Neoliberalism and Healthcare in the Age of Social Media: An analysis of Yelp reviews for Philadelphia Medical Practices
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2020
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology
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en
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Abstract
Healthcare in the United States has become deeply linked with the same neoliberal
ideologies that shape our national economy and because of this, healthcare for Americans
resembles more the service industry than it does a necessary human right. For this reason, the
same inequalities present in the US economic system translate to healthcare. This thesis seeks to
understand the state of healthcare in Philadelphia through the analysis of Yelp reviews of
doctors’ offices and health clinics- specifically, through the doctor-patient interactions described
on Yelp by reviewers in the Rittenhouse Square and North Philadelphia neighborhoods. While
the reviews of patients in Rittenhouse were reflected on aspects of the encounter that include the
doctor’s demeanor and the atmosphere of the clinic. While patients in North Philadelphia also
reflect on these aspects of their experience, they are also focused on wait times and quality of
care itself. What is clear is that there are discrepancies between the experiences of patients in
these two neighborhoods which can be linked to broader structural implications of neoliberalism
and healthcare.