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Margaret Everett, Associate Professor of Sociology and International Studies
Ph.D. Yale, 1996.
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Research Interests: Health and Migration, Diabetes, Nutrition, Medical Anthropology, Latin American Studies, Health Policy, New Genetics
Projects: 1) I am currently conducting research on the social determinants of diabetes in Oaxaca, Mexico, and the relationship between local beliefs and practices around diabetes management and the biomedical model. For the past two years I have conducted interviews with diabetics and doctors in a low-income clinic near the city of Oaxaca in order to better understand patient and physician “Explanatory Models” of the disease. 2) Qualitative assessment of the HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) program in Northeast Portland (with Heather Hartley). The HEAL Program is a participatory, community-based approach to improving childhood nutrition and activity. Working with the Multnomah County Health Department, we will be conducting interviews with community partners in order to identify program successes and challenges. 3) Social and cultural implications of the New Genetics. I have written several articles about the rise of genetic privacy concerns in the U.S., including Oregon’s landmark Genetic Privacy Act. The mapping of the human genome has been accompanied by a proliferation of genetic explanations for everything from heart disease to mental illness and has sparked both hope for new medical treatments and anxiety about discrimination and loss of privacy. More recently, I have begun to look at how genetics and notions of family inheritance may or may not be meaningful to diabetics and physicians in Mexico, and how genetic explanations may impact family dynamics and management strategies. |
