Effects of Racism on Economic Disenfranchisement in Vulnerable Communities

Introduction

In the film Unnatural Causes: “In Sickness and Wealth”(2018), an explanation of prejudice is penned from the angle of extrinsic and intrinsic religion. Though Dr. Williams explained that extrinsic religion eschews persons who are more prejudiced than those who embrace intrinsic religion; the film is dissimilar to the other forms of media I have observed because of its objective and evidence-based comparative analysis of the broad and specific factors that cushion health disparities. In many ways, the enumeration of health in terms of relationships between dominant and non-dominant groups placed in perspective that higher income countries have instituted a colonialist system of dependency. Thus, economic disenfranchisement is used as an apparatus to destabilize and render the financial abilities of least developed countries obsolete. Through weaponizing economic instability and financial non-inclusion, the stronghold of personal behaviors vis-a-vis healthcare is drowned in oblivion because least developed countries are financing the colossal wealth of high income countries representing another form of modern slavery. Indeed, health is more than healthcare, individual behaviors or genes because economic wealth of least developed countries is funneled to high income countries. This report is a critique of the film through the lens of vulnerable communities who struggle to achieve favorable health outcomes in Dr. David William’s lecture.

Unnatural Causes: “In Sickness and Wealth” Analysis & Critique

Dr. David Williams provided clarity on indicators and disaggregated data reporting on the effects of racism on health outcomes in poor minority communities compared to affluent white communities. The dichotomous aspects between the UN resolution and the film starkly contrast how equity can be achieved. For example, the UN Goal 10 specified that equal opportunity can be attained when discriminatory laws and practices are eliminated. However, the current legislative laws and policies do not showcase transparency in existing data reporting mechanisms to alleviate inequities in the United States. Additionally, the opinions of disadvantaged groups do not translate in appropriate legislation to inform accountability in international economic and financial institutions.

Besides holding financial institutions accountable in the equity conversation, the resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations (2015) purports to provide a robust agenda to solve development challenges in developing countries. However, the aforementioned document fails to address the linkages amongst various social determinants contributing to poor financing of development programs. If nothing else, the agenda is a facsimile of a laundry list with no clear and measurable objectives to support the three dimensions of sustainable development which are economic, social, and environmental characteristics. 

Yet, Dr. Williams fervently encourages faith-based institutions to be social agents of change. Even if it is worth noting that these faith-based institutions are funded by governments that unconsciously oppress or suppress the rights of its residents through narrowing policies. Following this statement, church organizations may have trouble reconciling their loyalty to non-profits or local governments wherein they seek grants to fund critical social programs. Therefore, the silver lining for church organizations to stand in their conviction to do what is necessary for the betterment of at-risk communities is compromised because of lack of financial resources.

In tandem with the United Nations resolution (2015), Dr. Williams pinpoints various studies showing components of inequalities that reinforce stereotypes. These findings support the claim that without higher level interventions, removing prejudices is a stagnant endeavor with no concrete destination. Furthermore, the UN resolution does not necessarily include the voices of the most vulnerable because bold claims are made on being the panacea to the challenges plaguing the most vulnerable in our society. The moral lesson then becomes that behind every scheme, lays the hands of those who want to reap political benefits. Besides, the resolution does not outline the metrics used to measure social progress in global communities. It pleads the question on how collaborating countries provide evidence on achieving the sustainable development goals. 

In providing the breakdown of how racism is a debilitating pandemic across the board, the film challenged my views on how the effects of racism enforced by major economic institutions does not pertain to one specific group, but rather has ripple effects on social systems as a whole. Essentially, racism and prejudice are closely intertwined in dismantling the social order of communities. This statement is collocated against the pledge of the UN resolution of accelerating the pace of progress for communities to fully exercise their rights and capabilities. This objective cannot be completed if the bedrock of communities continues to be undergirded by decrepit economic systems. 

Dr. Williams’s Research Findings

Besides the current system sustaining decrepit economic systems, it is equally important to note that Dr. Williams found that institutional processes have been associated with supporting racial discrimination towards specific groups regardless of education level. One of the statistics shared was that Blacks with a college degree have a lower life expectancy than Whites with only a high school degree. As mentioned elsewhere in this report, individuals are inevitably byproducts of their social environments. Dr. William’s statement stood out as surprising in the film because the numbers reported defied logic since good health is attributed to higher education levels. In this case, it is assumed that the higher your level of education, the more access one has to health prevention resources. Another surprising fact was that stereotype-linked bias is an automatic process that occurs amongst non-prejudiced persons, a resurfacing issue helping us understand the metrics on discrimination used to determine poor health outcomes.

Conclusion

For all intents and purposes, racism is an organized system premised on the classification of social groups into races that disempowers them through differential treatment. Thus, economic policy has turned itself into the new health policy to implement an equitable social justice agenda. Even if I agree with Dr. Williams's belief that church organizations should raise awareness of social inequalities, there needs to be a clear understanding of the layers of the historical tenets that brought faith-based organizations to surrender autonomy in the pursuit of financial stability in their communities. Supplementary research is necessary to measure the underlying sub- symptoms of limited access to employment, adequate housing, and economic resources that contribute to a plethora of public health related conditions leading to permanent social trauma in at-risk communities.

References

1. The January Series of Calvin University. (2018, February 6). David Williams - Unnatural causes: Is inequality making us sick? [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTIPBQMpF9Y 

2. United Nations. (2015). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Available at https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2020.