Presenter(s)

Oluwayemisi Tayo-Ayorinde

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10:45-12:00, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

In the United States, one of the few developed countries where healthcare is not regarded as a right, no national health insurance system exists. Currently, an estimated 26 million Americans lack insurance coverage, a significant portion of whom belong to the lower and working classes (Collins and Gupta 2024).Furthermore, the capitalist system currently places minimal emphasis on the social determinants of health, which significantly influence individuals’ well-being. As a result, many individuals are turning to homeopathic methods of care, feeling that their holistic needs are overlooked by doctors when seeking medical assistance. According to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), in an article by Josh Birch published in 2023, there is a common consensus among Americans that the healthcare system is stretched thin, raising concerns about the potential impacts on patient care. A survey conducted among 2,519 U.S. adults aged 18 and older revealed that over 70% believe the healthcare system has failed them.This research analysis aims to examine how rights-based frameworks around healthcare provision alongside culturally relevant and community-based approaches, such as those promoted by the organization Partners in Health, as well as methods commonly used in the Global South, could address the failures of the for-profit model. To do this, I am conducting a literature review drawing from anthropology, political, and human rights sources to achieve a broad and interdisciplinary analysis of the issue. This research is important because it highlights areas in the healthcare system that could be improved to serve all populations better and propose methods and frameworks to improve equity and access.Citations:Collins, Sara, and Avni Gupta. “The State of Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.” Commonwealthfund.org, 21 Nov. 2024, www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/surveys/2024/nov/state-health-insurance-coverage-us-2024-biennial-survey, https://doi.org/10.26099/byce-qc28.Birch, Josh. “U.S. Adults Spend Eight Hours Monthly Coordinating Healthcare, Find System “Overwhelming.”” AAPA, 17 May 2023, https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2023/05/u-s-adults-spend-eight-hours-monthly-coordinating-healthcare-find-system-overwhelming/‌

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Course Project - ANT 498 01

Primary Advisor

Miranda C. Hallett

Primary Advisor's Department

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship; Practical Wisdom; Scholarship

An Anthropological Approach to Healthcare in the United States

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