Course Details

Course offered Winter 2022

HONORS 231 A: Revealing the Unequal Burden of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Social Determinants of Health (SSc, DIV, W)

HONORS 231 A: Revealing the Unequal Burden of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Social Determinants of Health (SSc, DIV, W)

SLN 15482 (View UW registration info »)

Damarys Espinoza (Nursing and Health Studies)
Email: damarys@uw.edu

Credits: 5
Limit: 35 students

Honors Credit Type

A growing body of literature shows that social determinants – otherwise known as the conditions in which we are born and in which we live, work and play – are key drivers of health inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many of these inequities for the world to see. This course examines the social determinants of health through the lens of COVID-19. We will explore how structural racism compounds the impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities in the U.S., resulting in disparate rates of infection and death. We will examine how BIPOC are using community organizing as a vital strategy for unleashing the collective power necessary to uproot inequities at the core of health disparities. Live, in-person dialogues with contemporary community organizers and public health leaders will enrich our learning.