Better Science Enough? Autoethnography of a Collaboration to Measure Structural Racism

Paris Adkins-Jackson; Emily Haozous; Boeun Kim; Alicia Cooke; Melissa Hladek; Laura Samuel; Deidra Crews; Sarah Szanton

doi:10.1093/geroni/igaf122.1476

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Better Science Enough? Autoethnography of a Collaboration to Measure Structural Racism

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Better Science Enough? Autoethnography of a Collaboration to Measure Structural Racism

Paris Adkins-Jackson, Emily Haozous, Boeun Kim, Alicia Cooke, Melissa Hladek, Laura Samuel, Deidra Crews and Sarah Szanton

Innovation in aging, Vol.9(Supplement_2)

12/01/2025

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaf122.1476

PMCID: PMC12763496

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Abstract

Addressing structural racism remains a critical challenge in health and social sciences, despite significant methodological advances over recent decades. This autoethnographic study explores a multidisciplinary collaboration’s approach to measuring structural racism through an intentional anti-racist praxis. Comprising biostatisticians, nurse scientists, epidemiologists, gerontologists, social scientists, and a nephrologist from diverse racial backgrounds, multi-career stages, and institutions, the research team employed innovative methodological approaches to examine structural racism’s complex dimensions. Our collaborative efforts included conducting life course history interviews with older adults racialized as Black, developing an infrastructure for structural racism measurement, organizing an interdisciplinary symposium, and producing a multi-season podcast exploring varied perspectives on racism measurement. Key themes emerging from our work centered on understanding structural racism through lived experiences, institutional infrastructures, and comprehensive measurement strategies. By critically reflecting on our collaborative process, we illuminate both the methodological challenges and potential transformative approaches to understanding and addressing systemic racialized inequities in health research.

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Systemic racism

Details

Title: Subtitle: Better Science Enough? Autoethnography of a Collaboration to Measure Structural Racism
Creators: Paris Adkins-Jackson - Columbia University
Emily Haozous - Pacific Institute For Research and Evaluation
Boeun Kim - University of Iowa
Alicia Cooke - Johns Hopkins University
Melissa Hladek - Johns Hopkins Medicine
Laura Samuel - Johns Hopkins University
Deidra Crews - Johns Hopkins Medicine
Sarah Szanton - Johns Hopkins University
Resource Type: Abstract
Publication Details: Innovation in aging, Vol.9(Supplement_2)
DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaf122.1476
PMCID: PMC12763496
ISSN: 2399-5300
eISSN: 2399-5300
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Language: English
Date published: 12/01/2025
Academic Unit: Nursing
Record Identifier: 9985113253602771

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