Social
Solidarity-based epidemiology: re-distributing power inside and outside of the field Nadia Abuelezam* Nadia Abuelezam Jessie
We invite our colleagues in epidemiology to begin a conversation: what difference would it make if we took seriously the need to address differential power structures in epidemiology – both for epidemiologists ourselves and for those we serve? What is the nature of the solidarity required to transform the field? We present the tenets and framework for a “solidarity-based epidemiology” focused on delineating the professional obligations of epidemiologists (and epidemiology as a field). Drawing on Dr. Carol Gould’s sense of solidarity as the central tenet of any movement dedicated to addressing structural injustice, we imagine applying it to our own field to define solidarity-based epidemiology.
We believe solidarity involves changing underlying frameworks and methods related to how we ask questions, with the ultimate goal of re-distributing power to the most marginalized in order to advance their health. Epidemiologists have a role in this power redistribution through individual choice and cultural change within the field. For example, in thinking about how we might address the structural injustices experienced by disabled people, we suggest meeting disability advocates’ demands to ensure their ability to participate fully in all spaces (virtual and in person). To better serve our first-generation, lower income, or undocumented students, we suggest prioritizing funding schools with higher enrollments of these groups and providing unrestricted funds to ensure they can complete their education. Solidarity work requires intentional collaboration with previously ignored voices – a task difficult to accomplish without structural change in the discipline to allow for diverse methodological frameworks, study timelines, promotion timelines and research priorities to engage in this solidarity based work.
Through describing the tenets of solidarity-based epidemiology, we hope to inspire a conversation about cultural change in the discipline.