A review of theories, concepts and interventions relating to community-level strengths and their impact on health and well being
Lead Research Organisation:
Cardiff University
Department Name: Sch of Social Sciences
Abstract
This paper draws on two reviews of the relationship between strong communities and health and well being. The first is a theoretical and conceptual review of recent ideas that presuppose the existence of community relationships and indicate their potential contribution to social improvements. The second is a systematic review of community strengthening interventions that have been evaluated in terms of their impact on health and well being.
Whilst there is a wealth of concepts that describe different ways of understanding communities, and theories that could explain the production of social benefits, including health and well being, these are often portrayed relatively narrowly and uncritically. Changing relationships between citizens and the state also shape the ways in which ideas such as resilience, social capital and community organizing are interpreted in government policy.
Despite the rise in popularity of community concepts in public health, the quality of intervention evaluations is poor. In particular the transformational claims for some interventions were presented uncritically. The impact of interventions such as time-banks, community gardens and participatory arts projects on health should be investigated. However non-intervention research on how communities can best mobilise internal and external resources for health gain is also needed.
Whilst there is a wealth of concepts that describe different ways of understanding communities, and theories that could explain the production of social benefits, including health and well being, these are often portrayed relatively narrowly and uncritically. Changing relationships between citizens and the state also shape the ways in which ideas such as resilience, social capital and community organizing are interpreted in government policy.
Despite the rise in popularity of community concepts in public health, the quality of intervention evaluations is poor. In particular the transformational claims for some interventions were presented uncritically. The impact of interventions such as time-banks, community gardens and participatory arts projects on health should be investigated. However non-intervention research on how communities can best mobilise internal and external resources for health gain is also needed.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Eva Elliott (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Elliott E
(2015)
Health Inequalities - Critical Perspectives
Williams G
(2013)
Social inequalities in health: Notes in the margins
in Social Theory & Health
| Description | The scoping study drew on two reviews of the relationship between strong communities and health and well being. The first was a theoretical and conceptual review of recent ideas that presuppose the existence of community relationships and indicate their potential contribution to social improvements. The second was a systematic review of community strengthening interventions that have been evaluated in terms of their impact on health and well being. Whilst there is a wealth of concepts that describe different ways of understanding communities, and theories that could explain the production of social benefits, including health and well being, these are often portrayed relatively narrowly and uncritically. Changing relationships between citizens and the state also shape the ways in which ideas such as resilience, social capital and community organizing are interpreted in government policy. Despite the rise in popularity of community concepts in public health, the quality of intervention evaluations is poor. In particular the transformational claims for some interventions were presented uncritically. The impact of interventions such as time-banks, community gardens and participatory arts projects on health should be investigated. However non-intervention research on how communities can best mobilise internal and external resources for health gain is also needed. |
| Exploitation Route | Refining the theoretical basis for strenghtening community interventions to improve health and wellbeing. |
| Sectors | Other |
| URL | http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Research-funding/Connected-Communities/Scoping-studies-and-reviews/Documents/A%20review%20of%20theories%20.pdf?Mobile=1 |
| Description | The findings were used to inform a subsequent major study funded by AHRC as part of the Connected Communities Programme entitled Representing Communities: Developing the creative power of people to improve health and wellbeing. See http://representingcommunities.co.uk/ Actively using the theoretical framework in research and engagement |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Can Strengthening 'Communities' Improve Health and Well Being? A Public/Policy Dialogue on Theories, Interventions and Action |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The Dialogue facilitated ideas about policy and action on the one hand and the creation of new knowledge and new knowledge spaces on the other. The participants were mixed with policy makers, practitioners in the field of health, wellbeing and regeneration and academics. A major evaluation of Well London used the theoretic framework to make sense of their own data on the impact of the intervention on health and wellbeing. It help to shape ideas for a major project, Representing Communities: Developing the Creative Power of People to improve Health and Wellbeing, funded by the AHRC. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |