Social markers of difference, intersectionality and collective health: Necessary dialogues for health teaching

Abstract

Focusing on health teaching, the objective of the text is to point out the applicability of theoretical accumulations of social markers of differences and intersectionality for understanding processes of care, health, illness and vulnerability. Based on teaching experience in an undergraduate medical course, it discusses how the perspective of articulated analysis of social markers complicates the understanding of the social determination of health and applies to the reality of Brazilian health training. The article is organized into two parts. The first discusses the importance of race and gender, as well as the intersectional perspective, to think about the constitution of diverse bodies and subjects. The second part focuses on direct dialogue with the field of collective health, highlighting Unified Health System (SUS) policies mobilize social markers and resuming Brazilian research that elucidates the importance of such debate for health teaching. Thus, through an interdisciplinary perspective at the interface between social sciences and collective health, the article seeks to contribute to the organization of this debate that, especially since 2010, has taken shape in the Brazil and seeks to advance towards health training that is more committed to equity, diversity and human rights.