Empowerment education is a social action process that promotes participation of communities in gaining control over their lives and their community. The Resource Sisters/Compañeras Program represents a case study in implementing an empowerment education effort. The program developed skills of women from the community to facilitate peer support groups that brought other women together. The program attempted to foster community development while also providing individual case management services. The program, its challenges, and its successes are described. The difficulties of possibly conflicting goals and objectives are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Robertson A. , Minkler M.: New health promotion movement: A critical examinationHealth Educ Q21:295-312, 1994.
2.
Wallerstein N. , Bernstein E.: Empowerment education: Friere's ideas adapted to health educationHealth Educ Q15:379-394, 1988.
3.
Wallerstein N. , Bernstein E.: Introduction to community empowerment, participatory education, and healthHealth Educ Q21:141-148, 1994.
4.
Rappaport J. : The power of empowerment languageSocial Policy16:15-21, 1985.
5.
Lofquist W.: Technology of Prevention.Tucson, AZ, AYD Publications, 1989.
6.
Gulitz E., Coulter M., Bellamy H., Newman C., Maragos J.: Evaluation of the Sisters/Compañeras Project, October 1992-June1994. University of South Florida , Tampa, 1994.
7.
Alinsky S.: The Professional Radical: Conversations with Saul Alinsky.New York, Harper & Row, 1970 .
8.
Jackson T., Mitchell S., Wright M.: The community development continuumCommunity Health Studies13:66-73, 1989.
