The Politics of Social, Ecological, and Structural Determinants of Health in Canada

Book excerpt: The Politics of Social, Ecological, and Structural Determinants of Health in Canada is the first Canadian book to examine intersections of social, ecological, and structural determinants of health as the crucial pathway to tackling growing health inequities in Canada. Critical perspectives on the social and ecological determinants of health are explored using detailed and easily accessible case studies. Each chapter integrates how health and illness are rooted in social, economic, and political structures, with clear explanations of how societal power and ruling relations so strongly determine human and planetary health. Bringing together health, social, ecological, and political sciences, this text makes the case that the structural determinants of health are increasingly urgent and pivotal markers of who lives and who dies. The text also explores earth-centred policy and governance strategies to lessen and halt extreme inequities. This powerful text will serve a broad scope of readers, including students and researchers in health, social, and geological sciences; practitioners and policy-makers; and people in non governmental and not-for-profit organizations.