Diversions: How the Underrepresentation of Research on Advantaged Groups Leaves Explanations for Health Inequalities Incomplete

We identify a gap in health inequalities research that sociologists are particularly well situated to fill—an underrepresentation of research on the role advantaged groups play in creating inequalities. We name the process that creates the imbalance health-inequality diversions. We gathered evidence...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of health and social behavior Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 334 - 349
Main Authors Link, Bruce G., García, San Juanita
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2021
American Sociological Association
Subjects
Disadvantaged
Discrimination
Exploitation
Grants
Groups
Health disparities
Health problems
Health research
Health Status
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Imbalance
Inequalities
Inequality
Marginality
Socioeconomic Factors
Sociological research
Vulnerable Populations
diversions
fundamental cause
socioeconomic disadvantage
health inequalities
racism
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Summary:We identify a gap in health inequalities research that sociologists are particularly well situated to fill—an underrepresentation of research on the role advantaged groups play in creating inequalities. We name the process that creates the imbalance health-inequality diversions. We gathered evidence from awarded grants (349), major health-related data sets (7), research articles (324), and Healthy People policy recommendations. We assess whether the inequality-generating actions of advantaged groups are considered either directly by capturing their behaviors or indirectly by asking disadvantaged people about discrimination or exploitation from advantaged groups. We further assess whether there is a tendency to locate the problem in the person or group experiencing health inequalities. We find that diversions are prevalent across all steps of the research process. The diversion concept suggests new lines of sociological research to understand why diversions occur and how gaps in evidence concerning the role of the advantaged might be filled.
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ISSN:0022-1465
2150-6000
DOI:10.1177/00221465211028152