Glenn D. Israel

The Power of Community

While formally and informally recognized as being central to community action, the research and theoretical literature provide little insight into the processes behind the emergence of community power. When power is explored, it is usually presented in a macro context where a culmination of numerous efforts results in a critical stage leading to a more equitable distribution of power. Far less often is the micro level considered. At the latter level, power is often given only a passing reference as an expected outcome of local empowerment, civic engagement, and capacity-building activities. Generally, it is implied that power naturally emerges from the presence of the latter conditions. An explanation of the processes, mechanisms, and conditions in which community power emerges or fails to emerge remains unstated. To facilitate such an understanding, we seeks to: (1) Explore the ways in which power is conceptualized at the micro level as a component of community development and social change; and (2) provide a theoretical framework, based on a field theoretical perspective, for understanding the processes by which local citizens gain entree to power, as well as interact with elites that might otherwise limit the emergence of local capacity. Implications for future theoretical development are then offered.

Investing in Communities: Social Capital's Role in Keeping Youth in School

Many community leaders view economic development as the primary strategy for improving social well-being. One approach to economic development is enhancing the local labor forces human capital through formal education. In this article, we use a social capital framework to analyze how local institutions, specifically families and schools, affect educational achievement among public school students. We explore how social capital in the broader community context mediates the effects of family and school social capital on keeping students in school. Using hierarchical linear models to estimate these contributions, the results reaffirm the vital role of family social capital. They also show that attributes of school and community social capital make important contributions to staying in school. Our results suggest strategies that community development practitioners and local leaders can use to enhance educational outcomes and, in turn, the economic vitality of communities.

Preventing eye injuries among citrus harvesters: the community health worker model.

OBJECTIVES Although eye injuries are common among citrus harvesters, the proportion of workers using protective eyewear has been negligible. We focused on adoption of worker-tested safety glasses with and without the presence and activities of trained peer-worker role models on harvesting crews. METHODS Observation of 13 citrus harvesting crews established baseline use of safety eyewear. Nine crews subsequently were assigned a peer worker to model use of safety glasses, conduct eye safety education, and treat minor eye injuries. Safety eyewear use by crews was monitored up to 15 weeks into the intervention. RESULTS Intervention crews with peer workers had significantly higher rates of eyewear use than control crews. Intervention exposure time and level of worker use were strongly correlated. Among intervention crews, workers with 1 to 2 years of experience (odds ratio [OR] = 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 7.55) and who received help from their peer worker (OR = 3.73; 95% CI = 1.21, 11.57) were significantly more likely to use glasses than were other intervention crew members. CONCLUSIONS Adaptation of the community health worker model for this setting improved injury prevention practices and may have relevance for similar agricultural settings.

Can response order bias evaluations

Abstract Response-order effects can bias evaluations. Measurement error is introduced by order effects, and this, in turn, can affect associations between variables. This study attempts to identify types of questions in mail questionnaires which are susceptible to order effects and illustrates the consequences of response-order effects on associations. Data from a Cooperative Extension Service evaluation showed order effects for multiple response and attributive questions but not for single response ones. Aspects of question complexity and social desirability may contribute to order effects. In at least one instance, response-order effects were found to influence associations between items and thus, the substantive conclusions.

Combining Mail and E-Mail Contacts to Facilitate Participation in Mixed-Mode Surveys

This study examines how available e-mail addresses can be incorporated into mixed-mode procedures for surveys of the public, especially client groups. Cooperative Extension Service clients provide the basis for analyzing how implementation procedures affect response rates and substantive findings. These clients form three strata based on contact information provided: postal address only, e-mail only, and both. From clients who provided mail and e-mail addresses, four experimental groups were created, including two mixed-mode groups, a mail-only group and an e-mail-only group. Using mail and e-mail addresses to implement a sequence of e-mail and postal invitations in a mixed-mode design resulted in response rates that are equivalent to those for mail-only surveys. Also, clients who provided a postal address only differed on some attributes from those in the other strata. This study demonstrates the benefit of obtaining e-mail addresses and using them in mixed-mode surveys.

