WEH/Ethox Seminar: A Social Connection Theory of Justice for Global Health Equity

How should one respond to gross injustice with no apparent cause? Abundant examples exist of injustice in the arena of global health as anyone can attest who has traveled or watched the news. Sometimes a clear culprit exists, but often we become lost in a maze of associations and cannot satisfactorily pinpoint liability—something is amiss and yet no one seems exceptionally blameworthy. Political theorist Iris Marion Young described a social connection theory of justice that holds to account all who dwell within unjust systems. We will contextualize her theory with examples of global health inequity from Africa and discuss the meaning of individual responsibility for injustice outside the traditional liability model in this setting.