Development dilemmas: the Community Health Worker program in northern Saskatchewan
Date
1980
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
This thesis presents a case study of the Community Health
Worker program and role in northern Saskatchewan, an area of rapid
planned change. The role of the Community Health Worker is emergent
and innovative and occupies an interface position between dependent
and dominant groups, community and bureaucracy, native and white,
northern and southern, lay person and professional.
The planned change process in northern Saskatchewan and, in
particular, the Community Health Worker program are demonstrated in
this thesis to manifest the same basic contradictions and dilemmas
which the literature has shown to be characteristic of community work.
The contradictions are traced through the context of the program,
through the program itself, and through the Community Health Worker's
role development.
The research process involved participant observation: extensive observation over a two-year period, semi-structured interviews with
program participants, document analysis, introspection and literature
review. The data are analyzed qualitatively.
The research is also action research. It is hoped that parts
of the research process, i.e., interviews, were clarifying for those
involved. The researcher manages a program which includes the Community
Health Worker program and therefore has an invaluable opportunity to feed
information and insights from this study back into the program where,
hopefully, they will be used by program participants in future program
planning.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
Sociology
Program
Sociology