Race-related Health Disparities in Cuba in the Context of COVID-19 Open Access
Perez Daisson, Alvaro (Summer 2023)
Abstract
To better address disparities, it is important to investigate how they take shape in different socio-political, economic, and cultural environments. Cuba, as a relatively egalitarian country in which social cohesion is encouraged and racism is considered taboo, lends itself as an interesting case study. Its unique standing in our current political context and the existing gaps in knowledge about social determinants of health in the island warrants deeper investigation. This research provides a window into the living conditions and illness experiences of women in Cuba with two main aims: 1) identifying existing health disparities and 2) gaining a deeper understanding of the social structures that contribute to this inequity.
Despite the government’s intention to portray Cuba as a color-blind society, this project argues that race still plays a crucial role in Cubans’ lives (whether consciously or unconsciously). Racial discrimination, it goes on to show, is a prevalent and complex social mechanism that has been built and perpetuated in Cuba since the 15th century and is still reproducible today. So how does racism and other aspects of the social world they inhabit impact Cubans’ health? This project studies this question by delving into the lived realities of Cubans instead of relying on government-approved scholarship, since the latter is often disconnected from the former. The main research questions this thesis asks are 1) What is the role of race in Cuban healthcare? 2) How has COVID-19 affected this relationship? 3) What is the prevalence of racial health disparities in Cuba? 4) What are the factors behind these disparities? In order to answer these questions, it analyzes the perceptions and experiences of Cuban women diagnosed with COVID-19 in the city of Guantánamo.
The central point of this research is that both race and class affect access to quality of care in Cuba. This is explored through several facets of the social context that impacts Cubans' health. Discussion begins with nutrition and food insecurity, followed with access to vaccines, and then an explication of other important factors like quality of care at hospitals and access to prescription drugs.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1) Research Approach to Studying Racial Health Disparities
2) Cuba as Setting: Social and Cultural Context
3) Statement of Personal Interest
Chapter 2: A Literature Review of Race, Healthcare, and COVID-19 in Cuba
1) Cultural Understanding of Race in Cuba
2) Healthcare Infrastructure in Cuba
2.1) Before the Revolution
2.2) After the Revolution
3) The COVID-19 Pandemic in Cuba
Chapter 3: Methodology
1) Narrative Statement of Research Project
2) Preparation, Data Collection, and Data Analysis
2.1) Semi-structured Interviews
2.2) Interview Data Analysis
3) Positionality
4) A Note on Translation
Chapter 4: Racial Differences in COVID-19 Health Outcomes
1) Nutrition
2) Vaccines
3) Hospital Care
4) Prescription Drugs
Chapter 5: Discussion
1) Remittances
2) Tourism
3) Private Sector
Chapter 6: Conclusion
1) Statement of Conclusion
2) Implications, Limitations, and Future Research
About this Honors Thesis
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Race-related Health Disparities in Cuba in the Context of COVID-19 () | 2023-04-10 11:38:54 -0400 |
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