Research Methodology

Abstract

Racial/ethnic disparities; Social health DefinitionRacial inequalities in economic and social wellbeing refer to disproportionate differences between as well as within racial/ethnic groups across areas of economic and social life (e.g., education, housing, and crime) that can fundamentally shape the life chances and opportunities for optimal health and functioning of individual persons and populations (Bambra et al. 2009; Blank 2001). DescriptionWidely cited indicators of economic and social well-being include educational attainment, employment, marital status, income, wealth, housing, and crime. Wider economic and social indicators include broader conditions of living (e.g., physical infrastructure, sanitation), school (e.g., underperforming or dilapidated schools), and work environments (e.g., organizational and task structure), as well as access to resources (e.g., geographic access, paid sick time, and health insurance), services (e.g., language interpreters, transportation, and quality healthcare), and capital acquired through social, work, and community networks (Bambra et al. 2009; Blank 2001).In the USA and other Western countries where the institutionalization of racism creates a socially stratified society, whites represent the dominant and privileged racial group whereas racial/ethnic minorities occupy subordinate positions in the social hierarchy; thus, inequalities in many indicators of economic and social well-being continue to be racially structured. Indeed, discriminatory policies as well as discrimination in the labor and housing markets contribute to concentration of certain racial/ethnic minority groups across geographic areas with high levels of poverty, underperforming schools, higher crime rates, and other social ills (Blank 2001; Brewer and Heitzeg 2008).