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Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being

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A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2015) | Viewed by 83968

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jerry D. Marx

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Guest Editor

Department of Social Work, University of New Hampshire, Hood House, 89 Main St., Durham, NH 03824, USA
Interests: Macro social work practice; community organization; nonprofit administration; social welfare policy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue aims to focus on the contextual factors that characterize “healthy communities” and that impact individual development and well-being around the world. Researchers from various fields including biology, sociology, psychology, political science, history, women’s studies, urban planning and social work are encouraged to submit manuscripts involving theoretical, empirical, or practice-based studies.

Topics that would be appropriate for this issue would include, but are not limited to, the following:

Studies that examine local poverty prevention efforts around the world.
Comparative studies involving access to quality health care, food, or shelter.
Evaluative research on local efforts to prevent and treat drug and alcohol abuse.
Research on the governance of community-based nonprofit organizations delivering social services.
Studies on community as it relates to healthy child development.
Historical or comparative analyses of efforts to promote sustainable community development.
Research on creative uses of social media in community-based social services.

Prof. Jerry D. Marx
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

References:

Von Bertalanffy, Ludwig. General Systems Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications. New York: George Braziller, 1968.
Blau, Peter M. Exchange & Power in Social Life. New York: Wiley, 1964.
Bronfenbrenner, Urie. The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979.
Glaeser, Edward. Triumph of the City. New York: Penguin, 2011.
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1961.
New Urbanism. “Creating livable sustainable communities.” 2013. Available online: http://www.newurbanism.org/ (accessed on 9 June 2015).
Owen, David. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability. New York: Penguin Books, 2009.
Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.
Roseland, Mark. Toward Sustainable Communities. Gabriola Island: New Society, 2012.

Keywords

child development
sustainable community development
health care access
nonprofit organizations, nongovernmental organizations
food security
affordable housing
poverty prevention

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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153 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Healthy Communities: What Have We Learned and Where do We Go from Here?

by Jerry D. Marx

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(3), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5030044 - 25 Aug 2016

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3479

Abstract

Systems theory[1,2]suggests that healthy communities promote healthy individual development.[...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

Research

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584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Converging Urban Agendas: Toward Healthy and Sustainable Communities

by Mark Roseland and Maria Spiliotopoulou

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(3), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5030028 - 5 Jul 2016

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 10137

Abstract

In light of recent developments such as the COP21 Paris climate agreement, the UN adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, and the Habitat III Conference, there is increasing recognition of the role of human settlements as key components of both global challenges and global solutions. “Urban sustainability” under various names has matured over the last three decades not only in planning and related fields, but also in wider professional and popular discourse. In this paper we trace a historical overview of urban sustainability theory and practice, and explain why urban sustainability planning and development currently face limited and inconsistent application. We show that this lack of public uptake is due in part to monitoring, assessment, and decision-support frameworks and tools that do not engage citizens and their governments in a shared “strong sustainability” analysis and/or vision. We argue that urban sustainability today clearly needs to embrace equity, inclusion, and other social considerations; contribute to constructive societal mobilisation and compelling policy-making; advocate for development as a better alternative to growth; encourage the integration of human and environmental health interests; and encompass triple-bottom-line-inspired outcomes. Focusing on community capital productivity and regeneration may be the key to advancing healthy and sustainable communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

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213 KiB

Open AccessArticle

U.S. Volunteering in the Aftermath of the Great Recession: Were African Americans a Significant Factor?

by Vernon B. Carter and Jerry D. Marx

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5020022 - 20 May 2016

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4381

Abstract

The Great Recession weakened U.S. families’ abilities to make charitable gifts. Although African Americans are generally especially hard hit by these types of economic crises, they have a long and distinctive history of volunteerism and mutual assistance. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine African American volunteering in nonprofit organizations in the aftermath of the 2008–2009 recession. Specifically, we examined race as well as other factors with the potential to influence volunteering in four categories of organizations: poverty organizations, senior service agencies, social action groups, and religious affiliated organizations. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data, this secondary analysis produced significant findings regarding volunteerism among African Americans in these community-based organizations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Social Housing and Health Care for Homeless and Marginally-Housed Individuals: A Study of the Housing and Homelessness Steering Committee in Ontario, Canada

