A Scoping Review of Capacity-Building Efforts to Address Environmental Justice Concerns

Dana H. Z. Williamson, Emma X. Yu, Candis M. Hunter, John A. Kaufman, Kelli Komro, Na’Taki Osborne Jelks, Dayna A. Johnson, Matthew O. Gribble and Michelle C. Kegler
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Dana H. Z. Williamson: Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Emma X. Yu: Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Candis M. Hunter: Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
John A. Kaufman: Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Kelli Komro: Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Na’Taki Osborne Jelks: Environmental and Health Sciences Program, Spelman College, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
Dayna A. Johnson: Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Matthew O. Gribble: Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Michelle C. Kegler: Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: Environmental justice (EJ) efforts aimed at capacity building are essential to addressing environmental health disparities; however, limited attention has been given to describing these efforts. This study reports findings from a scoping review of community–academic partnerships and community-led efforts to address environmental inequities related to air, water, and land pollution in the United States. Literature published in peer-reviewed journals from January 1986 through March 2018 were included, and community capacity theory was applied as a framework for understanding the scope of capacity-building and community change strategies to address EJ concerns. Paired teams of independent analysts conducted a search for relevant articles ( n = 8452 citations identified), filtered records for content abstraction and possible inclusion ( n = 163) and characterized selected studies ( n = 58). Most articles implemented activities that were aligned with community capacity dimensions of citizen participation (96.4%, n = 53), community power (78%, n = 45), leadership (78%, n = 45), and networks (81%, n = 47); few articles identified a direct policy change (22%, n = 13), and many articles discussed the policy implications of findings for future work (62%, n = 36). This review synthesizes three decades of efforts to reduce environmental inequities and identifies strategic approaches used for strengthening community capacity.

Keywords: community capacity; environmental justice; community organizing; mobilization; social justice; advocacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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