Citation
Jessica Santos, PhD and Carmel Salhi, PhD. “‘Beyond a Buzzword: Structural Frameworks for Immigrant Health Research and Practice.” Presented at the 2024 North American Refugee Health Conference. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Poster.
Abstract
Clinical and public health researchers and practitioners are increasingly incorporating structural analyses into their work. However, definitions and applications of “structure†and “structural determinants†such as policy and narratives vary widely and there is no clear consensus around the core components of a structural framework for refugee and immigrant health. Applied correctly, structural analyses can be transformative for immigrant and community health. Incorrectly, they can cause harm or inadvertently reinforce the status quo.
We deconstruct several current theoretical frameworks and take a first step towards precision, offering a critique based on our own research, which is focused on long-term, root cause drivers of inequities and corresponding levers for social change. We propose the inclusion of dynamic, relational, and non-deterministic elements that require further testing and refinement.
Our preliminary framework contextualizes research and practice experiences within a larger understanding of social structure that draws attention away from crisis-oriented interventions. Moving “structure†beyond buzzword status is vital for shifting immigrant and refugee health research, policy, and practice in the direction of equity.