Science of Humanity, Humanity of Science: Lessons from Race, Racism, and Health

The current debate over racial inequalities in health is arguably the most important venue for advancing public understanding of race, racism, and human biological variation. Today, as in the past, medical researchers and health professionals often unwittingly perpetuate folk assumptions about race. In turn, media reports about health disparities often appear to confirm what everybody knows: race is biology. However, a growing body of evidence establishes the primacy of social inequalities in the origin of racial health inequalities. Here I summarize this evidence and identify three key challenges in advancing our understanding of race, racism, and disease. First, we need to clarify and refine the critique of race as a flawed biological concept. Second, we need to articulate how race is culturally constructed in health-related research and clinical practice. Third, we need to better understand how the social dimensions of race and racism become embodied in human biology. These goals require a blend of empirical analysis and critical inquiry, drawing of methods and theory from the humanities to the natural sciences. This approach has characterized the anthropological critique of race for the last hundred years and remains as relevant as ever today.