Rhonda Love

“Who Do They Think We Are, Anyway?”: Perceptions of and Responses to Poverty Stigma

In this article, we report on qualitative findings pertaining to low-income peoples perceptions of and responses to “poverty stigma,” a key component of social exclusion with important implications for health and well-being. Our findings are drawn from a multimethod study designed to investigate experiences of social exclusion and social isolation among people living on low incomes. We conducted semistructured individual interviews (n = 59) and group interviews (total n = 34) with low-income residents of two large Canadian cities. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis techniques. Participants overwhelmingly thought that other members of society tend to view them as a burden to society—as lazy, disregarding of opportunities, irresponsible, and opting for an easy life. Low-income people responded to perceived stigma with a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies that reflected their efforts to reconcile their perceived “social” and “personal” identities. These strategies included confronting discrimination directly, disregarding responses from others, helping other low-income people, withdrawing and isolating themselves from others, engaging in processes of cognitive distancing, and concealing their financial situation.

Poverty, Sense of Belonging and Experiences of Social Isolation

This article compares experiences of social isolation and perceptions of belonging between lower-income and higher-income people. We conducted individual interviews with 60 higher-income and 59 lower-income study participants and six group interviews with 34 low-income participants from two Canadian cities. Subsequently, a representative sample of 1,671 lower- and higher-income participants was surveyed by telephone. Income was a consistent predictor of measures of isolation and sense of belonging to the community: lower-income people experienced greater isolation and a lower sense of belonging than did higher-income people. Poverty shaped low-income peoples perceptions and experiences of stigmatization and isolation.

Children's Concepts of Health and Illness— and Implications for Health Education: An Overview

Research on childrens concepts of health and illness has been dominated by two theoretical approaches. The first has been concerned with the delineation of age-related qualitative changes in childrens concepts of health and illness and the interpretation of these changes within a Piagetian framework. The second approach, based on expectancy theory from social psychology, has focused on childrens perceptions of vulnerability to health problems and the relationship of these to potential health behavior. Both approaches have emphasized childrens concepts of illness or of health problems. Thus, there is a dearth of literature on concepts of health per se.

Integrative health care in a hospital setting: Communication patterns between CAM and biomedical practitioners

Research in the area of collaboration between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and biomedical practitioners often describes their relationships as fraught with power struggles. This paper explores communication among the various stakeholders at an integrative health clinic for artists located in a university hospital. Qualitative research methods were used, in-depth interviews and semi-structured focus groups, to facilitate the gathering of information about patterns of communication among stakeholders involved at the clinic. The findings describe the challenges to communication and integration at the clinic. The lack of communication is described as a scheduling issue, or lack of consistent presence of CAM practitioners, and a lack of formal methods of communication (patient charting). The consequences of these gaps were felt mostly by the CAM practitioners, as their scope of practice was not well understood by other practitioners. CAM practitioners stated that this had a direct effect on their confidence levels. CAM practitioners were relegated to the periphery of the hospital in their role as part-time, contract employees. Their lack of consistent presence at the clinic lead to a lack of understanding of their scope of practice, hence, a lack of referrals from other health-care practitioners, particularly those who were biomedically-oriented.

Left Out: Perspectives on Social Exclusion and Inclusion across Income Groups

Abstract The goal of this paper is to explore the experiences of exclusion and inclusion of both low and higher-income people within a ‘social determinants of health framework’. In the first phase of this research, individual interviews with 60 high-income and 59 low-income participants, and group interviews with 34 low-income participants were conducted. During the second phase, 1671 higher and low-income participants were surveyed by telephone. The findings revealed that inadequate financial resources, ill-health, and unwelcoming behaviours inhibited participation in community activities among low-income respondents. Higher-income earners were more likely to engage in social and group civic activities. Participants in the low-income category were less able to participate in desired activities due to user fees and poor health. Data revealed significant relationships between self-rated health and measures of exclusion and inclusion. Based on the responses of participants, the paper concludes that structural rather than interpersonal change contributes significantly to increased levels of social inclusion, and ultimately, improvements in health outcomes.

The Organizational Support Necessary for Integrative Health Care (IHC): A Clinic for Artists in a Hospital Setting

Background: In 1994, a grassroots group of Canadian artists from diverse disciplines met to investigate the possibility of creating a specialized health-care facility for professional creative artists and performers. The project grew into an outpatient clinic serving professional artists, in a large urban teaching hospital in Canada. This article focuses on the financial limitations of creating and sustaining such an integrative health care (IHC) clinic for artists. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews and focus groups were used to gather information about IHC at the clinic. Results: The findings describe how the expense of implementing IHC directly affected the overall sustainability of the clinic, including such aspects as existing subsidy programs, fundraising, and the integration and scheduling of contract practitioners. Strategies for sustainability included using aspects of business and insurance models to inform the current management of clinic funds. Conclusion: An IHC clinic needs financial resources, and the rationale for its development needs to be made explicit to all stakeholders. Its success will ultimately depend upon the support and commitment of all staff involved.