Overview
In this project, we examine the socio-economic and health conditions of Afro-descendants in Costa Rica by considering various sources of data, published studies, and journal articles. We first describe the demographic composition of Costa Rica using census data. Other sources of data are also considered to find appropriate data disaggregated by ethnic groups for our analyses. We then study the differences in educational outcomes between Afro-descendants and the rest of the population (through a province-level analysis). This is followed by an examination of differences in employment outcomes, namely, unemployment rate, labour participation rate, and economic dependency rate. We supplement this analysis by uncovering important trends in sectoral level of employment to shed light on differences in economic mobility by ethnic groups in Costa Rica. We also study health conditions of Afro-descendants in Costa Rica by considering indicators of disabilities and access to medical insurance. Finally, we delve into understanding the history and politics of Costa Rica to contextualize our findings.
Please scroll down to find the embedded pdf report, below which is a link to download an editable ppt version.
You can also refer to the corresponding OER lesson plan on this webpage: https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/black-studies-across-the-americas/2022/12/13/lesson-plan-examining-the-socio-economic-and-health-conditions-of-afro-descendants-in-costa-rica/. You will also find a link to download the lesson on the page.
BMCC Students: Arturo Alejo, Johnny Anderson, Nazeera Audi, Josephine Inpanya, Leah Lalljie
Graduate Fellow: Janelle Poe, Humanities Alliance, CUNY Graduate Center
Costa Rica Collaborator: Tiffany Hall
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shruti Sharma
BSAA-Costa-Rica-Report