Employee perceptions of race and racism in an Australian hospital

• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116364
• Publication Date: 2023-11-09T03:30:57Z
• Authors: Ieta D'Costa; Mandy Truong; Lynette Russell; Karen Adams
• Keywords: Psychometrics of racism; Prejudice (legal term); Thematic Analysis; Institutional racism

Racism contributes to health inequities faced by people of colour and marginalised groups. Despite widespread recognition the impacts racism, mitigating strategies legislation have been largely unsuccessful. Research into racism in healthcare has mostly examined personal experiences workers patients, assuming that definitions race are similarly understood all. However, ethnicity often conflated, seen as primarily interpersonal ahistorical. This paper explores hospital employee understandings its how reduce it. Forty-nine staff within one Australian participated individual qualitative interviews regarding definition, impact, ways reducing racism. Interviews were analysed with a reflexive thematic analytic approach using Postcolonial framework. Participants described being experienced groups Australia. They identified detrimental effects on wellbeing. Not all clear what constituted racism: it was not an ideology created justify colonial distribution power resources. Some thought prejudice while others noted also structural nature. commonly defined involving physical or cultural differences, suggesting discredited historical concepts continue society. While many felt education best way impacts, some participants educated did necessarily change racist behaviour. The lack accurate understanding concept likely relatively poor effect current combat As initial part deeper systemic anti-racist reform, this research supports calls for clarify definition ideology.