In “Segregation, Nativity, and Health: Reproductive Health Inequalities for Immigrant and native-born Black Women in New York City,” Sue C. Grady and Sara McLafferty analyze the relationship between racial residential segregation and low birthweight risk for native-born Black women and immigrant Black women in New York City (NYC). [1] Low birthweight is an important indicator of the health of both mother and child. [2] They claim that native-born Black women are more likely to have children with low birthweights if they live in racially segregated neighborhoods. [3] For foreign-born Black women, individual risk factors–such as where the women were born–had a bigger influence than segregation. [4] This study was conducted through statistical analysis of data collected by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 2000. [5] The dependent variable is low birthweight and the independent variables were split into two categories–level one variables describe individual risk factors and attributes and level two describes the characteristics of the neighborhood the mother lives in. [6] The data used to answer the question included rates of segregation (from census data), low birthweight percentages, country of origin (for foreign-born women), and poverty levels.
In “The Importance of Social Context in Understanding and Promoting Low-Income Immigrant Women’s Health,” Dr. Maria de Jesus takes a more interpretivist approach to a similar issue. Through interviews with female Cape Verdean health promoters, De Jesus identified six salient themes about the social context in which women access healthcare: “community and domestic violence, loss and isolation, economic injustice, immigration-related issues and abuse, unequal gender-based power relations, and cultural taboos.” [7]
These two sources represent different perspectives of factors that influence women’s access to healthcare. Grady and McLafferty’s study looks for a causal relationship to explain the difference in low birthweight rates in different populations of Black women in New York City while De Jesus’ study seeks to explain the context in which immigrant Cape Verdean women in Massachusetts get medical care. In order to fully understand the experiences of immigrant women in the United States as they try to access healthcare, it is important to note the factors that influence this subset of the population. These sources, by looking at both the context and the outcomes provide a bigger picture in which a puzzle starts to emerge–what explains the experiences of immigrant women in accessing reproductive healthcare?
These sources will help to inform my research moving forward in that they provide examples of how this puzzle can be examined with very different methodologies but still come to valid conclusions. In addition, they have provided insight into the experiences of certain immigrant populations in other major cities in the US, which may prove valuable should I choose to focus on Central American immigrant women in DC.
[1] Sue C. Grady and Sara McLafferty. “Segregation, Nativity, and Health: Reproductive Health Inequalities for Immigrant and native-born Black Women in New York City,” Urban Geography 28, 4 (2007), 377.
[2] Ibid, 378.
[3] Ibid, 391.
[4] Ibid, 392.
[5] Ibid, 382.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Maria De Jesus. “The Importance of Social Context in Understanding and Promoting Low-Income Immigrant Women’s Health,” Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 20, 1 (February 2009), 90.
Bibliography
De Jesus, Maria . “The Importance of Social Context in Understanding and Promoting Low-Income Immigrant Women’s Health,” Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 20, 1 (February 2009), 90-97.
Grady, Sue C. and Sara McLafferty. “Segregation, Nativity, and Health: Reproductive Health Inequalities for Immigrant and native-born Black Women in New York City,” Urban Geography 28, 4 (2007), 377-397.
September 25, 2018 at 1:48 am
Hi Megan. First of all, I am very fascinated by your topic. I like how you point out the differences between the two articles in terms of methodology and content. It is a nice reminder that there is more than one way of approaching a research question. Moreover, despite the differences between the articles, they both played an important role in you narrowing down your question to focus on immigrant women’s access to healthcare. I think that if you choose to focus on immigrant women in DC, you can also make use of our location and conduct interviews with NGOs or immigrants themselves. Good Luck! Can’t wait to see how your project evolves!
September 25, 2018 at 5:22 pm
Hi Megan!
I admire the specificity of your puzzle and the real-world implications of your research have the potential to make impactful policy recommendations, especially in the United States. Something that interests me about your potential variables is that the first study uses black women, and the second examines Cape Verdean women. While there is surely overlap in these two demographics, I think a fascinating direction your research could pursue would be which characteristic, race or nationality, has the greatest impact on the health of newborns. While immigration status and race are both legitimate factors to consider, I would just be cautious in assuming any overlap in the two factors (ie. Not all Cape Verdean women or immigrants also identify as black women). Good luck with the rest of your research, I look forward to seeing how you move forward!
September 25, 2018 at 6:16 pm
A very good job overall here Megan, both in tracking down some very relevant literature and in pulling out the key methodological elements from these articles in order to better help you identify your own puzzle and locate your own research within the scholarly conversation. Keep reading and researching–like Lori, I look forward to seeing how the project evolves!
September 25, 2018 at 11:27 pm
Megan–
You picked great articles, that appear to be really relevant both in the context of your general scholastic interest, and the context of a trajectory I envision your own research mirroring (of course with your own insights and studies and conclusions). Thinking ahead, what important independent variables from this article may be important to include in your own research? Or what variables in these projects could you imagine yourself totally changing? Which variables could consequently emerge to measure female reproductive health in your unique puzzle? I am looking forward to seeing you form the direction of your fascinating and quintessential project topic.
– Milena