Equity in Policies and Interventions to Advance Social Connection

On Wednesday, April 10th, from 1-1:50 pm in FXB G12 or online, join us for “Equity in Policies and Interventions to Advance Social Connection” a seminar led by Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, and the latest installment in our Loneliness and Well-being Seminar Series.

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory drawing attention to an “epidemic of loneliness and social isolation” and called for a national strategy to advance social connectedness. The advisory also emphasized that “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are critical components of any such strategy. It must recognize that everyone is impacted by social connection, but that some groups may be more disproportionally impacted by some policies. Thus, policymakers must give focused attention to reducing disparities in risk and ensuring equal access to benefits.” To start the conversation about a national policy to advance social connections, Dr. Kawachi will address two questions prompted by the Surgeon General’s advisory – first, what types of social connection should we seek to strengthen? – strong ties versus weak ties, bonding versus bridging social ties; and second, how can policies address inequities in access to social connections by socioeconomic status and race?

This seminar will be led by Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, MB.Ch.B., Ph.D. Dr. Kawachi currently serves as the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Social Epidemiology in the Social & Behavioral Sciences Department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he has taught since 1992.  His research focuses on the social determinants of health and health equity.

RSVP: https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Hu3N75VnvPejFc