Abstract:
An exploration of the complexities behind vaccination decisions, Deconstructing the “Black Vaccine Hesitant Subject”: The Broadening of Black Relationalities to Medicine and Power, examines the public discourse surrounding vaccine hesitancy and vaccination decisions among African Americans. Through a critique of public health messaging, interviews, social media analysis an extensive literature review, this thesis attempts to deconstruct the notion behind the “Black, vaccine-hesitant subject” with a focus on resisting hegemonic narratives that paint Black people as monolithic. This thesis shows that simplifying the complexities behind vaccination decision can obscure nuances and mask the systemic issues that affect vaccination decisions. In contextualizing the perceptions and thoughts of the COVID-19 among Black people, Deconstructing the “Black Vaccine Hesitant Subject,” has the potential to provide insight into the complex relationship between Black people and medicine.
