In Aotearoa/New Zealand:
- 80% of household wealth is held by 20% of households
- Women, on average, are paid 8.2% less than men for the same employment positions. Women of colour are paid up to 33% less than men of European origin for the same employment positions.
- Māori, on average, die 7 years younger than the average of all other ethnic groups
- Approximately 37% of trans and non-binary people have attempted suicide
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals are victims of 10-15% more personally-directed criminal offences than the population average.
POPLHLTH 210 is a core course in the B.HSc. programme and offers an in-depth understanding of the social determinants of health (in)equity and (in)equalities. During the semester, you will examine inequity and inequality in various ways: what they are, why they exist, and how best to address them.
Grounded in socio-critical concepts and theories, POPLHLTH 210 exposes students to the complexity of social determinants, or 'the causes of the causes'. As a health professional, be it clinical, academic, administrative or otherwise, it is vital to understand how different groups experience different social structures, and the same social structures differently, bringing about patterned difference in health and illness. This course is designed to be a component of the development of such an understanding.
The main aims for this paper are to provide the tools for students to:
- Develop an understanding of the diverse manifestations of health and social inequities and inequalities;
- Demonstrate the ways in which inequities and inequalities in health are created and maintained;
- Recognize how inequities and inequalities in health for diverse groups may be measured;
- Discuss the appropriateness of solutions and interventions for reducing these inequity and inequality issues across diverse communities.
The issues covered in this course are central to many of the challenges currently faced across the health sector and broader society. We hope the course will be interesting, thought-provoking, and stimulating. The different topics covered in this course will encourage students to question and challenge themselves - and others - both in study and in future work. This course is conceptual and theoretical in focus, builds on previous work, aiming to deepen your understanding and analyses of social and health inequities and inequalities.