Seminar Three

  Gender, generation and identity: sociocultural constructions and their influences on health

It is clear that ethnic identity can imply certain 'ways of being' that have implications for health. Dietary patterns, dress codes and alcohol and tobacco use are perhaps some of the most obvious examples. However, it is also increasingly clear that ethnic identities are complex, fluid and negotiable. Ethnicity is found to interact in significant ways with other dimensions of inequality including gender and class, and also to vary along other dimensions including life-cycle stage, generation and locality. In short, ethnic groups cannot be understood as bounded social groups with readily identifiable and fixed cultural norms, values and behaviours. Incorporating an understanding of how sociocultural constructions contribute to ethnic health inequalities (via risk behaviour, response to illness, and experience of the healthcare system) without falling into the trap of cultural stereotyping is challenging. Furthermore, with an increasing diversity of sociocultural forms in the UK , is research better targeted at understanding generic barriers to health improvement rather than producing rich accounts of particular contexts? This seminar will present in-depth case-studies focusing on particular ethnic groups and health outcomes in order to offer methodological and conceptual insights into this important area.

Date : 26th October 2005

Venue : Birkbeck College . Room B04

Convenors : Seeromanie Harding and Kiran Nanchahal

Programme details and call for contributions :

Directions: Birkbeck College

Attendance at the seminar will be limited to 50 participants. Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis within three categories (academic or researcher / community-based or voluntary organisation staff / statutory practitioner or policy-maker). Please complete and send a request for registration if you would like to attend.