“by facilitating healthy practice among only the advantaged, inequities are perpetuated”Article linked here
This research article by Kim D. Travers highlights problems with current health education practices, the use of health education for social change as an alternative, and a case study demonstrating the impact of socially oriented education practices. The author describes how traditional health education methods don’t work on communities that aren’t able to put health recommendations into action due to low resources. When only people with enough resources are able to institute health recommendation changes, existing inequalities are perpetuated. An alternative method for health education includes increasing under-resourced communities’ control over their health, which can look like legislative change and community involvement in health issues that impact them. Travers outlines a case study done in a low-income community in Nova Scotia which shows what collective action and community involvement in health issues looks like. The researcher organized a series of conversations within this community which led to identification of problems which most directly impact them, enacting change on the issue, and recognition of collective power within the group. Implications of this study for health education include the need for health education which is more sensitive to and understanding of disadvantaged individuals, and socially oriented educational practices.
My central takeaway from this article is the power of collective action and community involvement when making public health changes. One quote from the article which sums the purpose of education for social change is to “support people in making their own decisions so that they themselves can decide what is good for them”(pp.345). Using methods such as these which empower people disadvantaged by current health systems and involve them in making change is integral when working in public health.
Written by Lauren King Watt