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To encourage the health and well-being of American Indian (AI) communities, it is first necessary to understand the meaning of health for particular tribes. As such, this investigation reports on the meaning of health and well-being for Chickasaw families. Findings from this investigation additionally highlight ways in which characteristics of strong Chickasaw families are both similar to and different from those of other AI tribes. Implications for science and practice are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)

Women's experiences of warfare and postwar recovery are qualitatively different from those of men. However, to date, the processes whereby women recover from the gendered impacts of war have not been sufficiently explored. In order to address this gap in the literature and to inform policies and services aimed at women recovering from warfare, a qualitative investigation was conducted of the process whereby women in one rural community in northern Mozambique attained wellbeing in the wake of war. Findings indicate that factors at all levels of the socio-ecological system were significant in supporting women's attainment of postwar wellbeing. (Contains 5 footnotes.)

One way in which community-based initiatives have sought to overcome challenges to resident participation in neighborhood change processes is through the implementation of neighborhood mini-grant programs. However, the mechanisms by which these grants function and any related limitations have not yet been empirically evaluated. This paper seeks to close this gap in the literature. Findings from an evaluation of one mini-grant project are reported. Overall, it was found that mini-grants were successful at generating preconditions for action in targeted neighborhoods. However, sustained resident involvement in neighborhood change activities was only engendered by a small number of mini-grant projects. Recipients of these particularly impactful grants shared similar key characteristics. Implications for practice are discussed.

Many recent efforts in the field of community psychology have been dedicated to moving from values to action in incorporating diversity into our work. An essential aspect of this goal is designing research that provides opportunities for underrepresented perspectives to be heard. The voices of refugee women, in particular, are not typically incorporated in research, planning for service provision, and policy design. This article explores methodological challenges involved in conducting research with refugee women who are marginalized both within broader U.S. contexts and within their own communities. Six guiding principles are presented: 1) develop strategies for involving marginalized refugee women; 2) consider the advantages and limitations of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and be innovative about combining them; 3) prepare for extensive time and effort for quantitative measure construction; 4) consider gendered decision-making structures in the lives of refugee women and their potential impact on the research process; 5) plan for refugee women's common triple burden of working outside of the home, managing their households, and adjusting to life in a new country; and 6) attend to refugee women's cultural norms about and unfamiliarity with the interview process. (Contains 3 footnotes.)

Refugee women's experiences and needs are qualitatively different from those of men. However, women's experiences have long been overlooked in favor of a male-centered paradigm that governs the response to survivors of warfare. To close this gap in science and practice, a needs assessment was conducted with 31 refugee women. The findings revealed the importance of considering the impact of refugee women's sociodemographic characteristics on their experiences in resettlement and the significance of their need for basic resources. Meeting these needs may facilitate the resettlement process and ameliorate the gendered effects of resettlement on refugee women. Keywords: needs assessment; refugee resettlement; refugee women

Place-based approaches to community change have become increasingly popular strategies for addressing significant social problems. With their intentional focus on 'place,' most efforts have sought to gain greater understanding into how neighborhood contexts affect people. However, while both aggregate characteristics and social dynamics of neighborhoods have been subject to scrutiny in the literature, less attention has been paid to understanding how the environmental characteristics of neighborhoods and communities as places have meaning for residents. The present study used an innovative methodology called Photovoice to obtain a greater understanding of the meanings residents ascribe to the salient characteristics of their neighborhoods and communities. As part of a place-based initiative, 29 adult and youth residents in seven distressed urban neighborhoods photographed and dialogued about the meaningful physical attributes of their community. According to participants, place characteristics provided cues about their personal histories as members of the community; communicated messages about the value and character of the community and its residents; defined social norms and behavior within the community; and provided markers that could remind residents of who they are and inspire a sense of possibility for who they could become. Implications for practice are discussed. KEY WORDS: place; identity; comprehensive community initiatives; neighborhood conditions; photovoice.

