Working Thesis for MWP3

African Americans and especially African American males are discriminated against in health care and do not receive as good health care as other races, and this in turn decreases the quality of life for those individuals. The discrimination can be seen through the many differences in health care among races.           

Summary of two articles

In the article “Barriers to health care and health-seeking behaviors faced by

Black men” authors Cessaly T. Cheatham, Debra J. Barksdale, and Shielda G. Rodgers discuss the barriers that African American males face in health care. They discuss some influences that decrease the health care of these men as socioeconomic status where many cannot afford to pay for healthcare like health care insurance or their jobs do not come with health benefits. Another factor that influences this lack of health care is masculinity where the man does not think he needs that kind of care and that he is strong enough without it. Often African American men do not know how important health care is to the quality of life and therefore do not seek it out for themselves. A study found that many African American males felt discriminated against by medical professionals and that hindered them from seeking care. For example the study found that, “54% of Black and23% of White participants perceived that race/ethnicity was often a barrier to receiving appropriate health care.” (557). If an African American male does not have the support of his family to seek out health care he is less likely to and some may not believe in modern medicine. This article also describes how to improve patient doctor/health care provider relationship. Some ways of improving the relationship is through nonverbal body language such as eye contact and taking time with the patient. Also being more available like providing a personal phone number or putting out public service announcements can improve how the patient feels and increase the likely hood of seeking medical help in the future. The government provides a lot of extra help to other minority groups, but they are not the only ones who face oppressed medical care. For example the authors state this plight when they write, “Most government subsidized programs are tailored toward infants, children, pregnant women, the disabled, and the elderly on the premise that these groups are those most in need of care and the least likely to be able to afford care. However, this list should be reexamined for the possibility of inclusion of Black men.” This minority group is lacking the medical care they need and through public awareness their quality of life can be raised.

In the article “Access to Health and Health Care: How Race and Ethnicity Matter,” authors Lynne D. Richardson and Marlaina Norris explain how race and ethnicity create differences in quality of health care for individuals. They claim that though there are differences in not only health care that affect a person’s quality of health such as health education and income of an individual. Because there are race problems inhibits the education and hence income of African Americans there healthy quality of life is reduced. The authors discuss the factors that contribute to the poor health care minorities such as African Americas receive such as the physical environment they grow up in. “There are data relating the level of segregation to rates of morbidity and mortality; specifically, residential segregation is related to elevated risks of cause-specific and overall adult mortality, infant mortality, and tuberculosis.” This quote shows that certain physical areas where minorities reside are more likely to have poor health care. The article also covers factors such as the social environment and how this plays a role in quality of health care as well as actual health insurance. Studies found that, “The uninsured are more likely to die early and to have poor health status; they are diagnosed at later stages of disease and get less treatment than those with insurance.” All of these probabilities point to the fact that the minorities such as African Americas have poorer quality of life as far as health care is concerned because they cannot afford the benefits that health insurance provides people with. Their mortality rate is overrepresented in many areas and linked to the lack of insurance. This is not only racists but it is unfair and unjust to the African American minority group as a whole.

Second Article for MWP3

In their article, “Access to Health and Health Care: How Race and Ethnicity Matter,” authors Lynne D. Richardson and Marlaina Norris assert that there are many factors that contribute to the differences in health for race and ethnicity. The authors develop and support this assertion by describing the many factors that contribute to the variances such as differences in social resources as well as offer solutions for improvement. Their purpose is to explain and describe why these differences in health care are a problem and what can be done to improve the quality of life for different races and people of minority ethnicities. Their audience is the racial minority groups that are being affected by the differences in health care as well as health care providers and lawmakers, and this can be understood through subject matter.

First precies for MWP3

In their article, “Barriers to health care and health-seeking behaviors faced by

Black men” authors Cessaly T. Cheatham, Debra J. Barksdale, and Shielda G. Rodgers claim that there are certain barriers to health care for African American males. The authors develop and support this claim by breaking down the causes for poor health care such as socioeconomic status, racism and mistrust of the medical establishment, and lack of awareness of the need for care. Their purpose is to describe the health care barriers as well as suggest ways for improvements in the health care in order to inform the readers of this growing and crucial problem and inspire some to take action. Their audience is African American males as well as the general American public concerned with health care issues.

Brainstorming for MWP3: 15 possible topics

1.      Women have a more difficult time getting into advanced medical educational jobs than men.

2.      Native Americans get lower health care benefits than other Americans.

3.      Individuals of Middle Eastern descent have a more difficult time finding work in the health care profession than other nationalities.

