Offered: Spring 2014
This course will introduce students to the field of migration and health. The immigrant population in the United States (US) has grown over the past decade and understanding how health differs between immigrants and their descendants is important for understanding health disparities in the US. For example, research suggests that while immigrants in general have better health status compared to their US-born children, they use fewer health services. Other studies suggest that risk for behaviors like smoking increase at the second generation, or as acculturation increases. It is becoming increasingly important to examine the health outcomes of third generation individuals as well.
This course examines predictors of health for refugees and immigrant to the US, and their descendants (the second and third generation and beyond). While we will examine generational health differences for many of the ethnic groups in the US, we will pay particular attention to Latinos, since they make up the largest ethnic subgroup in the US. We will examine the effects of acculturation on health, and shifts in health and health-related behavioral outcomes between refugees or immigrants and second and third (and beyond) generations. Students will gain exposure to community, demographic, and other factors that influence health outcomes in the refugee, immigrant, and second generation (and beyond) populations and explore health policies targeting these groups in California and the United States. Students will also gain exposure to social science theories regarding general immigration and acculturation in the US post 1964, theories on immigration, acculturation and health, and perspectives on health over the life course.
Prerequisite: PH 001, PH 005, or consent of instructor