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Cover image of Disparities in Urban Health
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Disparities in Urban Health

The Wounds of Policies and Legal Doctrines

Edward V. Wallace

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A firsthand look at how policies and legal doctrines affect families living in low-income urban neighborhoods.

Winner of the Anna Julia Cooper & CLR James Award by the National Council for Black Studies

In Disparities in Urban Health, Edward V. Wallace examines the impacts of political and structural determinants of health on people living in urban settings. This timely book intertwines the personal stories of real families with a comprehensive analysis of the policies and legal doctrines that shape their lives.

Through interviews and an investigation of various policies, Wallace provides a...

A firsthand look at how policies and legal doctrines affect families living in low-income urban neighborhoods.

Winner of the Anna Julia Cooper & CLR James Award by the National Council for Black Studies

In Disparities in Urban Health, Edward V. Wallace examines the impacts of political and structural determinants of health on people living in urban settings. This timely book intertwines the personal stories of real families with a comprehensive analysis of the policies and legal doctrines that shape their lives.

Through interviews and an investigation of various policies, Wallace provides a firsthand look at the challenges faced by these families and their experiences with health disparities. Their voices bridge the gap between theory and reality while offering compelling and vital perspectives on the complex issues that affect their health. Wallace highlights key policies that impact low-income communities, including the "no duty to treat" policy, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, comprehensive smoke-free laws, equitable development policies, and the Implied Warranty of Habitability law. These policies, among others, are examined through the lens of equity and social justice. The intimate portraits of real people and their struggles shed light on the challenges faced by many low-income families and offer a pathway toward addressing health disparities in our society.

Reviews

Reviews

Disparities in Urban Health is a game changer because it goes beyond ivory tower philosophizing and embraces the Africana Studies / Black Sociology model of policy-focused scholarship. Guided by W. E. B. Du Bois's theoretical frame, Wallace's book is key in the current movement toward people-centered and solution-oriented research.

Edward Wallace's Disparities in Urban Health is a breath of fresh air. Going beyond empirical data, his timely investigation examines the causes and consequences of urban health disparities by gathering information directly from the source—the families themselves, who have been most impacted. This much-needed work draws a complex portrait of urban health disparities that is perhaps more challenging than previously believed.

Wallace's holistic treatment shifts the discussion of the roots of urban health inequities from the lens of individual responsibility to the realities of structural dynamics that sustain and fuel urban health inequities. His work serves as an exemplar of the Africana Studies' scholarly tradition, amplifying macro data with the lived experiences of those most impacted.

Wallace brings the data on urban health disparities to life through his own personal reflections and the lived experiences of the families he interviewed. The book also offers a glimpse of the types of concerted actions and policies that are needed to achieve health equity.

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
208
ISBN
9781421445694
Illustration Description
2 halftones
Author Bio
Edward V. Wallace
Featured Contributor

Edward V. Wallace, PhD, MPH

Edward V. Wallace (CINCINNATI, OH) is an associate professor in the Department of Africana Studies, an affiliate faculty within the College of Medicine, and the founder and director of the Minority Health certificate program at the University of Cincinnati. He is the coeditor of Ohio under COVID: Lessons from America’s Heartland in Crisis.