4.      Poor people have lower and bad health care if any at all in comparison with affluent people. (quality of life as the larger picture)

5.      African Americans have a more difficult time finding work in the health care profession.

6.      Patients treat workers of (Native American, African American, or Middle Eastern descent) as not as credible and trustworthy as other nationalities.

7.      Medical Professionals do not provide as good of care to (those of Native American, African American, or Middle Eastern descent).

8.      Those of Caucasian nationalities are allowed the better positions in the medical work place and provided with the better job opportunities.

9.      The elderly are not considered to have any ethos nor are respected as much in the eyes of the medical professionals.

10.  African Americans have lower health care benefits than other nationalities do.

11.  Those form affluent backgrounds are more likely to be accepted into the medical community.

12.  Nurses and doctors respect and respond more positively to individuals of affluent Caucasian backgrounds.

13.  Patients who are of Spanish descent are treated with less respect in the medical community.

14.  Individuals of Spanish descent are less likely to get a job in the medical community.

Women doctors and male nurses are treated with less respect than those playing the accepted gender roles.

Outline for MWP2

Introduction: America today is facing one of the deepest economic downturns since the great depression of the nineteen thirties. Many individuals have proposed a plethora of solutions, but many sociologists agree that the best long term solution to this problem is that we as a nation improve education in this country. One way of improving education is to provide students with very high quality teachers. Again, there are many propositions as to how to improve teacher quality, and one of the best ways to do that is to increase the salary of a teacher and hence the prestige of the job. Though high quality teachers are the solution, not individuals who would be good teachers and spend the time and money training for this career are not willing to become teachers because of the low beginning salaries and low salaries in general. Teaches do not have high enough salaries for the work they do which leads to other problems like poor quality teachers, and hence poor education in America’s school system, so the people of America should promote laws and encourage congress to pass bills that would increase teacher salary.

Definitions:

Problem, Solution, Teacher Satisfaction, High Quality Teachers, Teacher Salary, Policies, Prestige, Education in America,

Review of Literature:

1.      “Policies Should Reflect The Importance of Teaching,” author Michelle A. Rhee asserts that policies and practices in America should reflect how important teachers are.

2.      “Teacher Quality: What’s Wrong with U.S. Strategy?” author Marc Tucker claims that America does not have a good strategy for producing high quality teachers.

3.      “Teacher Attrition: A Critical American and International Education Issue,” author Marianne K. Dove claims that poor compensation for teachers is the single biggest cause for poor quality of teachers.

4.      “The Social Position of School Teachers: Expectations and Realities,” author F.G. Ziiatdinova discusses the low prestige of teaching in Russia.

5.      “Why Do They Stay? Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Job Satisfaction and Retention,” authors Beverly A. Perrachione, Vicki J. Rosser, and George J. Petersen discuss the intrinsic and extrinsic variables that influence a teachers job satisfaction.

Personal Argument:

Clearly state the problem

            Teaches in America do not get paid a high enough salary

Describe why there is this problem

People do not consider the job prestigious, and people are not willing to pay higher taxes in order raise the salaries of teachers ($4 more than Wal-Mart) good hardworking individuals go where the money is (ex: the business school here)  

Describe what can be done to solve this problem

            People could encourage the government to pass bills that would increase teacher salary  

Conclusion: The future of our nation is at stake. We as the people of this great nation are severely lagging behind in the way of education. By increasing the quality of teachers in schools students will be able to obtain a better education, and one of the best and most reasonable ways to get higher performing teachers into the school system is to increase the teachers beginning and overall salary. Teacher a crucial and important members of our society, and only by the America public speaking up and voicing the need to enact policies that will increase the salaries will the problem be solved.

                                                    

Introduction for MWP2

America today is facing one of the deepest economic downturns since the great depression of the nineteen thirties. Many individuals have proposed a plethora of solutions, but many sociologists agree that the best long term solution to this problem is that we as a nation improve education in this country. One way of improving education is to provide students with very high quality teachers. Again, there are many propositions as to how to improve teacher quality, and one of the best ways to do that is to increase the salary of a teacher and hence the prestige of the job. Though high quality teachers are the solution, not individuals who would be good teachers and spend the time and money training for this career are not willing to become teachers because of the low beginning salaries and low salaries in general. Teaches do not have high enough salaries for the work they do which leads to other problems like poor quality teachers, and hence poor education in America’s school system, so the people of America should promote laws and encourage congress to pass bills that would increase teacher salary.