Medicalization of Racial Features

Use the introductory paragraph worksheet! Your paragraph should include a thesis statement, and articulate what you are analyzing and how (the roadmap). For the purposes of the Discussion Board, also list the course readings you expect to use in your essay.  you will need to go back in to the Discussion Board and post at least two comments on the paragraphs of the other students in your group. It is your group’s collective responsibility to make sure that every person in your group has at least two comments on their paragraph! A point will be taken away from every member of your group if there are any paragraphs that do not have two comments. Your comments should help authors clarify or develop their thesis statement and/or suggest additional readings that might be relevant for their analysis. With regard to the latter you should provide a sentence explaining why you think the reading you are suggesting might be appropriate.

here is two of my group members.

1- “In her essay, Global Health Futures: Reckoning with a Pandemic Bond, Susan Erikson reckons with pandemic bonds and their implications for underserved countries. The idea behind the creation of these pandemic bonds was that there was a lack of funding and financial support for underserved countries that frequently dealt with infectious disease outbreaks. The pandemic bonds, in theory, would be able to offer support in pandemic situations to help these countries get the disease under control. I initially read what the pandemic funds were created for and thought it was a great idea. When the actual application and implementation of the plan were further explained, my opinion changed.

The fine print of the plan revealed that the pandemic relief money would not be available for struggling communities until they reached specific criteria. This criterion includes the number of deaths that much happen before the money is available. As stated on page 80, “until the official death count reaches 250, no money is released.” The death numbers are also in tiers so the number of deaths correlates to the amount of money given. The full amount of money is not available until 2,500 deaths occur, then $150 million dollars are available (84).

The plan also includes a bond aspect where wealthy individuals essentially loan their money to be used in the event that a pandemic occurs. This initially does not sound alarming, however, the bond period is only 3 years. If a pandemic does not occur in the 3 years of the bond, then the individuals get their money back with interest. From a certain angle, this feels as if rich people are betting on the suffering and death of underserved communities and then profiting if not enough people die. This concept reminds me of the paper we read from Eugenia Kaw, Medicalization of Racial Features, which explored the idea that the cosmetic surgery industry profits from women of color wanting surgical procedures to be more “beautiful”. In both cases, large organizations or wealthy people are praying on underserved populations for monetary gain. This is a perfect example of biopower, using resources to control populations.” from Kailyn Dewey

2-“In Susan Erikson’s essay, Global Health Futures: Reckoning with a Pandemic Bond, she illustrates the Pandemic Emergency Facility which is a World Bank device that utilizes bonds, cash, and swaps to create a reserve for infectious disease outbreaks. Pandemic bonds have changed humanitarian finance. Capital markets have begun to finance humanitarian health rather than governments. Capital markets invest in Pandemic bonds and receive more money on the maturity date if their money has not been released for emergency care. Pandemic bonds intended use is to financially support impoverished countries that are frequently impacted by disease outbreaks. This is an example of biopower, wealthy investors are making a financial decision that controls the population of impoverished countries.

An issue with the bond system is investors make money off of people’s suffering. No bond money is released to prepare for pandemics. For example, during the Ebola pandemic, no money was released until certain criteria were met. When 250 people have died along with other criteria 30% of the bond money is released, 750 people release 60%, and 2,500 death releases 100% which is equal to $150 million. If the criteria are not met in three years investors receive their money plus more even though there is suffering in these countries that don’t meet the criteria.

This use of biopower reminds me of the Medicalization of Reacial Features and The Big Pharm. In the Medicalization of Racial Features, surgeons make money from racism towards Asian Americans when they pay to look more “American.” The Big Pharm makes money off of people buying unnecessary medications and often placebo medication. In both cases, the medical industry is using its biopower to control and make money off of a population”. from Brianna Elbon