THE PERSISTENT PATIENT AND THE SKEPTICAL PHYSICIAN: ANALYZING THE EPISTEMIC OPPRESSION OF MINORITIES IN MEDICINE

Author

Msgana H. Araya, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow

Date of Award

8-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Philosophy

Major Professor

Dr. Nora Berenstain

Committee Members

Nora Berenstain, Kristina Gehrman, Judith Carlisle

Abstract

This project explores the ethical implications of epistemic oppression in medicine, arguing that the underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities, such as East Africans, is not an isolated oversight but part of a broader system of interconnected injustices. In my discussions, I show how patient mistrust and the dismissal of patient testimony reflect deeper failures to recognize the relational and structural nature of health, knowledge, and care.

Recommended Citation

Araya, Msgana H., "THE PERSISTENT PATIENT AND THE SKEPTICAL PHYSICIAN: ANALYZING THE EPISTEMIC OPPRESSION OF MINORITIES IN MEDICINE. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2025.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/14526