HOW DOES THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SUCCEED OR FAIL WITH THE MARGINALIZED CHILD? 1

How does the Education System and the Health Care System Succeed or Fail With The Marginalized Child?

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Introduction

This paper focuses on the marginalized child within the education system and the healthcare system. The questions that will be answered in this essay in regards to marginalized children are what is the impact of institutional bias? What are some examples of institutional bias? What impact do cultural influences have on institutional bias? These institutional biases will be examined from a healthcare system and an educational system framework as previously mentioned. First, I will discuss the healthcare system and the educational system simultaneously.

Healthcare System and Education System and the Marginalized Child

A marginalized child is any child that does not fit within the framework of what it is understood to be a “normal” child in society for lack of a better terminology. These areas of marginalization can and do include the following: issues of race, issues of religion, issues of sexuality, issues of economic income, issues of parental home unit structure, issues of disability, issues of culture and issues of linguistic isolation. One, some or all of the issues may be occurring factors in the life of a child that will create a marginalized situation for them within the healthcare system and the educational system in America (Darden, 2013; Franson, 2013; Saha, 2009).

The institution of the healthcare system and the education system favors the development and the care of the “normal” child (Darden, 2013; Franson, 2013; Saha, 2009). The healthcare system and the education system often have many institutional biases that I will examine based on the aforementioned influences on the marginalized child.

In terms of institutional biases, many clinics, hospitals and doctors’ offices, including those of specialty Doctors such as Dentists and Surgeons do not have Doctors and/or Nurses of color in terms of race that would facilitate the level of comfort for the marginalized child who most likely lives with a family unit of comforting adults and other children who look like them. As well, many education systems within America do not have Teachers, Principals and school staff that look like the marginalized child in terms of racial issues. This ends up increasing the level of anxiety that a child will have when faced with the healthcare system and/or educational system. Again, in consideration of religious issues, there are not enough Doctors and Nurses and healthcare staff within the healthcare system that are of a non-Christian faith that would facilitate the ease and comfort of the marginalized child needing healthcare. The same is true of the education system when it comes to Teachers, Principals and school staff. When it comes to issues of sexuality, there are not enough Doctors and Nurses and healthcare staff that can and/or are sensitive to the needs of a Gay, Lesbian and/or Transgendered child that is seeking medical attention within the healthcare system (Franson, 2013).The same is true of the education system in terms of Teachers, Principals and school staff. Again this would increase the level of anxiety that a marginalized child would have in dealing with and/or coming in contact with the education system and/or healthcare system (Darden, 2013; Franson, 2013; Saha, 2009). In terms of issues of economic income, many Doctors, Nurses and healthcare staff do not understand and/or can relate to a marginalized child that lives in poverty. The same is true of the education system for Teachers, Principals and school staff with the exception of the Janitors.

Many Doctors, Nurses, healthcare staff, Teachers, Principals and school staff cannot understand nor relate to a marginalized child that has two fathers, or a marginalized child that has two mothers, or a marginalized child that has a transgendered parents and/or two transgendered parents, or even a family structure where the marginalized child has a “village” raising the child which is common in African culture (Darden, 2013; Franson, 2013; Saha, 2009). Many professionals in the education and the healthcare fields simply do not understand which would again raise the anxiety level of the marginalized child and lead to feelings of being misunderstood and feeling isolated.

There was once a very wise young Somali man that said the following: “you have to live it in order to feel it.” When it comes to issues of disability, many education and healthcare professionals do not understand what the marginalized child is truly going through (Darden, 2013; Franson, 2013; Saha, 2009). The same is true for issues of culture. When education and healthcare professionals do not understand your culture needs, they will serve you pork in a hospital when your culture forbids you from eating pork (Darden, 2013; Franson, 2013; Saha, 2009). In conclusion, a marginalized child that is at their most comfortable speaking French at home, or Creole or Patois, or Vietnamese and none of their Teachers, Principals and/or school staff, plus Doctors, Nurses and or healthcare team can understand their mother’s tongue – the tongue and the language of love to them – they do not feel loved by the system of education and healthcare that are dealing with.

Conclusion

This essay has examined the institutional biases of the healthcare and education systems in America through the eyes of the marginalized child.

References

Darden, T. N. (2013). Parental Exclusion from the Education Governance Kaleidoscope:

Providing a Political Voice for Marginalized Students in Our Time of Disruption. Wm. & Mary Bill Rts. J., 22, 1093.

Franson, H. V. (2013). Rise of the Transgender Child: Overcoming Societal Stigma, Institutional

Discrimination, and Individual Bias to Enact and Enforce Nondiscriminatory Dress Code Policies, The. U. Colo. L. Rev., 84, 497.

Saha, S. (2009). Rectifying institutional bias in medical research. Archives of pediatrics &

adolescent medicine, 163(2), 181-182.