0002-0664-1170, Uppsala University), Suruchi Thapar-Björkert (0000-0003-1542-8416, Uppsala University), Beth-Maina Ahlberg (0009-0008-1304-7875, Skaraborg Hospital)
Year2024
Volume355
Pages117085
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Science & Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117085
PMID39032198
OpenAlexW4400314440
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited43

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

Health care · Political science · Public relations · Race (biology · Racialization · Racism · Sociology · Status quo · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Gender Studies · Law · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works4
Citations per year4
Citation span2025 - 2026 (2)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 4
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