Theses Master's

Intersectional Vulnerabilities of Conservative Narratives and Climate Change on the Health of California Agricultural Workers

Mooney-McCarthy, Morgan

Farmworkers are at an increased risk of health problems due to the political climate of the United States as a rise in anti-immigrant sentiments continues to dominate conservative narratives. Their health is at an increased risk due to the labor required in farmwork and the conditions changing weather has caused. As the climate changes, no one is prepared for increased storms, higher temperatures, more frequent heat waves, and longer fire seasons.

These conditions plague the average California resident but are particularly impactful for those whose livelihoods depend on agricultural labor. These harsh weather conditions come with numerous increased health risks that only put farmworkers at increased risk for medical concerns. While lack of access to proper healthcare is certainly important, the purpose of this thesis is to correlate anti-immigrant rhetoric and climate change on increasing the plight farmworkers face. Such rhetoric has been shown to deter undocumented immigrants from seeking medical treatment. With this fact known, the additional health impacts they face from harsh weather increase their vulnerability making an existing bad situation worse.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Institute for the Study of Human Rights
Thesis Advisors
Bickford, Louis N.
Degree
M.A., Columbia University
Published Here
October 4, 2023