Social Determinants of Health and Migration

3 units

The social determinants of health refer to the conditions where people live and work that shape health risks and outcomes. This class will examine how categories, such as refugee or undocumented immigrant, may predispose individuals to live and work in unstable and harmful environments. Our course will examine the following questions: How do restrictive immigration policies and policing shape access to primary care? How does documentation status intersect with other experiences of marginalization and other forms of social identification, such as gender and race, to produce unique health risks and outcomes? In this course, we will explore how people who migrate-due to force or of their own volition, and in a documented or undocumented manner-may encounter obstacles due to differences in language spoken, insurance coverage, and documentation status, when seeking out primary and mental health services, as well as healthcare for chronic illnesses. We will draw on ethnographic research, public health reports, long form journalism, podcasts, and documentaries developed in a variety of geographic settings, including the United States, Germany, Israel, Malawi, and Bangladesh.