Prejudice in a Place of Healthcare: The Qualitative Case of a Rural Australian Hospital

Objective: This article explores how racism manifests in a rural place of healthcare from the perspectives of patients-both a patient’s experience of racial vilification and patients’ racially-prejudicial views towards healthcare providers. In the analysis, we illuminate the important implications of racism for experiences of health and healthcare in rural Australian places. We argue that critical interrogation of these enduring racial tensions is required to improve the quality of rural healthcare.

Methods: These article analyses two interview data sets, originally collected in a study investigating rurally-living patients’ experiences of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that exemplify how racism manifests in a rural hospital environment. Each transcript was selectively coded for instances of racism and/or instances pertaining to the phenomena of racism. These codes were then reviewed, developed and refined into themes that were contextualized within broader social discourses and race politics that sustain racism

 

Author(s): Christina Malatzk  

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