4
Is this just an academic
exercise?
What do the communities
get out of the study?
No, it’s also an exercise in action
research. On the one hand this is an academic study. We’ll gather statistics, interview residents and community organizations and all the other usual data gathering activities. It will lead to a report
and we expect to get our quota of published papers out of it. On the other hand
we want not only to know what situations
communities face but also to play a part
in changing those situations for the better. Members of the communities will be
involved at all stages of the study.
Through forums and community meetings we’ll return the results of the study
to the communities, analyze the situations that they face and devise strategies
to help them face them better. The academic part of the study describes these
situations; the action research part of the
study helps to change them.
We’re not promising that taking
part in the study will make anyone much
richer. There are some material benefits
to the communities from the study, such
as training and paying local interviewers,
payments to those interviewed and the
team’s spending on visits. Those who
co-operate with the study will, however,
be helping their communities in intangible ways - raising the visibility of the
communities, perhaps contact with other
communities, information that can be
used for their own purposes, a certain
amount of assistance in strategic planning and, in general, the enhancement of
community capacity.
What can you do to help?
You can help by agreeing to be
interviewed, by answering all relevant
questions as fully as possible, and by
participating in the focus groups.
Trepassey Community Visit
L-R: Tony Hewitt, Mayor of Trepassey;
Dr. Mariitta Valimaki, University of
Tampere, Finland; Dr. William Kennedy,
Faculty of Education, Memorial University
Text written by Dr. David Macdonald,
Extension Community Development
Co-operative.
For more information, visit our website:
www.mun.ca/cin
4
CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL NURSING
NEWSLETTER—NATURAL RESOURCE
DEPLETION AND HEALTH STUDY
Volume 1, Number 2
September, 2002
WHAT’S THIS PROJECT ABOUT?
To see how the health of people in
communities in Newfoundland and Cape
Breton that depended on natural resources
have been affected by the depletion of
those resources. There are five study areas: Trepassey, Bonavista, the Avalon
Isthmus, and Fogo Island areas in Newfoundland, and New Waterford in Cape
Breton. Some areas are affected more than
others and provide an opportunity for comparison.
In Newfoundland, an earlier study
looked at the effects of the cod moratorium
during TAGS. In this study, we’ll look at
how peoples’ health has changed since
TAGS ended. In Cape Breton, the coal
mine closures have happened more recently; the communities there are trying to
adjust to the mine closures while our study
is going on. We should also say that, at
least in the Fogo Island area, residents
have expressed fears to us that natural resource depletion is still going on, this time
with the crab stocks.
As well as the health of people in
the communities, we are interested in the
health of the communities themselves and
especially in what we call community resiliency—how well communities are able
to cope with adversity. Success in this
matter varied a lot from one place to an-
other and we’d like to know why some
communities are more resilient, better able
to rebound from adversity, than others.
This project is an exercise in action
research, not just a data-gathering exercise.
Once we have results from the study, we’ll
return the information to the communities
and discuss with them how they can best
use the information that his study generates. This will maximize the benefit of the
study to the communities that have taken
part in it.
Inside this issue:
What’s this project about?
Page 1
Who’s doing this study?
Page 2
Team, Advisory Committee, Students
Page 2
Who’s paying for the study?
Page 3
What have we done so far?
Page 3
What will we do next?
Page 3
Is this just an academic exercise?
Page 4
What can you do to help?
Page 4
What do the communities get out
of the study?
Page 4
Community Visit
Page 4
2
3
two-day workshop was held at Memorial
on June 7th and 8th for the project Team
and the Advisory Committee. The workshops discussed progress to date and outlined plans for the coming seasons.
Who’s paying for it?
Who’s doing this study?
Though many people in the communities think that it’s Health Canada, in
fact it’s mainly the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, which is one of
the largest academic granting agencies in
Canada
The team that is responsible for carrying out the study is mostly composed of
Memorial University faculty, especially the
School of Nursing, together with community developers and the University College
of Cape Breton. The team has several community organizations as partners, who form
an advisory board to guide the study team.
We also have a community representative in
each of the study locations who acts as liaison between the team and the community.
Front row L-R: J. Sharma, L. Gien (Principal
Investigator), S. Lewis, N. Tilley.
Back row L-R: M. Murray, C. Orchard,
C. Priddle, W. Kennedy, D. Macdonald
Missing: M. Laryea, A. Kozma, M. Valimaki,
D. Kiet, T. Heath Rodgers, T. Hogan-Royle,
S. Sharpe, M. Rees, G. Wideman
The Team:
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Lan Gien, Nursing
Co-Principal Investigator:
Dr. Maureen Laryea, Nursing
Co-Investigators:
Dr. William Kennedy, Education
Dr. Albert Kozma, Psychology
Dr. Carole Orchard, Nursing
Dr. Michael Murray, Medicine
Dr. David Macdonald, Extension
Community Development Co-op
Mr. Neil Tilley, Extension Community
Development Co-operative
Ms. Stacey Lewis, Cape Breton
Wellness Centre, UCCB
International Partners:
Dr. Maritta Valimaki, Finland
Dr. Dang Phuong Kiet, Vietnam
Administrative & Research Support:
Cynthia Priddle
Theresa Heath Rodgers
Therese Hogan-Royle
Advisory Committee:
Cliff Dornig
Cape Breton
Eliza Swyers
Bonavista
Anne Godwin
Fogo Island
Fred Framp
Isthmus
Wilf Sutton
Trepassey
Don Holloway
National Pensioners &
Sr. Citizens Federation of Canada
Representative
Dept. of Health and
Community Services
Representative
Nfld & Labrador
Federation of School Councils.
