FOCUS
Hawi is interested in investigating the social and structural factors that impact the health outcomes of racial minorities, and the ways that the social capital of minority communities can be incorporated into public health services. Health interventions in historically marginalized communities are often informed by deficit-focused frameworks. Hawi hopes that her work will reframe health disparities research in ways that center the experiences and resilience of underserved populations in health services and policies.
MORE ABOUT HAWI
Hawi’s research is driven by an interdisciplinary focus, which integrates social science and public health in order to better understand and address the mechanisms and outcomes of inequity. Hawi’s research is also shaped by a background in public health practice, which recognizes the influence of policy in determining the quality of services for underserved communities.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — MAY 2021
Maternal Mortality in the Spotlight: An Analysis of Maternal Health Research, News Media Coverage, and Public Opinion Related to Maternal Mortality and Maternal Health Policies in the United States
Improving the high rates of maternal mortality in the United States has been a focal point for researchers and politicians in recent years. As research seeks to understand the experiences of birthing people for the purpose of improving adverse health outcomes, it is important to also consider how the experiences of birthing people are translated in news media, and how this information impacts the attitudes and beliefs of the general public, whose opinions influence the policy process. This dissertation examines the issue of maternal mortality through a review of literature that examines the perinatal care experiences of birthing people through an ecological framework, a critical analysis of news media about maternal mortality through a content analysis of newspaper coverage, and an experiment that examines the effects of birthing people’s narratives on public perceptions of the causes of, and policy solutions for, maternal mortality in the United States.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HPRS DISSERTATION AWARDS, CLICK HERE.
