Structural and Social Health Disparities in Urban Communities: Issues and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

Research and policy development concerning individuals and families experiencing structural and social health disparities within urban communities requires participatory, patient-oriented, and community-based approaches, guided by core values of respect, dignity, and social responsibility/reform. Much has been written about these approaches and core values: Dewey’s classical pragmatism—gaining knowledge through engaging with people and implementing co-created knowledge; Blumer’s symbolic interactionism—developing meaning through relating, understanding, and then acting toward others; and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory—the influences of environmental and social contexts. These theories directly inform healthcare research by stressing that effective interventions must be developed with communities, not for them, to ensure they are relevant, trusted, and sustainable.

Freire and Horton [1] wrote about connections between education and social change; included among their achievements were Freire’s co-founding of participatory action research and Horton’s co-founding of the Highlander Folk School. Rosa Parks attended Highlander and described being emboldened through feeling respected and finding people she could trust—the way the classes were run, more than what was taught, influenced her the most [1]. This underscores a critical lesson for health equity: the process of engagement—rooted in mutual respect and trust—is often as impactful as the content itself. Freire and Horton modelled throughout their lifetimes that expert knowledge is not telling people what to do; it is walking together, creating together, pondering throughout life why it is that some children go hungry and others do not, and how walking/working together can contribute toward change from unjust to more humanized societies [1].

Building on this foundation, the aim of this Special Issue is to develop a deeper, more actionable understanding of the issues faced by individuals and families experiencing structural health disparities in urban settings. We seek contributions that explore the impacts of these disparities on access to care, patient health outcomes, and overall well-being. We invite submissions of original participatory, patient-oriented, and community-based research that highlights these challenges and demonstrates effective interventions, frameworks, or strategies to reduce health disparities. Furthermore, we welcome manuscripts focused on policy development that is guided by core values of respect, dignity, and social responsibility and which offers concrete pathways toward more equitable and humanized healthcare systems.

Reference

1. Horton, M.; Friere, P. We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change; Bell, B.; Gaventa, J.; Peters, J., Eds.; Temple University Press: Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1990.

Dr. Carla Ginn
Prof. Dr. Davina Banner
Guest Editors

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• community-based research
• intergenerational resiliency
• mixed methods
• participatory
• structural and social health disparities