Sandra Taylor

Ethnographic Approach to Community Organization and Health Empowerment

The purpose of this article is to address pertinent issues relative to the association between community organization and health empowerment methods in ethnic communities of colour. It seeks to address these issues by utilizing ethnographic procedures for documenting community health concerns and by advocating for empowerment for people of colour and their participation in coalition partnerships. Increasingly the importance of citizen participation in the planning, assessment, and implementation of community-based health initiatives has been identified as essential for effective health promotion and disease prevention programs. This article argues for the utility of a community organization approach for achieving health empowerment, and subsequently decreasing the excess deaths in communities of colour. The interface of ethnographic procedures, community organization, and development of community-owned action plans for programming health interventions is discussed.

Building health coalitions in the Black community

An Historical Analysis of Health and Collaborative Efforts in African American Communities The Federal and Foundation Emphasis on Coalition Initiatives Coalitions in Theory and Practice The Urban Context Coalitions Combating Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use The Black Faith Community and Public Health Communities of Color Respond to Environmental Threats to Health The Environmental Justice Framework Rural Coalitions and Substance Abuse Prevention A Case Study Approach Sustaining and Maintaining Coalitions Building Community-Developed Coalitions A Practical Approach Appendix Community Coalition Member Training

Behavioral Predictors of Intended Sexual Behavior among a Sample of African American Undergraduates.

The research reported herein tested the prediction of intended sexual behavior among a sample of African American college students.from self-reported past sexual behavior, selecteddemographic attributes, and sociobehavioral variables. This study is guided by the hypothesis that selected demographic and sociocognitive variables, in addition to past sexual behavior, can predict intended sexual behavior over an ensuing 12-month period. Demographic variables included gender, age, and whetherparticipants had been treatedfor a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Sociocognitive variables included prevention practices, stigma associated with HIVIAIDS, social distance, repressive attitudes, perceived susceptibility, barriers to risk reduction, and knowledge. Questionnaires were collected from 1,593 students. Intended sexual behavior yielded a regression coefficient of .59. The results provide considerable support for gender, sexual practices, and past sexual behavior in the past 12 months as being viable predictors of intended sexual behaviors among this sample.