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Racism and Health

Key information

  • Module code:

    6SSHM013

  • Level:

    6

  • Semester:

      Autumn

  • Credit value:

    15

Module description

This module is an advanced exploration of the vital topic of racism and health.  It draws together interdisciplinary scholarship drawn primarily from social sciences (such as sociology and anthropology), in conversation both with humanities scholarship (in fields such as history and cultural studies) and bioscience scholarship (in fields such as medicine and epidemiology).  The module provides students with both the information and analytical tools to grapple with the intersections of racial inequality and health inequality. 

Assessment details

  • 1 x 1,000 Word Critical Analysis (30%)
  • 1 x 2,000 Word Final Essay (70%)

Educational aims & objectives

This module explores the relationship between racism and ethnic health inequities, providing students with the tools to critically analyse how racial inequality impacts health outcomes. Students will examine how systemic racism structures healthcare access and exacerbates disparities, while also developing and evaluating anti-racist strategies to address these issues. Through theoretical frameworks, case studies, and practical applications, this module will prepare students to actively engage in promoting health equity and social justice.

The module aims to support and enable students to:

  • Explore and deepen their knowledge and understanding of key concepts, theories and debates relating to race and racisms and how these can be applied to understand a variety of case study examples in different national settings
  • Describe and examine race and racialization as a constitutive process which effects health and health outcomes
  • Apply foundational concepts that social scientists, cultural analysts, and epidemiologists use to analyse racism and health
  • Be able to articulate both historical and contemporary ways in which racism and health has been framed and challenged
  • Demonstrate understandings of the intersections of racism with other structures of inequality that impact health, including class, gender, and citizenship status
  • Develop critical theoretical and analytic skills that can be applied to investigate the relationship between racism and health

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module, the student will have;

  • good understanding of the foundational concepts that social scientists, cultural analysts, and epidemiologists use to analyse racism and health
  • familiarity with both the historical and contemporary ways in which racism and health has been framed and challenged
  • ability to articulate intersections of racism with other structures of inequality that impact health, including class, gender, and citizenship status
  • ability to see connections between racism and health and racism in other domains of experience

Teaching pattern

One weekly two hour lecture. 


Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.