Description
This Research Paper assignment asks you to identify a cultural group with which you identify and explore a disparity that the group experiences using data to describe and define the disparity, including comparisons to other groups (without that last piece it would not be a disparity, just a health outcome). You will be working individually to complete this assignment. This in-depth analysis should be 8-10 pages of content (i.e., not including cover page, references, and any attachments). Additional details regarding general requirements and grading are outlined below. Paper Components: Choose a cultural group in which you feel you have an active identity around or involvement with and provide some background on the culture Describe your relationship to this culture Provide historical context for the culture, including its origins and key developments that have helped shape the culture and the experience of its members, with a focus on challenges to social justice and equity Membership demographics and characteristics – who makes up this culture, such as nationality, race/ethnicity, spirituality/religion, and location Identify and describe a disparity experienced by this group. This can be: A health disparity which is a higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one group relative to another Note: You may not write about diabetes or obesity A health care disparity which typically refers to differences between groups in health insurance coverage, access to and use of care, and quality of culturally appropriate care, or A disparity in the social determinants of health such as access to quality education or housing and how that affects the group’s health Create an argument with supportive data that either: Presents data that support your beliefs about the identified disparity in this population, OR Discuss why you think the existing data does NOT support the existence of the health disparity, OR Explain why you think the data does not exist to support the disparity (e.g., the cultural group not historically being counted in national data, such as with transgender communities) The data and analysis should include: Who experiences the disparity, who is/are the comparison groups, and data on the specific disparity? The significance and/or outcomes of the disparity Factors that affect the disparity such as policies or the absence of policies, access to culturally appropriate care, location and the built environment, or access to education. Identify a public health initiative that has been implemented for the disparity in the identified cultural group: What was the initiative(s) about, including the region it was conducted, priority population, and strategies and activities that are utilized in the initiative? What makes the initiative culturally competent? How did the organization engage their identified population? How successful were the initiatives in addressing the disparity and improving health outcomes in your chosen population group? Discuss suggestions or recommendations you have to supplement or improve the initiative(s) In developing supplements or improvements to current programs or public health initiatives for this population group, base your ideas on the concepts you have learned in this class (e.g., social-ecological model, public health planning frameworks) General Requirements: Be sure to begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion Your introduction should clearly articulate your argument and identify which approach you are taking to address this topic (refer to Paper Component #3) The paper should be organized around the Social-Ecological Model and a Public Health framework The paper is to be written in APA format (7th Edition) with the following requirements: 1” margins A properly formatted title page Page numbers Times Roman 12 pt. font with double spacing Proper use of level headings to guide yourself while writing and to guide the reader through your work At a minimum you must use level I headings for the major portions Research is a necessity for this assignment You must use at least five (5) scholarly resources If you are unclear as to what is a scholarly source, please consult with me Your paper needs to be properly cited You are required to use APA in-text citations for information from external sources You are required to include an APA formatted reference page (remember, this is NOT included in your final page count) Grading: Your paper will be assessed with the following general criteria. A more detailed rubric will be shared in the future. Writing mechanics and use of APA formatting and style Introduction and conclusion Cultural group framing, including the origin, history, and membership characteristics Identification and description of a specific disparity, including data to describe the disparity or if saying there is no data to support the disparity that you have identified provide a clear description of why, including data to support your assertion Identification and description of a current public health or other initiative that address the disparity