Weathering the Storms of Racial Capitalism: Examining the Impact of Racial Capitalism on Well-Being across the Black American Life Course
dc.contributor.author | Brown, Jocelyn | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2024-09-26T17:58:19Z | |
dc.date.available | 2024-09-26T17:58:19Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10713/22857 | |
dc.description | University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine. Ph.D. 2024. | en_US |
dc.description.abstract | This dissertation explores the pervasive effects of racial capitalism on the well-being of Black Americans across different age groups, investigating the mechanisms by which racial capitalism impacts their physical, mental, and socioeconomic health over the life course. Racial capitalism is defined as the interlocking systems of capitalism and racism, where capitalist economies and racial hierarchies converge to perpetuate and exploit racial disparities. Using constructivist grounded theory, this study engaged 27 Black Americans in interviews to understand their perspectives on the intersection of racism and capitalism, coping mechanisms, and views on reparations. The findings reveal a generational divide in the conceptualization of racial capitalism and its effects. Older Black Americans often view their experiences through lenses of personal resilience and historical progress, tending to disconnect the explicit links between racism and capitalism. In contrast, middle-aged Black Americans perceive a persistent social hierarchy that has adapted rather than diminished, recognizing ongoing systemic barriers despite social gains. Younger Black Americans express a critical awareness of racial capitalism, identifying it as an evolving and interlocking system that perpetuates socio-economic disparities through covert means. The study introduces the "Racial Capitalism Life Course Theory," positing that racism and capitalism function as dual systems that cyclically reinforce socio-economic inequalities across the life course and generations. This theory aligns with established theories of life course and cumulative disadvantage, but provides critical interdisciplinary lens to examine the intersecting impacts of racism and economic systems over time. Policy implications of this research are vast and underscore the need for targeted interventions that address the specific challenges faced by each age cohort while considering the broader historical and socio-political context. The dissertation advocates for a grassroots, community-focused approach to reparations and policy reforms, aiming to address both historical injustices and current disparities, with a significant emphasis on educational, healthcare, and economic reforms to dismantle the structural underpinnings of racial capitalism. This comprehensive exploration contributes to the fields of sociology, gerontology, and public health by integrating age-specific impacts of racial capitalism into broader societal and policy contexts, offering a framework for addressing the compounded effects of racism and economic exploitation that Black Americans face throughout their lives. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
dc.subject | racial capitalism | en_US |
dc.subject.mesh | Black or African American | en_US |
dc.subject.mesh | Healthcare Disparities | en_US |
dc.subject.mesh | Mental Health | en_US |
dc.title | Weathering the Storms of Racial Capitalism: Examining the Impact of Racial Capitalism on Well-Being across the Black American Life Course | en_US |
dc.type | dissertation | en_US |
dc.date.updated | 2024-08-15T19:08:34Z | |
dc.language.rfc3066 | en | |
dc.contributor.advisor | Wallace, Brandy | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2024-09-26T17:58:21Z |