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Asset-based community development: narratives, practice, and conditions of possibility - a qualitative study with community practitioners

Asset-based community development: narratives, practice, and conditions of possibility - a qualitative study with community practitioners
Asset-based community development: narratives, practice, and conditions of possibility - a qualitative study with community practitioners

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is seen as a way of tackling the social determinants of health and reducing health inequalities. However, a better understanding of the mechanisms through which ABCD operates, and the environmental and relational conditions within which it is likely to be most effective, could increase its effectiveness at improving health and well-being and reducing inequalities. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 25 people working in third sector and voluntary organizations to begin to improve understanding about ABCD approaches, how they are implemented, and how they are meeting the needs of disadvantaged populations. These individuals had local area knowledge of programs that follow an ABCD approach and which are currently running in the North West of England. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Four overarching themes gave insight into the principles and practices of ABCD: Relationships and trust as mechanisms for change, Reciprocity and connectivity: “people not services,” Accountability and reducing dependency, and A socially sustainable model. ABCD focuses on identifying and developing individual capabilities, relationships, engagement within communities, and outcomes that are meaningful to people and consistent with relationships and support that are reciprocal and acceptable. ABCD is likely to be most effective in supporting vulnerable people where building trust is mirrored by an institutional and relational environment that is trustworthy and facilitative of developing people’s capabilities.

asset-based community development, community development, health, inequalities
2158-2440
1-11
Harrison, Rebecca
c91003a5-f6e8-4a9a-b8f3-e32232960f50
Blickem, Christian
cc3228ac-f56e-4dca-9aae-cbb6bfac4fb3
Lamb, Jonathan
da12ebdf-f38f-4c81-984c-18b584d3ca8e
Kirk, Susan
1d9ea73e-52d1-43a6-bf55-e385d94098f2
Vassilev, Ivaylo
d76a5531-4ddc-4eb2-909b-a2a1068f05f3
Harrison, Rebecca
c91003a5-f6e8-4a9a-b8f3-e32232960f50
Blickem, Christian
cc3228ac-f56e-4dca-9aae-cbb6bfac4fb3
Lamb, Jonathan
da12ebdf-f38f-4c81-984c-18b584d3ca8e
Kirk, Susan
1d9ea73e-52d1-43a6-bf55-e385d94098f2
Vassilev, Ivaylo
d76a5531-4ddc-4eb2-909b-a2a1068f05f3

Harrison, Rebecca, Blickem, Christian, Lamb, Jonathan, Kirk, Susan and Vassilev, Ivaylo (2019) Asset-based community development: narratives, practice, and conditions of possibility - a qualitative study with community practitioners. SAGE Open, 9 (1), 1-11. (doi:10.1177/2158244018823081).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is seen as a way of tackling the social determinants of health and reducing health inequalities. However, a better understanding of the mechanisms through which ABCD operates, and the environmental and relational conditions within which it is likely to be most effective, could increase its effectiveness at improving health and well-being and reducing inequalities. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 25 people working in third sector and voluntary organizations to begin to improve understanding about ABCD approaches, how they are implemented, and how they are meeting the needs of disadvantaged populations. These individuals had local area knowledge of programs that follow an ABCD approach and which are currently running in the North West of England. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Four overarching themes gave insight into the principles and practices of ABCD: Relationships and trust as mechanisms for change, Reciprocity and connectivity: “people not services,” Accountability and reducing dependency, and A socially sustainable model. ABCD focuses on identifying and developing individual capabilities, relationships, engagement within communities, and outcomes that are meaningful to people and consistent with relationships and support that are reciprocal and acceptable. ABCD is likely to be most effective in supporting vulnerable people where building trust is mirrored by an institutional and relational environment that is trustworthy and facilitative of developing people’s capabilities.

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2158244018823081 - Version of Record
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e-pub ahead of print date: 17 January 2019
Keywords: asset-based community development, community development, health, inequalities

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 428078
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/428078
ISSN: 2158-2440
PURE UUID: afbf2a02-9a17-4d41-87c0-714f336d323d
ORCID for Ivaylo Vassilev: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2206-8247

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Date deposited: 08 Feb 2019 17:30
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:25

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Contributors

Author: Rebecca Harrison
Author: Christian Blickem
Author: Jonathan Lamb
Author: Susan Kirk
Author: Ivaylo Vassilev ORCID iD

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