A “causal revolution” has taken over academic epidemiology. By asking us to imagine exposures as hypothetical interventions that improve population health, the revolution’s main evangelists are promoting methodological rigor through counterfactual reasoning. This seminar will argue, however, that these same evangelists are simultaneously promoting a theory of change that is so narrow as to actually obscure the main avenues through which epidemiologic research advances reparative and distributive justice. Drawing on a variety of case studies related to such themes as police violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and environmental injustice, this talk will explore how causal inference in epidemiology can help adjudicate issues of accountability and attribution for harm in legal and political contexts. It will do so with the following question in mind: How might the recent increased attention to (and funding of) epidemiologic research about structural racism strengthen efforts to dismantle white supremacy and undermine racial capitalism rather than simply producing more journal articles?

Who should attend? All faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members are welcome to attend.