Nursing Faculty Publications
The Meaning of Transformational Development for Members of an African American Urban Neighborhood
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2013
Journal Title
Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research
ISSN
1935-3308
Volume
8
Issue
1
Last Page
27
PubMed ID
41
Abstract
Health disparities experienced by African Americans compared to their European American counterparts are a major problem in the United States. Contemporary strategies for ameliorating health disparities target the improvement of physical and social environments; however, there is a gap in the literature with respect to African Americans' perspectives of specific community-based change efforts. In this study, we utilized van Manen's (1997) hermeneutic phenomenological design to explore the meaning members of one African American urban neighborhood ascribed to participation in a community change effort known as transformational development. We conducted conversational interviews with 11 participants who met purposive sampling criteria. The results of this study pointed to transformational development as a complex process, which led to authentic community change driven from within. The unique perspectives of participants suggested that community members themselves have a pivotal role to play in addressing health disparities through such transformational change efforts.
Keywords
African Americans, neighborhoods, urban growth, health disparities, comparative studies, European Americans
Recommended Citation
Parrill, Rachel and Barkley, William, "The Meaning of Transformational Development for Members of an African American Urban Neighborhood" (2013). Nursing Faculty Publications. 61.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/nursing_publications/61
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http://library.cedarville.edu/record=b1240682
