Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society

In this rewind episode, we explore the concept of weathering — the cumulative, biological toll that chronic stress from living in an unjust society can have on people from marginalized communities. This framework helps explain why health disparities persist, and why they often deepen over time.

Our guest is Dr. Arline Geronimus, a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and Institute for Social Research. She is also affiliated with the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, and is the author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.

Dr. Geronimus joins us to unpack the science behind weathering, the lived realities it reflects, and what it means for public health, policy, and equity.