The Scholars’ Lecture by Dr Tanisha Spratt, (PhD Newnham College, Cambridge), was held on 19 January. Review by Vanessa (Year 13):
Dr Tanisha Spratt delighted the Specialist Scholars with her unique and engaging lecture into ‘Intersectionality’. Sociological issues of racism, class and gender have increasingly caught the attention of the Charterhouse community, as illustrated by the recent establishment of both Sociology Society and Equality Society. By using the Healthcare system as the basis of her lecture, Dr Spratt reveals the implicit discriminatory factors within the system, which have arguably contributed to the cycle of deprivation and the lack of social mobility amongst socially stratified groups around the world.
The 75-minute session was unlike any other lecture that we have attended. Not only was the lecture about a topic that Carthusians rarely consider within the School curriculum, but also highly relatable to our everyday lives. What made Dr Spratt’s lecture stand out was her style of delivery, the lecture was full of discussion and feedback sessions, it was an invaluable experience for us to reflect on the perspective that we view the world. We had a few interactive short discussions between the two Year groups of Specialist Scholars, as well as receiving some of the most recent findings in medical sociology from Dr Spratt. Whilst some medical pupils believe that it is the doctors responsibility to save as many lives as possible, some pupils rebutted that when faced with two patients during an emergency, subconscious choices are easily made based and age, class through clothing, language, cultural differences etc. ‘The Physiology of Sexist and Racist Oppression’, ‘The Health Gap’ and ‘Health Inequalities and Global Justice’ were suggested for further reading.
The engaging session passed in a flash, ending with the final concept of ‘affirmative action’ in the recruitment processes and university applications, which was raised during the Q&A session. Not only did Dr Spratt’s lecture introduce sociology as a highly relatable subject to Carthusians, but it has encouraged a view beyond the School curriculum and into our future.
