Research Symposium

BIO

I'm a sophomore premed student from Miami with an interest in healthcare and research. I’m planning to pursue a career as a physician and currently exploring different areas of the field.

The Politics of Heat: How Farmworker Heat Illness is Framed in Public Discourse​

Abstract

This study investigates the public discourse surrounding heat-related illnesses among farmworkers in the United States, a population facing a disproportionately high risk. Through a systematic content analysis of news articles, blogs, and audiovisual media from 2017 to 2022, the research identifies dominant narratives and explores how these narratives influence policy decisions. Utilizing the Newsbank database and a manual coding thematic analysis process, the study reveals that while heat-related illness is often used to promote indirectly related topics such as climate change and immigration, there is a tendency to frame the issue through individual blame rather than addressing systemic workplace shortcomings. This framing leaves farmworkers vulnerable to further injury and neglect, despite the lack of federal heat standards. The research highlights the need for stronger farmworker protections and suggests future studies could expand the scope of analysis to advocate for policy changes.

Keywords: Farmworkers; Heat-related illness; Public discourse