Effects of Token Financial Incentives on Response Rates and Item Nonresponse for Mail Surveys

Self-administered mail questionnaire surveys are commonly used by human dimensions of wildlife researchers, but nonresponse error and item nonresponse can decrease questionnaire data quality. By using token financial incentives, researchers can increase response rates and reduce error. We surveyed two random samples of 500 Georgia cattle ranchers to conduct an incentive experiment by giving one group a

Watershed management in north Florida: public knowledge, attitudes and information needs

1 Jefferson coin and the other nothing. The financial incentive increased the response rate by nine percentage points. The incentive reduced nonresponse error for ethnicity but not other demographic or ranch characteristic variables. Item nonresponse for sensitive questions about income and threatened or endangered species and other more benign questions about demographics, crop damage, songbirds, deer, and turkey were also unaffected by the incentive. Token financial incentives can be a cost-effective way to increase wildlife survey response rates and increase data quantity and quality.

Student Involvement in Community Needs Assessment

Abstract Water management policies in Florida emphasize the need for public involvement in managing watersheds, yet little is known about the environmental literacy of key stakeholders – nearby residents and recreational user groups. A mail survey was conducted to assess public environmental knowledge, attitudes, and information needs about watershed management based on a stratified random sample of 700 households in the 1683-km2 Orange Creek Basin in Florida. Most respondents had limited knowledge of the local environment and limited awareness of the local watershed as a landscape feature. Consumptive resource-users (e.g., anglers and hunters) had more knowledge of surface water features than non-consumptive users or non-users. Respondents generally held positive attitudes toward overall ecosystem management objectives. Attitudes toward specific management activities, such as aquatic plant control to improve boating access, differed among groups. Most respondents wanted to learn more about local ecology and preferred to obtain information about the local environment from television, newspapers, and direct mail. Consumptive users preferred to receive information from fish camps and sporting clubs, while non-consumptive users preferred to receive information from nature parks. On-site interpretive programming is needed throughout the basin, along with mass media outreach, to increase public knowledge of and support for sustainable watershed management.

Who Complains About Alligators? Cognitive and Situational Factors Influence Behavior Toward Wildlife

Although leadership is recognized as a developmental process, few communities plan to build the foundation for their young people to develop into involved citizens and leaders. Young adults need to increase their understanding of and commitment to their community, and to become empowered to work, toward solving local problems. Our approach was to link community service learning in the schools with community development. Specifically, high school students and teachers were recruited to assist with conducting a community needs assessment survey. We found that the students were able to help conduct a sophisticated needs assessment and able to do it right. The evidence also supports the view that students benefited from their involvement in the project. Most students learned more about their community and about the needs assessment process. Some students also indicated that they were interested in continuing their involvement in community affairs, but the increase in feelings of empowerment among the students...

The Effects of Gender Role Conflict on Adolescent and Emerging Adult Male Resiliency

Understanding perceptual and situational factors underlying nuisance complaints can help managers maintain carnivore populations while mitigating conflicts with people. Our study uses data from a mail survey (n = 467 complainants about nuisance alligators, and n = 669 random Florida residents) and a three-step binary logistic regression analysis to examine how general attitudes, specific beliefs, and situational factors influence the behavior of reporting nuisance alligators. Residence adjacent to fresh water, the presence of outdoor pets, higher risk belief scores, higher nuisance belief scores, higher education, and older age were all related to complaining about an alligator, whereas general attitude toward alligators was not. Results are consistent with the “specificity principle” for attitude–behavior correspondence and emphasize the importance of situational factors as behavioral determinants. Targeted harvest areas can help to manage complaints in marginal habitats where risk from alligators is persistent. Information about protective behaviors and benefits of alligators can motivate residents to avoid dangerous encounters.