In this project, you will play the part of a sociologist who has been requested by your community to craft a letter of intent to the potential funder, the Department of Health and Human Services. The project will be divided into two parts. In the first part, you will prepare to write the letter of intent by conducting research on the social problem and thinking about how to limit your personal biases.
In the second part of the project, the letter of intent, you will analyze the problem from a sociological perspective, outlining the influential variables and the local and global impacts of the problem. Your goal is to suggest a potential solution. By completing this assignment you demonstrate the following skills employers in the field may be looking for:
Cultural awareness when interacting with others
Research and synthesis of information
Data analysis
Written communication
Critical thinking
Problem analysis and problem solving
Work independently
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Analyze contemporary social problems on local and global scales by applying key theoretical perspectives
Analyze social variables and determinants for their influence in the development of contemporary social problems on a local and global scale
Suggest potential solutions that are aligned with best practices for addressing the negative impacts of social issues
Summarize how to limit personal biases in analyzing social problems
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Prompt
Introduction: In this section, you will summarize your proposal. Explain the contemporary social problem that you selected and discuss the relevance for todays society on a local level. How does the issue present itself in the United States or in your local community?
Problem Description: Determine the most influential social variables and determinants leading to the social problem. Justify your selections with research.
Explain how the social variables and determinants influence the development of the social problem on a local level. Support your explanations with resources.
Explain how the social variables and determinants influence the development of the social problem on a global level. Support your explanations with resources.
Describe the differences and similarities between local and global influences of these social variables and determinants. Provide specific examples.
Approach: In this section, you will sift through your personal biases, with the aim of limiting such biases in your later analysis.
Describe how people talk about this social problem and how stereotypes, biases, and assumptions can confuse the issue. Support your description with resources.
Identify and reflect on your own biases and assumptions around the issue and how these may affect your analysis of the issue. Everyone has certain preconceived notions about social issues. What are yours, and how might they influence your analysis and interpretation?
Explain how you will use sociological theory to limit biases when you analyze the social problem. How can the theory help you limit your biases? Provide a specific example.
Global Impact: So that the funder can understand the significance of the social problem, you will explain the local and global impacts using a sociological perspective.
Provide an example of how the social problem manifests itself on a local as well as global scale. In what other country or countries does this problem present itself and how?
Compare and contrast the existence of the problem locally versus globally. How is the way the problem exists locally similar to or different from the way it exists globally?
Based on your comparison of the local and global manifestations of the social issue, what conclusions can you draw about the influence of globalization on this specific social issue? How similar or different are the social issues and their repercussions, and what does that mean in relation to the impact of globalization?
Select a key sociological theoretical perspective that best explains why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents on a local and global scale, justifying your selection. Base your analysis on one of the three key sociological perspectives covered in Module Twos journal assignment.
Apply your selected theoretical perspective to explain why there are similarities and differences in how the social issue presents on a local and global scale.
Potential Solution
Compare at least one successful attempted solution with at least one attempted unsuccessful solution to the problem. From your comparison, why did the successful solution succeed, and why did the unsuccessful solution fail? Support your findings with resources from the text or your own research.
Based on your previous research, what suggestion do you have for responding to the identified social issue? Specifically, what do you suggest as an action in responding to the social issue?
Explain why your suggestion is likely to be successful, substantiating with research. Explain how the suggestion takes into account your previous research of attempted solutions and identified best practices.
1
Social Issue Black women Maternal Mortality rate in the US.
Author: Stacey Tazifor
Affiliation: Southern New Hampshire University
Course: Sociology of Social Problems 24EW3
Instructor: Monisa Mooney
Date 01/28/2024
2
Black women Maternal Mortality rate in the US.
Introduction
The CDC estimates that Black women are two to three times more likely to experience
preventable fatal pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts (Winny,
2023). Njoku et al. (2023) reiterate that while the maternal mortality rate was 23.8 per 100,000
births in 2020, the rate for Black women was 55.3 per 100,000 births. The risks are similar
regardless of education and income levels. As the National Bureau of Economic Research
demonstrates, white women in the lowest income level have better experiences than Black
women in the wealthiest category (Winny, 2023). Some common life threatening issues Black
women experience include blood clots, preeclampsia, and postpartum hemorrhaging, with
complications like low birth weight and preterm birth being high (Winny, 2023). Others include
embolisms, infections, cardiomyopathy, and cardiovascular conditions (Njoku et al., 2023).
