Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research
Introduction: The representation of ethnoracial minoritized individuals in health services and policy research (HSPR) has increased in recent years. However, previous literature has exposed a need to acknowledge and attend to inequities within the HSPR workforce. Methods: To describe educational and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Mary Ann Liebert
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Health Equity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0121 |
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| author | Taylor B. Rogers Kevin Q. Graham Carmen R. Mitchell Tongtan Chantarat Michelle J. Ko |
| author_facet | Taylor B. Rogers Kevin Q. Graham Carmen R. Mitchell Tongtan Chantarat Michelle J. Ko |
| author_sort | Taylor B. Rogers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The representation of ethnoracial minoritized individuals in health services and policy research (HSPR) has increased in recent years. However, previous literature has exposed a need to acknowledge and attend to inequities within the HSPR workforce. Methods: To describe educational and workplace experiences that characterize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the HSPR profession. In this qualitative study, six focus groups were conducted virtually via Zoom with 27 individuals who reported working or pursuing higher education in HSPR from December 2020 to January 2021. We sought HSPRers perspectives on DEI initiatives, work and educational environments, experiences, and climate, and recommendations for improving DEI in HSPR. We developed a structured codebook and applied a deductive approach to conduct thematic analysis. Results: Of the 27 participants, nearly half of participants identified as Black/African American (44%); most were women (81%). Three major themes emerged: (1) HSPR work and education spaces subject minoritized HSPRs to a range of exclusionary and harmful practices; (2) DEI initiatives fail to address the need for institutional change; and (3) by working with and for policymakers, HSPRs are uniquely subjected to shifting political contexts that reinforce racism. Discussion: Despite an increasing commitment to increasing the diversity of the HSPR workforce and improving equity and inclusion in the HSPR workplace, the findings suggest that more intentional and action-oriented work is needed, especially work that emphasizes inclusion and equity across various levels of the workplace. Health Equity Implications: The findings offer critical insight on necessary workplace and educational reform to develop the workforce necessary to advance population health equity and equity-oriented policy making. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f80e7add02bf4b68b554c2ad29d1052e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2473-1242 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Mary Ann Liebert |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Equity |
| spelling | doaj-art-f80e7add02bf4b68b554c2ad29d1052e2025-08-20T03:49:37ZengMary Ann LiebertHealth Equity2473-12422024-12-018180681510.1089/heq.2024.0121Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy ResearchTaylor B. Rogers0Kevin Q. Graham1Carmen R. Mitchell2Tongtan Chantarat3Michelle J. Ko4Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA.Department of Computer Science, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California, USA.Department of Health Management and Systems Science, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Systems, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.Division of Health Policy and Management, Department of Public Health, University of California, Davis, California, USA.Introduction: The representation of ethnoracial minoritized individuals in health services and policy research (HSPR) has increased in recent years. However, previous literature has exposed a need to acknowledge and attend to inequities within the HSPR workforce. Methods: To describe educational and workplace experiences that characterize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the HSPR profession. In this qualitative study, six focus groups were conducted virtually via Zoom with 27 individuals who reported working or pursuing higher education in HSPR from December 2020 to January 2021. We sought HSPRers perspectives on DEI initiatives, work and educational environments, experiences, and climate, and recommendations for improving DEI in HSPR. We developed a structured codebook and applied a deductive approach to conduct thematic analysis. Results: Of the 27 participants, nearly half of participants identified as Black/African American (44%); most were women (81%). Three major themes emerged: (1) HSPR work and education spaces subject minoritized HSPRs to a range of exclusionary and harmful practices; (2) DEI initiatives fail to address the need for institutional change; and (3) by working with and for policymakers, HSPRs are uniquely subjected to shifting political contexts that reinforce racism. Discussion: Despite an increasing commitment to increasing the diversity of the HSPR workforce and improving equity and inclusion in the HSPR workplace, the findings suggest that more intentional and action-oriented work is needed, especially work that emphasizes inclusion and equity across various levels of the workplace. Health Equity Implications: The findings offer critical insight on necessary workplace and educational reform to develop the workforce necessary to advance population health equity and equity-oriented policy making.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0121workforcestructural racismdiversityequityand inclusiondiscrimination |
| spellingShingle | Taylor B. Rogers Kevin Q. Graham Carmen R. Mitchell Tongtan Chantarat Michelle J. Ko Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research Health Equity workforce structural racism diversity equity and inclusion discrimination |
| title | Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research |
| title_full | Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research |
| title_fullStr | Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research |
| title_short | Navigating Hostile Workplaces and Educational Spaces Within Health Services and Policy Research |
| title_sort | navigating hostile workplaces and educational spaces within health services and policy research |
| topic | workforce structural racism diversity equity and inclusion discrimination |
| url | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0121 |
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