by Kristy Buccieri

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5020015 - 30 Mar 2016

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 8571

Abstract

Homelessness is a complex social issue that requires a coordinated systems approach. In recent years, Canada has seen an emergence of integrated care, the joining of health care and social care, to address the needs of homeless persons. This article documents the findings of open-ended interviews with eleven members of the central east Ontario Housing and Homelessness Framework Steering Committee, comprised of service managers and the Local Health Integration Network. As the system planners for social housing and health care, respectively, members of the group work together to align system approaches for homeless persons. Research by this group identified three challenges of collaborating—their different histories and legislation, varied accountability structures, and differing roles and responsibilities within the central east region of Ontario. The study findings indicate that developing a joint document to guide the work was a process through which members began to work through these differences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

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201 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybridity: A Theory of Agency in Early Childhood Governance

by Rachel Robinson

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5010009 - 19 Feb 2016

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5108

Abstract

Contemporary social science research concerning governance tends to take an institutional perspective that privileges structural analysis. The resulting body of literature has an emphasis on classification, typologies and regimes. This approach has been criticized on the basis that it neglects the role of agency and context when research concerns complex and heterogeneous community governance cases. An emerging literature on hybridity in social services aims to address the limitations of structural accounts by acknowledging that diverse logics, ideas, and norms influence the way community based social services resist or adapt in turbulent policy environments. This article considers the strengths and limitations of hybridity in development of a research framework incorporating structure, agency and ideas. The relevance of hybridity theory for the Kids in Communities study—an Australian research project investigating neighborhood influences on child development across multiple case study sites—is evaluated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

192 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Case Study in Organizing for Livable and Sustainable Communities

by Jerry Marx and Alison Rataj

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5010001 - 23 Dec 2015

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 8516

Abstract

Citizens in the U.S. are making organized efforts to demand a new approach to planning urban communities, one that results in more sustainable and livable communities. The profession of social work in the U.S. once had a primary role in organizing urban residents to advocate for healthier environments in their neighborhoods. Yet, recent research documents the diminishing emphasis on community organization as an intervention method in social work. This paper offers a descriptive case study of a successful community organizing effort to promote a more livable city in Portland, Maine (USA). Data was collected by the authors using in-depth personal interviews; archival records (census data, architect models); documents (e-mails, newspaper clippings) as well as direct observation of the impacted community and development site. Implications for social work practitioners and educators involved in community organization promoting healthy communities are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

717 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intersectoral Mobilization in Child Development: An Outcome Assessment of the Survey of the School Readiness of Montreal Children

by Isabelle Laurin, Angèle Bilodeau, Nadia Giguère and Louise Potvin

Soc. Sci. 2015, 4(4), 1316-1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci4041316 - 8 Dec 2015

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5221

Abstract

In 2006, the department of public health in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, conducted the Survey of the School Readiness of Montreal Children. After unveiling the results in February 2008, it launched an appeal for intersectoral mobilization. This article documents the chain of events in the collective decision-making process that fostered ownership of the survey results and involvement in action. It also documents the impacts of those findings on intersectoral action and the organization of early childhood services four years later. The results show that the survey served as a catalyst for intersectoral action as reflected in the increased size and strength of the actor network and the formalization of the highly-anticipated collaboration between school and early childhood networks. Actors have made abundant use of survey results in planning and justifying the continuation of projects or implementation of new ones. A notable outcome, in all territories, has been the development of both transition-to-kindergarten tools and literacy activities. The portrait drawn by the research raises significant issues for public planning while serving as a reminder of the importance of intersectoral mobilization in providing support for multiple trajectories of child preschool development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Who Benefits from Public Healthcare Subsidies in Egypt?

by Ahmed Shoukry Rashad and Mesbah Fathy Sharaf

Soc. Sci. 2015, 4(4), 1162-1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci4041162 - 25 Nov 2015

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 14400

Abstract

Direct subsidization of healthcare services has been widely used in many countries to improve health outcomes. It is commonly believed that the poor are the main beneficiaries from these subsidies. We test this hypothesis in Egypt by empirically analyzing the distribution of public healthcare subsidies using data from Egypt Demographic and Health Survey and Egypt National Health Accounts. To determine the distribution of public health care subsidies, we conducted a Benefit Incidence Analysis. As a robustness check, both concentration and Kakwani indices for outpatient, inpatient, and total healthcare were also calculated. Results show some degree of inequality in the benefits from public healthcare services, which varied by the type of healthcare provided. In particular, subsidies associated with University hospitals are pro-rich and have inequality increasing effect, while subsidies associated with outpatient and inpatient care provided by the Ministry of Health and Population have not been pro-poor but have inequality reducing effect (weakly progressive). Results were robust to the different analytical methods. While it is widely perceived that the poor benefit the most from health subsidies, the findings of this study refute this hypothesis in the case of Egypt. Poverty reduction measures and healthcare reforms in Egypt should not only focus on expanding the coverage of healthcare benefits, but also on improving the equity of its distribution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

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Review

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617 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Effectiveness of Healthy Community Approaches on Positive Health Outcomes in Canada and the United States

by Hazel Williams-Roberts, Bonnie Jeffery, Shanthi Johnson and Nazeem Muhajarine

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5010003 - 29 Dec 2015

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 8649

Abstract

Healthy community approaches encompass a diverse group of population based strategies and interventions that create supportive environments, foster community behavior change and improve health. This systematic review examined the effectiveness of ten most common healthy community approaches (Healthy Cities/Communities, Smart Growth, Child Friendly Cities, Safe Routes to Schools, Safe Communities, Active Living Communities, Livable Communities, Social Cities, Age-Friendly Cities, and Dementia Friendly Cities) on positive health outcomes. Empirical studies were identified through a search of the academic and grey literature for the period 2000–2014. Of the 231 articles retrieved, 26 met the inclusion criteria with four receiving moderate quality ratings and 22 poor ratings using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. The majority of studies evaluated Safe Routes to School Programs and reported positive associations with students’ active commute patterns. Fewer studies assessed benefits of Smart Growth, Safe Communities, Active Living Communities and Age-Friendly Cities. The remaining approaches were relatively unexplored in terms of their health benefits however focused on conceptual frameworks and collaborative processes. More robust studies with longer follow-up duration are needed. Priority should be given to evaluation of healthy community projects to show their effectiveness within the population health context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

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242 KiB

Open AccessReview

Community Engaged Leadership to Advance Health Equity and Build Healthier Communities

by Kisha Holden, Tabia Akintobi, Jammie Hopkins, Allyson Belton, Brian McGregor, Starla Blanks and Glenda Wrenn

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5010002 - 24 Dec 2015

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 9628

Abstract

Health is a human right. Equity in health implies that ideally everyone should have a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential and, more pragmatically, that no one should be disadvantaged from achieving this potential. Addressing the multi-faceted health needs of ethnically and culturally diverse individuals in the United States is a complex issue that requires inventive strategies to reduce risk factors and buttress protective factors to promote greater well-being among individuals, families, and communities. With growing diversity concerning various ethnicities and nationalities; and with significant changes in the constellation of multiple of risk factors that can influence health outcomes, it is imperative that we delineate strategic efforts that encourage better access to primary care, focused community-based programs, multi-disciplinary clinical and translational research methodologies, and health policy advocacy initiatives that may improve individuals’ longevity and quality of life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

Other

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976 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

In Pursuit of Child and Family Well-Being: Initial Steps to Advocacy

by Mary Moeller, Angela McKillip, Ruth Wienk and Kay Cutler

Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci5030030 - 13 Jul 2016

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5040

Abstract

Communities across the United States, in both urban and rural areas, are seeking ways to promote well-being for their citizens in sustainable ways. This paper provides a descriptive case study of one rural community that used an inquiry-based approach to ask, “How can we engage our citizens to improve child and family well-being in our community?” The group also wondered “What if Brookings had one place for families to access all family resources that support well-being?” “What if all families had a place where their needs were heard?” and “What if all resources for families looked at the well-being of children and families in a holistic way?” This paper describes the initial journey of a community of practice advocating on several different community levels, including the role of university students, the process of the community of practice formation, its growing connections to community agencies and its initial efforts to build calls to action through participatory research and grassroots community efforts. While conveying a linear narrative, the authors also maintain a focus on the organic processes of knowledge construction and the evolution of a community of practice. Data collection, using the Delphi approach, is underway to access initial ground-up definitions of well-being and to identify areas of focus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reinventing Healthy Communities: Implications for Individual and Societal Well-Being)

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