Conceptualizing Organizational Domains of Community Empowerment through Empowerment Evaluation in Estonian Communities

Anu Kasmel and Pernille Tanggaard
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Anu Kasmel: Institute of Political Science and Governance, University of Tallinn, Narva mnt. 10-120, Tallinn, Estonia
Pernille Tanggaard: Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs Vej 9-10, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark

Societies, 2011, vol. 1, issue 1, 1-27

Abstract: The importance of community empowerment has been strongly emphasized in health promotion publications in Western societies. Only a few studies exist to highlight the empowerment processes in countries in transition in Eastern Europe. A multi-stage study was designed to develop a context-specific survey instrument appropriate for evaluating the changes in the community empowerment process within the context of health promotion programs in Rapla, Estonia. The current study comprises the first stage, which aims to identify and systematize empowering domains and activities perceived by community members during the empowerment evaluation process. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with sixteen participants from three health promotion programs. Purposive sampling was used, and data were analyzed using constant comparison. The findings suggest that there are four key organizational domains that characterize the community empowerment process in Rapla: activation of the community, competence development of the community, program management development, and creation of a supportive environment.

Keywords: community empowerment; evaluation; Estonia; Eastern Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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