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Does white privilege exist? Does white privilege exist?
No, white privilege doesn't exist No, white privilege doesn't exist
Yes, white privilege exists Yes, white privilege exists
White privilege conflates individual circumstance with structural inequality White privilege conflates individual circumstance with structural inequality
White people commit suicide more frequently White people commit suicide more frequently
White privilege is just another name for racism White privilege is just another name for racism
There are no policies that deliberately benefit white people There are no policies that deliberately benefit white people
Other factors offer far more privileges Other factors offer far more privileges
White privilege is a political construct of the left White privilege is a political construct of the left
White privilege gives whites a financial boost White privilege gives whites a financial boost
White privilege is present in the justice system White privilege is present in the justice system
White privilege is present in the health system White privilege is present in the health system
White privilege is present in our education systems White privilege is present in our education systems
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Does white privilege exist?
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Yes, white privilege exists

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White privilege is present in the health system

White patients have better health outcomes than people of color.
Neel Shah
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Context

White people have better health outcomes than minority groups despite using the same services. Therefore, white privilege is present in the healthcare system.

The Argument

Maternal mortality rates are far higher among black women than white women (40 deaths per 100,000 versus 17.8 deaths per 100,000). Despite receiving access to the same health system, black mothers have worse health outcomes. The numbers point to an observable underlying trend which is that when black people express concerns about symptoms, physicians and doctors are less likely to believe them.

Counter arguments

An observed difference in maternal mortality rates between black and white females is not strong evidence that black females are mistreated or not believed by healthcare providers. Many factors contribute to the likelihood of death at childbirth prior to receiving healthcare. For example, factors such as stress level, weight, age or presence of chronic disease. Other social determinants of health such as educational attainment, living conditions, income level, quality of social support networks, and awareness of care options also have a bearing on health outcomes.[1] All these factors, among others, should be included in an analysis of differences between black and white maternal mortality rates, to avoid the risk of reaching an inaccurate conclusion about mistreatment of black women by healthcare professionals.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] White people have better health outcomes in the health system than non-whites. [P2] Therefore, the health system treats whites better. [P3] Therefore, white privilege is present in the health system.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Many factors influence risk of maternal mortality prior to receiving healthcare. [Rejecting P2] A higher maternal mortality rate among black women does not show mistreatment by healthcare professionals was the cause. [Rejecting P3] A difference in maternal mortality between white and black women is not strong evidence of white privilege in the healthcare system.

References

  1. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5935-2

In the Wild

This page was last edited on Tuesday, 1 Sep 2020 at 14:07 UTC

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