Abstract
This paper presents a theoretical model on how flows of energy and space of action generate health and ill health in a local community work. Local community work was assessed through a case study of women's networks in a peripheral region of northern Sweden.
The aim of the study was to analyse what participation in women's networks can mean for the members health perceptions. A purposeful selection of women's networks was made for the purpose of carrying out a qualitative follow-up study.
Grounded theory was used to analyse the data and to generate a theoretical model. The meaning of participation in networks proved to be plural, as both health-deteriorating and health-promotive mechanisms were found. Two core categories "flows of energy" and "a space of action" as well as the four ancillary categories: social relations within the network; increased awareness of gender and power; becoming visible; and material prerequisites for networking were grounded in the data.
We suggest that under certain circumstances local community work can be of crucial importance for health promotion.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.