Although there are predispositions to pre-existing health issues like diabetes and obesity that
contribute to racial differences in these statistics, evidence shows that even in the absence of
these conditions, racial disparities are still evident (Njoku et al., 2023).
Problem Description
Using the Weathering Framework, Njoku et al. (2023) demonstrate the individual,
societal, organizational, interpersonal, and community factors that influence the problem across
the United States. From this perspective, the issue can be explained by numerous contributing
factors. At the individual level, mothers beliefs, attitudes, stress levels, and education levels are
cited (Njoku et al., 2023). Black women are poorly informed of the role of preconception health
to a successful pregnancy, increasing the likelihood of being ignored or mistreated due to
3
ignorance (Njoku et al., 2023). The intersectionality of race and gender increases chronic stress
among Black women. At the interpersonal level, preventable maternal deaths can be attributed to
poor doctor-patient relationships, with providers failing to communicate diagnoses, make
appropriate referrals, and document accordingly (Njoku et al., 2023). Organizational factors
include systemic disparities in health, education, and access to resources. Black women lack
access to quality healthcare due to living in underserved neighborhoods (Njoku et al., 2023).
Implicit bias among doctors and providers, lack of cultural competency are all organizational
issues that lead to 30% of Black women experiencing mistreatment from providers compared to
21% of White women (Njoku et al., 2023). At the community level, discrimination like
segregation contributes to poor health among Black women, with segregated communities being
underfunded and impoverished, placing Black women at a disadvantage (Njoku et al., 2023). At
the societal level, structural racism is the main contributor of healthcare disparity (Njoku et al.,
2023).
Khalil et al. (2023) explore maternal mortality globally. In 2020, data shows that a
woman died from preventable pregnancy complications every 2 mins (Khalil et al., 2023).
Compared to UNs goal of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, the global reality is 223 deaths per
100,000 live births (Khalil et al., 2023). Countries that have experienced an increase in the
phenomenon include Greece, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mauritius, US, Belize, Dominican
Republic, and Cyprus (Khalil et al., 2023). The highest records are in sub-Saharan countries like
Nigeria where the maternal mortality rate (MMR) has surpassed 1000 deaths per 100,000 live
births (Khalil et al., 2023). Souza et al. (2023) attribute the rising MMR to biomedical issues
associated with childbirth and pregnancy, determinants of health, inequalities in health
4
development, and socioeconomic issues. The conditions within which women are born, raised,
live affect maternal health and are linked to rising disparities in MMR among populations (Souza
et al., 2023). Social determinants of health include gender, socioeconomic conditions, and
ethnicity (Souza et al., 2023). The authors also cite individual level factors like genetics, age of
pregnancy, pre-existing health conditions, violence, infections, and hazards (Souza et al., 2023).
Health services are also cited including poor knowledge of obstetrics, lack of agency, poor
access and substandard care (Souza et al., 2023). Whether nationally or globally, Njoku et al.
(2023) and Souza et al. (2023) demonstrate MMR are connected to an interplay of factors that
span from individual to societal. For example, a woman raised in poverty and without access to
education, nutrition, and income opportunities whether in Nigeria or the United States is an
embodiment of how complex forces intersect to create contexts where pregnancy complications
lead to death (Souza et al., 2023).
Approach
Saluja & Bryant (2021) posit that implicit bias is a great contributor to MMR in the
United States. Based on cultural stereotypes, peoples attitudes and beliefs about African
Americans are reinforced and perpetuated by systems in society (Saluja & Bryant, 2021).
