The narrative psychology of community health workers.

Murray, Michael; Ziegler, Friederike

Abstract

Community health psychology is an approach which promotes community mobilisation as a means of enhancing community capacity and well-being and challenging health inequalities. Much of the research on this approach has been at the more strategic and policy level with less reference to the everyday experiences of community workers who are actively involved in promoting various forms of community change. This article considers the narrative accounts of a sample of 12 community workers who were interviewed about their lives. Their accounts were analysed in terms of narrative content. This revealed the tensions in their everyday practice as they attempted to overcome community divisions and management demands for evidence. Common to all accounts was a commitment to social justice. These findings are discussed with reference to opportunities and challenges in the practice of community work.

Citation

Murray, M., & Ziegler, F. (2015). The narrative psychology of community health workers. Journal of Health Psychology, 20(3), 338 - 349. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314566615

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Mar 10, 2015
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2015
• Journal: Journal of Health Psychology
• Print ISSN: 1359-1053
• Electronic ISSN: 1461-7277
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 338 - 349
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314566615
• Keywords: community health promotion, community health psychology, critical health psychology, narratives, qualitative methods
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/404438
• Publisher URL: http://hpq.sagepub.com/content/20/3/338.long