How Should Educators and Publishers Eliminate Racial Essentialism?
March 2022
in “
The AMA Journal of Ethic
”
TLDR Educators and publishers should focus on teaching racism as the cause of health inequity and ensure fair use of race in materials.
The article discussed how racial essentialism, the belief in inherent biological differences among racial categories, increased racial prejudice and reduced empathy among learners. It highlighted that essentialism impeded health professions education programs from fostering a workforce focused on ethics and equity. The article recommended that educators reform race-related pedagogy to emphasize racism as the root cause of health inequity. Additionally, it urged publishers to play a crucial role in reform by ensuring just and appropriate references to race in academic journals and educational content.