Implicit bias exists when people are not consciously aware of their thoughts and feelings,
causing attitudes about minorities based on their race and ethnicity (Saluja & Bryant, 2021). For
instance, doctors hold false beliefs that there are biological distinctions between Black and White
patients, for instance, increased tolerance for pain among Black mothers, causing doctors to
ignore pain among Black patients (Saluja & Bryant, 2021). The authors argue that stereotypes
and biases about Black women contribute to how providers counsel them on caesarian deliveries,
5
contraception, chronic conditions, and management of reproductive health issues like fibroids
(Saluja & Bryant, 2021). My preconceived notions about Black MMR are influenced by Black
womens depictions on media and TV. Stereotypic depictions of Black women as welfare
mothers are common, which perpetuates the idea that Black pregnant women are overly reliant
on government services, despite evidence to the contrary. My analysis of Black MMR is clouded
by these depictions. From a conflict theory perspective, it is clear that social issues like MMR
can be assessed as individuals competing for resources like healthcare and the inequalities in
institutions maintaining an unequal society. There are intersections of education, income, and
government structures that contribute to and maintain inequalities between White and Black
women, contributing to MMR.
6
References
Khalil, A., Samara, A., O’Brien, P., Coutinho, C. M., Quintana, S. M., & Ladhani, S. N. (2023).
A call to action: the global failure to effectively tackle maternal mortality rates. The
Lancet Global Health, 11(8), e1165-e1167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214109X(23)00247-4
Njoku, A., Evans, M., Nimo-Sefah, L., & Bailey, J. (2023). Listen to the Whispers before They
Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United
States. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(3), 438.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030438
Saluja, B., & Bryant, Z. (2021). How implicit bias contributes to racial disparities in maternal
morbidity and mortality in the United States. Journal of women’s health, 30(2), 270-273.
Souza, J. P., Day, L. T., Rezende-Gomes, A. C., Zhang, J., Mori, R., Baguiya, A., … & Oladapo,
O. T. (2023). A global analysis of the determinants of maternal health and transitions in
maternal mortality. The Lancet Global Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214109X(23)00468-0
Winny, A. (2023, June 27). How can we solve the Black maternal health crisis? Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/solving-the-blackmaternal-health-crisis
1
Final Project: Black women Maternal Mortality rate in the US.
Author
Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Date
2
Final Project: Black women Maternal Mortality rate in the US.
Introduction
The CDC estimates that Black women are two to three times more likely to experience
preventable fatal pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts (Winny,
2023). Njoku et al. (2023) reiterate that while the maternal mortality rate was 23.8 per 100,000
births in 2020, the rate for Black women was 55.3 per 100,000 births. The risks are similar
regardless of education and income levels. As the National Bureau of Economic Research
demonstrates, white women in the lowest income level have better experiences than Black
women in the wealthiest category (Winny, 2023). Some common life threatening issues Black
women experience include blood clots, preeclampsia, and postpartum hemorrhaging, with
complications like low birth weight and preterm birth being high (Winny, 2023). Others include
embolisms, infections, cardiomyopathy, and cardiovascular conditions (Njoku et al., 2023).
Although there are predispositions to pre-existing health issues like diabetes and obesity that
contribute to racial differences in these statistics, evidence shows that even in the absence of
these conditions, racial disparities are still evident (Njoku et al., 2023).
Problem Description
Using the Weathering Framework, Njoku et al. (2023) demonstrate the individual,
societal, organizational, interpersonal, and community factors that influence the problem across
the United States. From this perspective, the issue can be explained by numerous contributing
factors. At the individual level, mothers beliefs, attitudes, stress levels, and education levels are
cited (Njoku et al., 2023). Black women are poorly informed of the role of preconception health
to a successful pregnancy, increasing the likelihood of being ignored or mistreated due to
3
ignorance (Njoku et al., 2023). The intersectionality of race and gender increases chronic stress
among Black women. At the interpersonal level, preventable maternal deaths can be attributed to
poor doctor-patient relationships, with providers failing to communicate diagnoses, make
appropriate referrals, and document accordingly (Njoku et al., 2023). Organizational factors
include systemic disparities in health, education, and access to resources. Black women lack
access to quality healthcare due to living in underserved neighborhoods (Njoku et al., 2023).
Implicit bias among doctors and providers, lack of cultural competency are all organizational
issues that lead to 30% of Black women experiencing mistreatment from providers compared to
21% of White women (Njoku et al., 2023). At the community level, discrimination like
segregation contributes to poor health among Black women, with segregated communities being
underfunded and impoverished, placing Black women at a disadvantage (Njoku et al., 2023). At
the societal level, structural racism is the main contributor of healthcare disparity (Njoku et al.,
2023).
