Raphael, DennisBorras, Arnel Mercado2022-12-142022-12-142022-06-132022-12-14http://hdl.handle.net/10315/40636Despite numerous public policy proposals and interventions to address preventable health inequalities, that is, health inequities among and within countries, this societal problem persists. This research addresses how and why health inequities, especially class, race/ethnicity, and gender health inequities, persist in Canada and how to reduce such differences through public policy action. First, I performed a theoretical and critical realist review of existing literature focusing on pluralism, discursive institutionalism, and critical political economy approach to health and policy change. Then I conducted a thematic analysis of the interview data corpus gathered from 23 semi- structured interviews with leading and influential Canadian policy academics, activists, and advocates to address the research questions. Reflexivity also forms part of my methods. The main findings demonstrated that health inequities or the avoidable health inequalities in Canada are primarily caused by 1) the capitalist economic system; 2) the co-constitutives of capitalism, namely colonialism, racism, and sexism; and 3) maldistributive public policies. Health inequities are further sustained by 1) power, interest, and ideology trumping evidence-based research and policy ideas; 2) unequal wealth and power among competing interests and advocacy groups; 3) the dominance of the business and corporate sector in health politics and public policymaking processes; 4) neoliberal governing authorities; and 5) fragmented and weak labour unions, civil society groups, and social movements. Canada’s health inequities reduction efforts necessitate 1) pushing for redistributive public policies; 2) uniting and strengthening labour unions, civil society groups, and social movements; and 3) engaging in electoral politics. The core strategies to realize these health equity goals are the ensemble of information, education, advocacy, organization, and mobilization. Reducing health inequities in general and class, race/ethnicity, and gender health inequities, in particular, may involve struggling within and against capitalism and struggling for socialism. This study may provoke social actions toward emancipatory social change to achieve health justice.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Health sciencesPublic policyPublic healthElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2022-12-14Health inequalitiesHealth inequitiesHealth injusticeHealth equityHealth justicePublic policyHealthy public policyPublic health policyPolicy changePolicy change and healthHealth politicsPolitics and healthPublic healthCritical political economyPolitical economy of healthInstitutionalism and healthDiscursive institutionalism and healthPluralism and healthNeopluralismCorporatismCorporate powerSocial inequalities and healthSocial inequities and healthSocial injustice and healthCapitalism and healthNeoliberalism and healthRacism and healthSexism and healthPatriarchy and healthClass and health inequalityRacial inequality and healthGender inequality and healthDiscrimination and healthClass health inequitiesRacial health inequitiesGender health inequitiesGendered capitalism and healthRacialized capitalism and healthGendered and racialized capitalism and healthIntersectionality and healthGlobal healthSocial epidemiologyEnvironment and healthEcology and healthSocial determinants of healthPoverty and healthHousing and healthHealthcare systemsPower and health inequitiesCompeting interestsIdeologyEvidence-based researchEvidence-based policyResearch-informed ideasResearch-informed policyAdvocacyActivismSocial movementsLabour movementsHealth movementsUnions and unionizationCivil society groupsCommunityOrganizingMobilizingElectoral politicsEmancipatory social changeSocial justiceSocialismQualitative researchQualitative methodTheoretical reviewCritical realist reviewRealist reviewThematic analysisSemi-structured interviewReflexivityCanada