Scholars in the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies (STS) examine knowledge production, scientific practices, and therapeutics in social and cultural context. At UCSC, STS scholars analyze the symbolic dimensions and representational practices of global and community health; …
Bioethics
The field of bioethics developed in the 1960s as a response to a lack of accountability around the use of human and animal subjects in scientific research. Today, bioethics encompasses a broad range of perspectives. These range from contemporary public policy issues (such as the ethics of gene …
Child & Youth Health
Child and youth health includes physical well-being as well as social and emotional health, all of which are integral for positive academic outcomes. UCSC faculty are especially interested in schools as the primary institutions in the US that serve children and youth in ways that can promote good …
Women’s Health
Gender inequities in health prevail in most countries throughout the world, despite ongoing attempts to eliminate them. Across the globe, prospects for good health among women are limited by social norms, practices, and policies that are rooted in gender discrimination and bias. The 1985 United …
Health & Welfare Policies
Countries around the world create policies to promote healthy, well-educated, and well-nourished populations, but not all policies are created equal and UCSC researchers are interested in what makes them different and what their divergent outcomes are in terms of health and well-being. We know …
Racial Justice
Recent years have highlighted the perennial challenge of achieving racial justice in US society and more globally. Racial justice seeks to effect institutional change in providing equality of access, opportunities, and outcomes irrespective of phenotypical classifications and categories. These …
Migration & Health
Despite the fact that migrants tend to be healthier than is normal for both the countries that they leave and the countries to which they move, immigration is associated the world over with illness and health insecurity. Whether this is due to racist and xenophobic cultural discourses that blame …
Mental Health
Mental health and psychosocial wellbeing are critical foundations for overall health. The United Nations included mental health as integral to the global 2015 Sustainable Development Goals, but achieving these goals in the next generation remains a challenge given that the World Health Organization …
Stigma
Stigma, comprising negative attitudes or beliefs ascribed to certain attributes and characteristics, is also closely associated with discrimination in ways that commonly undermine health in stigmatized people. Stigma and discrimination have impacts across the health care continuum, impeding access …
