Indigenous Men Taking Their Rightful Place In Society?: A Participatory Action Research Process.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$705,750.00
Summary
Men's health groups are increasingly being accepted as important strategies in improving health and wellbeing, especially in Indigenous communities. However, it is hard to find systematic documentation and evaluation of such initiatives in the literature. Since August 2001, we have been facilitating and analysing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process designed to support members of a men's health group in Yarrabah, a rural Aboriginal community near Cairns (north Queensland), take greater ....Men's health groups are increasingly being accepted as important strategies in improving health and wellbeing, especially in Indigenous communities. However, it is hard to find systematic documentation and evaluation of such initiatives in the literature. Since August 2001, we have been facilitating and analysing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process designed to support members of a men's health group in Yarrabah, a rural Aboriginal community near Cairns (north Queensland), take greater control and responsibility for the factors influencing their health and wellbeing. The PAR process is providing initial evidence indicating that the development of men's health groups in Indigenous settings can lead to social and behavioural change and that PAR is potentially a useful tool in working towards social change. The current proposal is a joint initiative between the academic partners and the men's group leadership and proposes among other things to: a) consolidate and extend the existing PAR initiative with members of the Yarrabah Men's Health Group and their community; b) adapt and pilot the PAR model in another north Queensland community; and c) undertake a systematic and comparative evaluation across the two sites to determine the medium -long term usefulness of men's health groups as health promotion strategies especially in rural-remote Indigenous settings. These types of micro-level studies have important implications for the way community development is perceived and approached in Indigenous settings.Read moreRead less
Evaluation Of Family Well Being Empowerment Program: A Participatory Action Research Initiative
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$487,920.00
Summary
We have shown that family well being empowerment training in Indigenous communities can significantly enhance program participants' sense of control and responsibility for the conditions affecting their health and well being (Tsey and Every, 2000a;Tsey and Every, 2000b). Following this, there has been a great deal of interest and demand for the family well being program not only in Indigenous Australia, but also among Maori people in New Zealand. Presently, we are involved in four collaborative ....We have shown that family well being empowerment training in Indigenous communities can significantly enhance program participants' sense of control and responsibility for the conditions affecting their health and well being (Tsey and Every, 2000a;Tsey and Every, 2000b). Following this, there has been a great deal of interest and demand for the family well being program not only in Indigenous Australia, but also among Maori people in New Zealand. Presently, we are involved in four collaborative initiatives with indigenous communities in response to growing interest and demand for the program. The current proposal is a joint initiative between University of Queensland, Apunipima Cape York Health Council and Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services which aims to: a. Consolidate and extend the existing family well being initiatives in Hopevale and Yarrabah to two other north Queensland communities (yet to be selected from several that have expressed an interest), using a participatory action research process b. Undertake a meta evaluation of outcomes across all four sites This proposal aims to increase our understanding about ways in which individuals and groups of people can be better supported in their efforts to bring about changes in personal and social life.Read moreRead less
Evaluation Of Family WellBeing Empowerment Program: A Follow-up Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$82,940.00
Summary
Although relative powerlessnes resulting from colonisation has long been recognised as a major factor shaping Indigenous health, it is difficult to find tested and validated empowerment programs in the Indigenous health literature. The current project will follow-up a previous evaluation of a Family WellBeing empowerment training course which was implemented in Alice Springs in 1998-9. The aim is to find out the extent to which course participants have been able to sustain the high levels of per ....Although relative powerlessnes resulting from colonisation has long been recognised as a major factor shaping Indigenous health, it is difficult to find tested and validated empowerment programs in the Indigenous health literature. The current project will follow-up a previous evaluation of a Family WellBeing empowerment training course which was implemented in Alice Springs in 1998-9. The aim is to find out the extent to which course participants have been able to sustain the high levels of personal empowerment demonstrated at the time of the original evaluation on the medium-long term basis. Among other things, this study will provide valuable insights and understandings about the pathways and conditions under which individuals and groups of people might use personal empowerment skills, especially better analytical and problem-solving skills to achieve greater control in life.Read moreRead less