Political economies of health are not only national in scale; they are reproduced at the local level. Policies and practices, created and enforced by local government entities, determine who is welcomed, who is counted, and who holds power. This session draws on the coupled disciplines of urban planning and social work – two fields tasked with protecting local community-level health and well-being – to examine how who is welcomed, who is counted, and who holds power determines health outcomes. These themes will be supported with case examples of feminist neighborhood political ecology, changing political units, and place-based power dynamics that prevent communities from attaining full health and well-being. Panelists will incorporate diverse jurisdictional and geographical boundaries to explore how these themes present in cities, suburbs, unincorporated territories, borders, and rural areas across the US.
This interactive session will feature researchers who are countering traditional boundaries of place and power through innovative methods and approaches to meet the needs of rural and urban communities. The first segment of the panel will focus on a discussion of participatory methods that confront local power dynamics, bring visibility to uncounted populations, and reverse political and social exclusion. Each researcher will share their story and experience utilizing participatory research methodologies within and outside the fields of social work and planning. In the second segment of the presentation panelists will conclude with a reflection on the potential for greater municipal level cross-sector partnerships to achieve a culture of health and engage the audience in a discussion related to place and power with the goal of reflecting on cross-disciplinary experiences.
Session Chair: Patrice Williams
Presenters: Monica Gutierrez, Cristina Gomez-Vidal, Kristi Roybal, Jennifer Whittaker
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