Health, Equity and Social Justice Minor

What is the Health, Equity and Social Justice Minor?

In the U.S. and worldwide, there are unjust and unnecessary inequities in healthcare systems around the world. These inequities are the result of policies and practices that create an unequal distribution of money, power and resources among communities based on race, class, gender, sexual orientation and various other factors.

The selection of courses offered through this minor teach students to identify and critically evaluate measures, causes and consequences of health disparities. This will prepare a new generation of leaders to make significant changes in the delivery of healthcare to improve health equity for local and global populations.

Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities. This includes access to and control over the material/non-material resources that sustain and promote health at a high level. Health equity involves identifying the root cause of the uneven distribution of health-related burdens and outcomes. Future healthcare practitioners and researchers interested in this goal require training in the social and behavioral sciences to critically examine the causes and consequences of health inequities. 

How will Saint Joseph's University Prepare Me for My Future Career?

This minor includes an Introduction to Sociology course which is required by many medical schools. Additionally, coursework in this minor helps students better understand inequities in American society. There is a strong focus on racial, economic, gender, and sexual orientation barriers to equity in the field of healthcare.

Students will critically assess the limits and possibilities of policies and practices designed to reduce health inequities in the U.S. and around the world. Students may also conduct research studies that focus on the root causes of health disparities as well as the broader social, economic and political factors associated with health inequities in the U.S. and beyond.

Why this Study Program in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate among the top ten largest cities in the United States. The extreme economic inequality in the city means that we are among a population that faces many forms of inequality in healthcare. The Health, Equity and Social Justice Minor will prepare students to meet the needs of an economic and culturally diverse population.