This Is Public Health Book Club discussion

For this discussion, we are going over Chapters 1 through 4. Please see below for a list of discussion questions to reflect on after reading.

Ch. 1: An Old Story: The Zero-Sum Hierarchy

- This chapter discusses the “zero-sum” mindset, where individuals believe that progress for some comes at the expense of others in America.

Discussion Questions:

How does the zero-sum mindset affect societal attitudes or even specific policies in America with regard to racial equity today and in American history? Can you share some examples where this mindset prevails, either in your own life or in current events?

Ch. 2: Racism Drained the Pool

- This chapter uses the metaphor or a drained pool to talk about how racism in different communities can lead to the destruction of public resources and community spaces meant for everyone to share.

Discussion Questions:

After reading this chapter, can you think of examples of how the “drained pool” concept manifests in today’s society? What shared resources or community initiatives have been underfunded or dismantled because of racial biases? Further, can you think of examples of other biases, such as those involving gender or other intersecting identities? Do you see this problem impacting communities as a whole, or only specific minoritized groups?

Ch. 3: Going Without

- This chapter is focused on explaining how white Americans have tended to reject policies that could potentially benefit them, because of the resentment they feel towards other races and the underlying fear that historically marginalized groups could benefit from them.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think some Americans have continued to support policies that hard their own economic, mental, and physical wellbeing and health? How has race played a role in this decision making and what are the public health implications of having people “go without” rather than sharing resources? How has this mindset impacted other marginalized groups, such as LBGTQIA+ identifying folx?

Ch. 4: Ignoring the Canary

- This chapter is focused on identifying the warning signs of economic and social decline in communities of color.

Discussion Questions:

Can you think of any events happening today where you can see society is “ignoring the canary”? What lessons can we take from history and this chapter where early warnings were given, but not listened to? How can we create a more inclusive approach when facing deeply-rooted systemic issues?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

1. I had never heard of the zero-sum mindset before reading this book and it is really a complex paradigm to think about. It makes a lot of sense to look back at history and see it playing out especially at the birth of America where there was colonialism at the expense of Indigenous land and lives (so bad that it decreased the amount of carbon in the air), and it makes me think that it is the cause of racism in America today because how could that just disappear so fast? I think today racism is a lot more hidden, but I am reminded of how there is a huge divide between the super wealthy and the poor and even the middle class at times. At the same time, Blacks and Hispanics (and many POC) are disproportionately in the lower socioeconomic status, whereas Whites are typically in the higher socioeconomic status. In current events, I see this playing out in immigration policies, where many people think that immigrants are ruining our country and stealing our jobs. The thing that is so complex with this issue in my opinion is that I really do think some of these people mean well (in their own way), but that their thinking is so harmful to the people they are talking about.

2. The school systems (in Hawaiʻi and I am sure other states too) demonstrates the wealthy vs the poor just by looking at the school from the outside. You can see which ones are underfunded and hence in a poverty stricken area.

3. I think some Americans continue to support policies that are hard on their own health because of the propaganda and rhetoric behind it. They don’t know what they don’t know, and also as the book mentions – racism – but the propaganda has this subtle racism in it. Public health implications of having people "go without" rather than sharing resources means that we end up hurting ourselves in the end also and creating these disparities which lead to harmful consequences among everyone.

4. The biggest one on my mind is immigrants being looked down upon and not allowed to work certain jobs or have to pay out of state tuition when they have lived in that state for years, among many other things. There is also so much hate towards them now and I think we really need to pay attention to that in the US. I think we need to be really aware of this issue so that another “subprime” or something similar does not happen to them, and in result affecting everyone hence the recession. This third question of creating a more inclusive approach when facing deeply-rooted systemic issues is really a good one that I think we need to ask ourselves for the rest of our lives.. How can we make a difference in not continuing to contribute to the problem and instead unwind it and untangle it?