Denaturalizing to care: the role of the Social and Human Sciences in addressing contemporary challenges to Public Health

Abstract

This essay reflects on contemporary challenges in Public Health from the perspective of the Social and Human Sciences (SHS). Engaging with the theme of the symposium that celebrated the journal’s trajectory, this paper argues that the SHS offer fundamental contributions by denaturalizing social health inequalities, promoting the production of situated knowledge alongside marginalized populations (including women, Black and Indigenous peoples, and LGBTI+ individuals), and forging interdisciplinary alliances with social movements. By bridging social psychology, human rights, and diversity, the essay champions intersectionality as an indispensable analytical tool. Furthermore, it reaffirms the political and ethical nature of care—a vital element in addressing ongoing health, socio-environmental, and political crises.Social Sciences; Public Health;
Intersectionality; Human Rights; Diversity.