Faculty
Arts & Humanities
Supervisor Name
Dr. Carolyn McLeod, Clair Baleshta
Keywords
institutional distrust, reproductive healthcare system, injustice, Black women, cultural mistrust, silencing
Description
Injustices within North America’s reproductive healthcare system are widespread, including issues such as inaccessibility to birth control, forced sterilization, having one’s child unjustly taken, and disparities in obstetric care which is the focus of this paper. I argue that the injustices faced by Black women in obstetric care most likely result in a justified distrust of the reproductive healthcare system. Drawing on empirical evidence, I explore specific cases of obstetric injustices, emphasizing "silencing" as a common mechanism used to perpetuate them. I also argue that these injustices foster distrust that is unique from other forms of distrust in reproductive healthcare. I incorporate philosophical definitions of distrust, which include both emotional responses and corresponding actions and introduce the concept of "cultural mistrust" as further evidence of the justified nature of this distrust. This research highlights the ongoing nature of these injustices and underscores their critical implications for healthcare equity for Black women.
Acknowledgements
I extend my sincerest gratitude to Carolyn and Clair for their unwavering support and guidance throughout the writing of this paper and for allowing me to be a part of your larger body of work. Your belief in me, especially as someone from a different discipline, means the world. I am also deeply thankful to the Western USRI program and the Rotman Institute of Philosophy for this opportunity to share this work. Finally, my heartfelt thanks to my parents, Michael and Kehinde Obisesan, for their never-ending emotional support, thoughts, and prayers—not only during this project but throughout my entire academic journey.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Document Type
Paper
Included in
Black Women's Institutional Distrust in the Reproductive Healthcare System
Injustices within North America’s reproductive healthcare system are widespread, including issues such as inaccessibility to birth control, forced sterilization, having one’s child unjustly taken, and disparities in obstetric care which is the focus of this paper. I argue that the injustices faced by Black women in obstetric care most likely result in a justified distrust of the reproductive healthcare system. Drawing on empirical evidence, I explore specific cases of obstetric injustices, emphasizing "silencing" as a common mechanism used to perpetuate them. I also argue that these injustices foster distrust that is unique from other forms of distrust in reproductive healthcare. I incorporate philosophical definitions of distrust, which include both emotional responses and corresponding actions and introduce the concept of "cultural mistrust" as further evidence of the justified nature of this distrust. This research highlights the ongoing nature of these injustices and underscores their critical implications for healthcare equity for Black women.