RACE IS NOT PATHOLOGICAL BUT RACISM IS

Abstract

Objectives: To provide a brief history of the race variable, to discuss the misuse of race as a biological rather than a social construction and its implications for the practice of nursing and to suggest racism as a primary determinant of health among people of African descent. Method: Critical reflection on the concept of race and racism. Results: Racism has not changed over the years, but its unit of measurement: race has evolved. Conclusion: It is important to explore the history of the race to understand that African descent has little to do with the physical and mental health profile of black people. The inconsistencies in the classification of people of the same species across countries do not remove the social implications of racism, because the notion of inequality is implicit in racial groups. Thus, disparities in social determinants of health tend to continue and worsen for people of African descent. Descriptors: Race. Racism. Nursing. Health.