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Chapter 7: Health, Safety, and the State

  • Page ID
    330916
    • Aimee Samara Krouskop, Ben Cushing, Kimberly Puttman, and Avery Temple
    • Open Oregon

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    Learning Objectives

    This chapter offers you the opportunity to:

    • Explain how sociology applies policy evaluation and a social construction lens to study healthcare in the United States.
    • Illustrate how groups experience health, safety, and security in the United States differently, and how government plays a role.
    • Explain how colonization shapes contemporary issues around health, safety, and security.
    • Discuss alternative and decolonizing models for providing health, safety and security in society.

    • 7.1: Chapter Story
      This page examines the intertwined crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and police brutality in 2020, revealing insufficient U.S. government responses. It highlights the rise in domestic abuse and racial disparities impacting BIPOC communities, alongside a surge in activism and calls for police reform. Mutual aid organizations developed to support communities, advocating for alternative safety measures.
    • 7.2: The Study of Healthcare as an Institution
      This page discusses the multidimensional nature of health as defined by the World Health Organization, emphasizing the link between health and social factors. It explores the effectiveness of healthcare systems like the Affordable Care Act, the cultural meanings of illness, and the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use. The stigma contributes to avoidance of treatment and connects with criminalization, particularly affecting incarcerated individuals. The text contrasts negative U.S.
    • 7.3: Government Services and a Disparity of Support
      This page explores the intersection of access to resources and well-being in the U.S., addressing health, housing, and work-life balance. It critiques government institutions' roles in mitigating class inequality and emphasizes the "housing first" approach to homelessness, despite higher initial costs. Additionally, it discusses systemic racism's effects, particularly in infrastructure and police violence against communities of color.
    • 7.4: Health, Safety, and the Legacy of Colonization
      This page highlights the importance of understanding colonial history to tackle contemporary social issues, especially regarding health and security. It discusses the lasting impacts of colonialism on U.S. territories and Indigenous groups, contrasting their worldviews with Western perspectives. The text critiques capitalism and colonial healthcare practices, advocating for a holistic, preventative approach rooted in Indigenous values.
    • 7.5: Alternative and Decolonizing Models for Health, Safety, and Security
      This page explores essential human needs addressed by institutions, focusing on health, safety, and security. It highlights the healthcare system's role, particularly the ACA and socialized medicine, while linking environmental health to Indigenous resistance against projects like oil pipelines. The chapter advocates for transformative justice and the incorporation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to address systemic issues and promote community well-being.
    • 7.6: Conclusion
      This page examines the intricate health, safety, and security systems in the U.S., focusing on the effects of social and historical factors. It underscores the role of these institutions in fostering inequality and harm linked to colonial histories, and discusses climate change's influence on health reforms.
    • 7.7: References
      This page covers significant social issues, including marriage equality, systemic racism, Indigenous participation, and health disparities. It reviews various sources and reports discussing discrimination, housing crises, and healthcare access, while highlighting environmental influences and historical injustices. The page emphasizes the value of Indigenous knowledge in decision-making and the persistent challenges faced by marginalized communities regarding health and justice.


    This page titled Chapter 7: Health, Safety, and the State is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Aimee Samara Krouskop, Ben Cushing, Kimberly Puttman, and Avery Temple (Open Oregon) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.