Community Capacity Building for Health

There is a great deal of literature examining the benefits andrelevance of community participation and community capacity building in health promotionand disease prevention endeavors. Academic literature embracing principles andcommitment to community participation in health promotion practices often neglects thecomplexities involved and the flexibility required to work within this approach. Thisarticle addresses some of these challenges through a case study of two projects fundedby Provincial Wellness Grants in Newfoundland and Labrador, a province in Canada with astrong tradition of community ties and support systems. In addition to addressing theunique circumstances of the community groups, this research allowed the authors toexamine the situational context and power relations involved in the provision ofservices as well as the particular forms of subjectivity and citizenship that theinstitutional practices support. Recognizing this complex interdependency is animportant step in creating more effective intervention practices