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Strong in the City: towards a strength‐based approach in Indigenous health promotion
Author(s) -
Brough Mark,
Bond Chelsea,
Hunt Julian
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he04215
Subject(s) - indigenous , population health , health economics , health promotion , public health , community health , promotion (chess) , medicine , business , public relations , environmental health , political science , nursing , ecology , biology , politics , law
Issues addressed To describe the potential for strength‐based approaches in health promotion with the example of an urban Indigenous community . Method Qualitative methods were used to describe an Indigenous perspective about community strength. The results were then used to inform a community development approach to health promotion. Results Five key strengths were described: 1) extended family; 2) commitment to community; 3) neighbourhood networks; 4) community organisations; and 5) community events. Working with these strengths, five kinds of resourcing strategies were pursued through various community development activities. These included: 1) professional support and development; 2) networking resources; 3) management support; 4) specialist support; and 5) financial support. Conclusion Standard needs assessment logic generally focuses our attention on gaps and weaknesses. This does not allow health promotion practice to acknowledge the existing socio‐cultural resources within communities, which should be supported to promote better health. We suggest there are significant lessons here for community capacity building agendas, currently popular in social policy. So what? The identification of community strengths can provide a powerful starting point for effective and empowering health promotion practice.