In "Flexible Austerity", the author examines how resource shortages can exacerbate inequalities within organizations, specifically focusing on racialized disparities in healthcare. Through an ethnographic study in an urban academic hospital during a nationwide IV opioid shortage, Brewer introduces "flexible austerity"—a practice where decision-makers adjust resource allocation standards based on racial biases, often under the guise of neutrality. Findings reveal that Black patients were deemed "undeserving" of resources at a higher rate, especially during shortages, while White patients received more lenient allocation. This study sheds light on how organizational processes and resource scarcity can intensify structural inequalities.

Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1177/00031224241282307

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