2021/09/02 by Brian D. Christens, Jyoti Gupta, Paul W. Speer
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Community Health and Development #Health Policy Implementation Science #Health disparities and outcomes
paper · doi:10.1002/jcop.22700
crossref issued 2021/09/02 · crossref published 2021/09/02 · crossref published-online 2021/09/02 · openalex publication_date 2021/09/02 · crossref created 2021/09/02 · crossref published-print 2021/11/01 · crossref deposited 2023/08/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
There is now wide recognition that grassroots community organizing is a uniquely necessary approach for contending with the persistent and escalating socioeconomic inequities that manifest as disparities across many societal domains, including housing, safety, education, and mental and physical health. The articles in this special issue report findings from studies designed to increase understanding of community organizing processes and produce actionable knowledge that can enhance these and other similar efforts to create more equitable and just cities and regions. These studies examine a variety of community organizing campaigns, initiatives, and networks in North America, as well as one in Bulgaria, and one in South Africa. These groups are building social power and demanding economic, racial, educational, and environmental justice. In this introductory article, we highlight some of the themes that emerge from this set of studies and make recommendations for future roles that research can play in advancing collective understanding and the practical objectives of grassroots organizing initiatives.