Work

Conceptualizing and Measuring Systemic Racism

Year: 2025

Type: review

Abstract: This article provides a guide for rigorous, theory-driven measurement approaches, proposing best practices for the scientific study of systemic racism in health research. We argue that the analytical crux of measuring systemic racism-a complex, interconnected, and dynamic system-lies in operationalizing the collective logics, properties, and mechanisms that undergird racial inequities. Misalignment between measurement tools and these fundamental features undermines research validity, as incongruent measures distort findings and obscure systemic racism's true impacts. To address this, we draw on interdisciplinary theories and evidence to dissect key features of systemic racism, emphasizing their implications for measurement. We further recommend incorporating temporal processes in health research by leveraging core principles of the life course perspective, which elucidate the intricate interplay of individual, historical, and societal trajectories. Our recommendations underscore the necessity of adopting robust, evidence-based methods to advance the understanding of how systemic racism operates and shapes public health.

Source: Annual Review of Public Health

DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060222-032022

Authors: Tyson H. Brown, Hedwig E. Lee, Margaret T. Hicken, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Patricia Homan

Institutions: Duke University, University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Florida State University

Language: English

Topic: Racial and Ethnic Identity Research

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities