community organizing and community building for health and welfare, by minkler, m. (ed.)

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This article was downloaded by: [Uppsala universitetsbibliotek] On: 06 October 2014, At: 09:52 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Community Practice Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcom20 Community Organizing and Community Building for Health and Welfare, by Minkler, M. (Ed.) Michele A. Kelley ScD MSW ACSW a a Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health , University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , IL Published online: 05 Sep 2013. To cite this article: Michele A. Kelley ScD MSW ACSW (2013) Community Organizing and Community Building for Health and Welfare, by Minkler, M. (Ed.), Journal of Community Practice, 21:3, 282-284, DOI: 10.1080/10705422.2013.812438 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2013.812438 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

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Page 1: Community Organizing and Community Building for Health and Welfare, by Minkler, M. (Ed.)

This article was downloaded by: [Uppsala universitetsbibliotek]On: 06 October 2014, At: 09:52Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Journal of Community PracticePublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcom20

Community Organizing and CommunityBuilding for Health and Welfare, byMinkler, M. (Ed.)Michele A. Kelley ScD MSW ACSW aa Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health ,University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago , ILPublished online: 05 Sep 2013.

To cite this article: Michele A. Kelley ScD MSW ACSW (2013) Community Organizing and CommunityBuilding for Health and Welfare, by Minkler, M. (Ed.), Journal of Community Practice, 21:3, 282-284,DOI: 10.1080/10705422.2013.812438

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2013.812438

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arisingout of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Community Organizing and Community Building for Health and Welfare, by Minkler, M. (Ed.)

Journal of Community Practice, 21:282–284, 2013Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLCISSN: 1070-5422 print/1543-3706 onlineDOI: 10.1080/10705422.2013.812438

Book Review

Minkler, M. (Ed.) (2012). Community Organizing and CommunityBuilding for Health and Welfare. New Brunswick, NJ: RutgersUniversity Press. ISBN: 978-0-8135-5300-9, 512 pp.

In the third edition of her popular book, Meredith “Merry” Minkler buildsupon her scholarship and authority on community organizing and commu-nity building with application to current issues in the nation’s health. Thosewho are familiar with the previous two editions will find a more deliber-ate effort in this new edition to address social work theory and practicein community health improvement contexts. This is manifested in the newtitle of the book, which, for the first time, includes the phrase for healthand welfare, whereas the previous edition titles were limited to for health.As in previous texts, the notion of well-being is a broader construct thanhealth status (World Health Organization, 2003) and an ethos of social justiceinforms each chapter. This is the distinction between health and welfare soft-ens and reflects more of a public health or population well-being approach(American Public Health Association, 2013). Some of the newer contribu-tions of the book include an introductory chapter written by President BarakObama who addresses the question of “why organize?” This is particularlysalient given the well-publicized commentary, dismissive of community orga-nizing, by a Republican vice-presidential candidate during the President’s2008 campaign (Vargas, 2008). The placement of this chapter early in thebook (Chapter 2), is certain to be engaging to the novice and seasonedpractitioner alike. Together with an introductory first chapter by Minker, thereader is better prepared to receive more complex concepts and examplespresented in subsequent chapters.

The eight-part book consists of 22 chapters. After the introductory chap-ters in Part 1, Part 2 presents conceptual frameworks. There is more directapplication to social work in these chapters. Organizing approaches aredescribed in Chapter 4. A helpful example of empowerment and actionbased inquiry involving adolescents, a group usually marginalized in com-munity change efforts, is offered. Cheryl Hyde authors Chapter 5, whereshe provides an excellent overview of classical and current aspects of theconstruct community from Warren (1963) to Putnam (2000). She definescommunity-building and provides an excellent case example. Part 3 pro-vides descriptions and rich illustrations of forming effective partnerships, the

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Page 3: Community Organizing and Community Building for Health and Welfare, by Minkler, M. (Ed.)

Book Review 283

challenges therein, and ethical issues. In this new edition, the notion of cul-tural humility is presented and contrasted with the more familiar conceptof cultural competence. The authors argue successfully how cultural humil-ity is an important and distinctive aspect of effective practice and researchrelationships with communities of interest. Part 4 is updated from previouseditions, with useful material for conducting collaborative local assessments.Community assessments are different from more deficit diagnostic modelsthat focus on problems or pathology. The chapters contain science-basedpractical ideas for identifying issues of concern, and also for local assets thatmay be deployed in problem solving within a community of interest.

Part 5 deals with community work in diverse contexts and providesrich examples of identity-based (e.g., ethnocultural group) and ecologi-cally rooted (e.g., settings such as barbershops) strategies and processesfor advancing change and social justice. Part 6 has the familiar arts andInternet-based tools chapters, but updated for the new edition. Of particu-lar interest here is an example of community building in post-Katrina NewOrleans (Chapter 16). Part 7 focuses on coalitions and community action.Community coalitions have always been a part of local and national orga-nizing and once again practice-science and wisdom come together in threechapters that provide especially useful information. In this new edition, par-ticipatory approaches to community change efforts are included under Part 7.The last section of the book, Part 8, presents policy and media advocacy andlocal initiatives.

This new edition has expanded content throughout to include advo-cacy for health care reform, which is of high interest to social workers interms of access to care, as well as local community prevention policies. Theappendices have useful learning exercises to supplement the text. Updatedappendices include policy bingo as a learning tool and reflection exercises onpower and privilege where cultural identity is related to community practice.

In summary, the new Minkler text has extremely relevant content forthe beginning and experienced community scientist-practitioner. Conceptsare well defined and the rich case examples are helpful to appreciate theirapplication to the field. This book is, perhaps, the best single source ofknowledge about community practice as applied to improving communitywell-being. A potential shortcoming might be a lack of a more deliberatediscussion of community systems theory as applied to preventive interven-tions, where ripple effects and ecological intrusions may yield unintendedconsequences (Hawe, Shiell, & Riley, 2009). Further, a more historical per-spective on the role Jane Addams played in community health improvement,such as local advocacy for green space and waste management, and com-munity mapping (Fradin & Fradin, 2006) would be appreciated. However,Minkler’s book is published just in time, as place-based interventions takecenter stage in national health reform. For instance, at the 2012 annual meet-ing of the American Public Health Association, a key theme was the manifest

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284 Book Review

health inequity where zip code as a proxy for place exerted an indepen-dent effect on the life expectancies of US children (California Endowment,2013). Clearly, factors associated with locality exert a moderating and medi-ating effect on national and state policies and local quality of life. This iswhere local action and building local assets can make a difference. Thenew National Prevention Strategy (NPS) of the Affordable Care Act (USDepartment of Health and Human Services, 2013) has a special focus oncreating healthy places or healthy community environments. Several exam-ples of community change efforts described in Minkler’s book and the theorybehind them serve as exemplars of the NPS in action.

Michele A. Kelley, ScD, MSW, ACSWAssociate Professor

Division of Community Health SciencesSchool of Public Health

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

REFERENCES

American Public Health Association. (2013). What is public health? Our commitmentto safe, healthy communities. Retrieved February 15, 2013, from http://www.apha.org/about/

California Endowment. (2013). Health happens here. Retrieved February 13, 2013,from http://www.calendow.org/

Fradin, D. B., & Fradin, J. B. (2006). Jane Addams: Champion of democracy. NewYork, NY: Clarion Books.

Hawe, P., Shiell, A., & Riley, T. (2009). Theorising interventions as events in systems.American Journal of Community Psychology, 43, 267–276.

Putnam, Robert. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of Americancommunity . New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). National prevention strategy.Retrieved February 15, 2013, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/initiatives/prevention/strategy/index.html

Vargas, J. A. (2008, November 20). Obama raised half a billion online.Washington Post. Retrieved from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/11/obama-raised-half-a-billion-on.html

Warren, R. L. (1963). The community in America. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.World Health Organization. (2007). Working for health: An introduction to the

World Health Organization. Retrieved July 20, 2013 from http://www.who.int/about/en/

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