The perceptions of 12 middle school girls regarding the health promoting and inhibiting aspects of their community were explored using the innovative methodology known as Photovoice that was situated in a youthparticipatory- action research (YPAR) methodology. The photographs and resulting focus group discussions revealed overarching themes of Community Health and Safety, Food, Relationships, Socioeconomic Status (SES), Moral Development, and Physical Activity. The themes offer a way to organize the multiple realities of adolescent girls and how they interpret their personal health and the health of their communities, while the outcomes associated with participating in the project provide evidence of gains in self-esteem, collective efficacy, and leadership and advocacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript we explore the use of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) to build campus-community collaborations. While these collaborations may result in mutual benefit, the process may easily be derailed as a result of complications. We examine the strengths and weaknesses of the collaboration that produced the GirlPower Photovoice Project, a project that engaged middle school girls in an exploration of the factors that both improve and impede the health of their communities. Consistent with the Photovoice method, participants used photography to document their realities and then explored the resulting images in a group setting. We share the lessons learned from this collaboration from the perspective of both the academic and the community partners. In their own voices, both partners explore those factors that made the collaboration a success and those that hindered it. These include ensuring adequate time for relationship and trust development between the partners, advocating for a more fluid and organic process from the university institutional review board, and ensuring buy-in from all community agency staff-not just the executive director. In the end, we distill suggestions for others who wish to undertake a similarly risky yet significantly rewarding and important endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To encourage the health and well-being of American Indian (AI) communities, it is first necessary to understand the meaning of health for particular tribes. As such, this investigation reports on the meaning of health and well-being for Chickasaw families. Findings from this investigation additionally highlight ways in which characteristics of strong Chickasaw families are both similar to and different from those of other AI tribes. Implications for science and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, little attention has been given to the ways in which college-level in structors' gender, class, race, and ethnicity impact their experiences as educators. While some authors have acknowledged the impact of their location within this matrix of identities, both upon the subjects they choose to teach as well as upon the ways in which students respond to them, this is still an aspect of tertiary education that is rarely explored in pedagogical training or when decisions regarding tenure and promotion are made. Drawing upon the experiences of two college professors who share different demographic characteristics and life experiences and who teach an array of courses at a large Midwestern university, this manuscript explores the ways in which an individual's identity impacts what they choose to teach, how they teach, and how students respond to them. Implications for instructors as well as for administrators within institutions of higher learning are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's experiences of warfare and postwar recovery are qualitatively different from those of men. However, to date, the processes whereby women recover from the gendered impacts of war have not been sufficiently explored. In order to address this gap in the literature and to inform policies and services aimed at women recovering from warfare, a qualitative investigation was conducted of the process whereby women in one rural community in northern Mozambique attained wellbeing in the wake of war. Findings indicate that factors at all levels of the socio-ecological system were significant in supporting women's attainment of postwar wellbeing. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way in which community-based initiatives have sought to overcome challenges to resident participation in neighborhood change processes is through the implementation of neighborhood mini-grant programs. However, the mechanisms by which these grants function and any related limitations have not yet been empirically evaluated. This paper seeks to close this gap in the literature. Findings from an evaluation of one mini-grant project are reported. Overall, it was found that mini-grants were successful at generating preconditions for action in targeted neighborhoods. However, sustained resident involvement in neighborhood change activities was only engendered by a small number of mini-grant projects. Recipients of these particularly impactful grants shared similar key characteristics. Implications for practice are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many recent efforts in the field of community psychology have been dedicated to moving from values to action in incorporating diversity into our work. An essential aspect of this goal is designing research that provides opportunities for underrepresented perspectives to be heard. The of refugee women, in particular are not typically incorporated in research, planning for service provision, and policy design. This article explores methodological challenges involved in conducting research with refugee women who are marginalized both within broader U.S. contexts and within their own communities. Six guiding principles are presented: 1) develop strategies for involving marginalized refugee women; 2) consider the advantages and limitations of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and be innovative about combining them; 3) prepare for extensive time and effort for quantitative measure construction; 4) consider gendered decision-making structures in the lives of refugee women and their potential impact on the research process; 5) plan for refugee women common triple burden of working outside of the home, managing their households, and adjusting to life in a new country; and 6) attend to refugee women's cultural norms about and unfamiliarity with the interview process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]