THE ETHNIC PATTERNING OF HEALTH - NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THEORY AND RESEARCH

This paper argues that analysis of the ethnic patterning of health has failed adequately to examine the social meaning of ethnicity, while t oo often becoming enmeshed in unhelpful dualities which counterpose ma terial to cultural explanations, multiculturalism to anti-racism, and sociology to epidemiology. Against the background of anthropological, objectivist and postmodern theories in the broader sociology of 'race' and ethnicity, the paper develops a concept of ethnicity for the purp oses of health research. This is used to evaluate biological, migratio n-based, material, cultural and racism-based explanations for the ethn ic patterning of health. It is argued that these types of explanation are best understood within an interactive framework. The methodologica l implications of this for future research are discussed.