Khalil et al. (2023) explore maternal mortality globally. In 2020, data shows that a
woman died from preventable pregnancy complications every 2 mins (Khalil et al., 2023).
Compared to UNs goal of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, the global reality is 223 deaths per
100,000 live births (Khalil et al., 2023). Countries that have experienced an increase in the
phenomenon include Greece, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mauritius, US, Belize, Dominican
Republic, and Cyprus (Khalil et al., 2023). The highest records are in sub-Saharan countries like
Nigeria where the maternal mortality rate (MMR) has surpassed 1000 deaths per 100,000 live
births (Khalil et al., 2023). Souza et al. (2023) attribute the rising MMR to biomedical issues
associated with childbirth and pregnancy, determinants of health, inequalities in health
4
development, and socioeconomic issues. The conditions within which women are born, raised,
live affect maternal health and are linked to rising disparities in MMR among populations (Souza
et al., 2023). Social determinants of health include gender, socioeconomic conditions, and
ethnicity (Souza et al., 2023). The authors also cite individual level factors like genetics, age of
pregnancy, pre-existing health conditions, violence, infections, and hazards (Souza et al., 2023).
Health services are also cited including poor knowledge of obstetrics, lack of agency, poor
access and substandard care (Souza et al., 2023). Whether nationally or globally, Njoku et al.
(2023) and Souza et al. (2023) demonstrate MMR are connected to an interplay of factors that
span from individual to societal. For example, a woman raised in poverty and without access to
education, nutrition, and income opportunities whether in Nigeria or the United States is an
embodiment of how complex forces intersect to create contexts where pregnancy complications
lead to death (Souza et al., 2023).
Approach
Saluja & Bryant (2021) posit that implicit bias is a great contributor to MMR in the
United States. Based on cultural stereotypes, peoples attitudes and beliefs about African
Americans are reinforced and perpetuated by systems in society (Saluja & Bryant, 2021).
Implicit bias exists when people are not consciously aware of their thoughts and feelings,
causing attitudes about minorities based on their race and ethnicity (Saluja & Bryant, 2021). For
instance, doctors hold false beliefs that there are biological distinctions between Black and White
patients, for instance, increased tolerance for pain among Black mothers, causing doctors to
ignore pain among Black patients (Saluja & Bryant, 2021). The authors argue that stereotypes
and biases about Black women contribute to how providers counsel them on caesarian deliveries,
5
contraception, chronic conditions, and management of reproductive health issues like fibroids
(Saluja & Bryant, 2021). My preconceived notions about Black MMR are influenced by Black
womens depictions on media and TV. Stereotypic depictions of Black women as welfare
mothers are common, which perpetuates the idea that Black pregnant women are overly reliant
on government services, despite evidence to the contrary. My analysis of Black MMR is clouded
by these depictions. From a conflict theory perspective, it is clear that social issues like MMR
can be assessed as individuals competing for resources like healthcare and the inequalities in
institutions maintaining an unequal society. There are intersections of education, income, and
government structures that contribute to and maintain inequalities between White and Black
women, contributing to MMR.
6
References
Khalil, A., Samara, A., O’Brien, P., Coutinho, C. M., Quintana, S. M., & Ladhani, S. N. (2023).
A call to action: the global failure to effectively tackle maternal mortality rates. The
Lancet Global Health, 11(8), e1165-e1167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214109X(23)00247-4
Njoku, A., Evans, M., Nimo-Sefah, L., & Bailey, J. (2023). Listen to the Whispers before They
Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United
States. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(3), 438.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030438
Saluja, B., & Bryant, Z. (2021). How implicit bias contributes to racial disparities in maternal
morbidity and mortality in the United States. Journal of women’s health, 30(2), 270-273.
Souza, J. P., Day, L. T., Rezende-Gomes, A. C., Zhang, J., Mori, R., Baguiya, A., … & Oladapo,
O. T. (2023). A global analysis of the determinants of maternal health and transitions in
maternal mortality. The Lancet Global Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214109X(23)00468-0
Winny, A. (2023, June 27). How can we solve the Black maternal health crisis? Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://Public
