Abrums M
University of Washington, Bothell 98021-4900, USA.
Soc Sci Med. 2000 Jan;50(1):89-105. doi: 10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00277-4.
There are many myths and stereotypes related to the health of people of color in the United States. Many research studies are done and statistics proliferate on the health status of non-dominant groups. Few studies attempt to understand the meaning systems of poor and working class African American women in relationship to health and health care. This study uses an ethnographic approach including narrative analysis of life history interviews in order to examine how the life experiences and belief systems of a small group of poor and working class African American women from a storefront church in Seattle, Washington, inform and influence the women's opinions and interactions with the dominant white health care system. This paper will examine specific dimensions of the women's belief systems and discuss how these beliefs are applied as the women interpret, confront and examine the meaning of health and the meaning of their own experiences in specific health care encounters. The women's belief systems, learned and reinforced within the context of their daily lives, enable the women to offer a unique critique of the health care system, as well as to maintain a powerful subjectivity in the face of an objectifying system, the dominant white western health care system.
在美国，存在许多与有色人种健康相关的误解和刻板印象。针对非主导群体的健康状况开展了大量研究，统计数据也层出不穷。但很少有研究试图去理解贫困及工人阶级非裔美国女性与健康和医疗保健相关的意义体系。本研究采用人种志方法，包括对生活史访谈进行叙事分析，以考察一小群来自华盛顿州西雅图市一个临街教堂的贫困及工人阶级非裔美国女性的生活经历和信仰体系，是如何影响她们对占主导地位的白人医疗保健系统的看法及互动的。本文将审视这些女性信仰体系的具体维度，并探讨在这些女性解读、面对和审视健康的意义以及她们在特定医疗保健遭遇中自身经历的意义时，这些信仰是如何发挥作用的。这些女性在日常生活中习得并强化的信仰体系，使她们能够对医疗保健系统提出独特的批评，同时在面对一个将人客体化的系统——占主导地位的白人西方医疗保健系统时，保持强大的主体性。