Graduate Students:
Michelle Rees for Masters, Comm. Health
Jyoti Sharma for Masters, Nursing
Sarah Sharpe for Masters, Comm. Health
Karen Hemeon for Masters, Nursing
Gail Wideman for PhD, Social Work
2
What will we do next?
The interviews will go on for a
while yet. During the Fall, we’ll hold focus groups in each of the study areas with
5 groups—youth, 11-16 and 17-24, fishermen, miners and other adults, the wives of
same, and the elderly. These will be held
in October/November 2002, usually by
members of the project team with the assistance of local representatives. They will
provide vital information on questions of
health, the effects of out– migration, the
resilience of communities, and, on peoples’ experiences of coping with the results
of natural resource depletion on individuals, families, and communities. Oh, yes, in
case anyone asks you, we will provide an
honorarium for people who take part in the
focus groups and interviews. It’s a way to
recognize your contribution and your time.
Also, the research work by the
graduate students on related topics will
continue, sometimes carried out in the
study communities. Topics that are being
considered at present include:
•
The effects of out-migration on the
care of the elderly;
•
Long term effects of the closures on
school children;
•
Incidence of obesity in selected
coastal communities affected by the
cod moratorium.
What have we done so far?
The study is well under way. Interviews with residents of each of the communities in the study areas are on going
(they slowed down in the summer). In
total, we will conduct 1,500 interviews, so
this will go on for some time. The interviews concern health matters, which many
people consider very personal, but the
process is designed to protect confidentiality. No respondent’s name will appear in
any report or other document and nobody
except the interviewer will be able to know
what anybody said during the interviews.
The next step in data-gathering will
be to hold a series of focus groups in the
study areas in the Fall 2002, discussed in
more detail below. As preparation for the
focus groups, members of the team have
visited the study areas, explained the procedure to community leaders, and asked
for their support and co-operation, which
has willingly been promised in most areas.
We’ve been active in other ways
since the last newsletter. On the public
relations front, articles about the project
have appeared in the Telegram, the MUN
Gazette, and the Clarenville Packet (and
perhaps in the Lewisport Pilot by now). A
3
2
3
two-day workshop was held at Memorial
on June 7th and 8th for the project Team
and the Advisory Committee. The workshops discussed progress to date and outlined plans for the coming seasons.
Who’s paying for it?
Who’s doing this study?
Though many people in the communities think that it’s Health Canada, in
fact it’s mainly the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, which is one of
the largest academic granting agencies in
Canada
The team that is responsible for carrying out the study is mostly composed of
Memorial University faculty, especially the
School of Nursing, together with community developers and the University College
of Cape Breton. The team has several community organizations as partners, who form
an advisory board to guide the study team.
We also have a community representative in
each of the study locations who acts as liaison between the team and the community.
Front row L-R: J. Sharma, L. Gien (Principal
Investigator), S. Lewis, N. Tilley.
Back row L-R: M. Murray, C. Orchard,
C. Priddle, W. Kennedy, D. Macdonald
Missing: M. Laryea, A. Kozma, M. Valimaki,
D. Kiet, T. Heath Rodgers, T. Hogan-Royle,
S. Sharpe, M. Rees, G. Wideman
The Team:
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Lan Gien, Nursing
Co-Principal Investigator:
Dr. Maureen Laryea, Nursing
Co-Investigators:
Dr. William Kennedy, Education
Dr. Albert Kozma, Psychology
Dr. Carole Orchard, Nursing
Dr. Michael Murray, Medicine
Dr. David Macdonald, Extension
Community Development Co-op
Mr. Neil Tilley, Extension Community
Development Co-operative
Ms. Stacey Lewis, Cape Breton
Wellness Centre, UCCB
International Partners:
Dr. Maritta Valimaki, Finland
Dr. Dang Phuong Kiet, Vietnam
Administrative & Research Support:
Cynthia Priddle
Theresa Heath Rodgers
Therese Hogan-Royle
Advisory Committee:
Cliff Dornig
Cape Breton
Eliza Swyers
Bonavista
Anne Godwin
Fogo Island
Fred Framp
Isthmus
Wilf Sutton
Trepassey
Don Holloway
National Pensioners &
Sr. Citizens Federation of Canada
Representative
Dept. of Health and
Community Services
Representative
Nfld & Labrador
Federation of School Councils.
Graduate Students:
Michelle Rees for Masters, Comm. Health
Jyoti Sharma for Masters, Nursing
Sarah Sharpe for Masters, Comm. Health
Karen Hemeon for Masters, Nursing
Gail Wideman for PhD, Social Work
2
What will we do next?
The interviews will go on for a
while yet. During the Fall, we’ll hold focus groups in each of the study areas with
5 groups—youth, 11-16 and 17-24, fishermen, miners and other adults, the wives of
same, and the elderly. These will be held
in October/November 2002, usually by
members of the project team with the assistance of local representatives. They will
provide vital information on questions of
health, the effects of out– migration, the
resilience of communities, and, on peoples’ experiences of coping with the results
of natural resource depletion on individuals, families, and communities. Oh, yes, in
case anyone asks you, we will provide an
honorarium for people who take part in the
focus groups and interviews. It’s a way to
recognize your contribution and your time.
Also, the research work by the
graduate students on related topics will
continue, sometimes carried out in the
study communities. Topics that are being
considered at present include:
•
The effects of out-migration on the
care of the elderly;
•
Long term effects of the closures on
school children;
•
Incidence of obesity in selected
coastal communities affected by the
cod moratorium.
What have we done so far?
The study is well under way. Interviews with residents of each of the communities in the study areas are on going
(they slowed down in the summer). In
total, we will conduct 1,500 interviews, so
this will go on for some time. The interviews concern health matters, which many
people consider very personal, but the
process is designed to protect confidentiality. No respondent’s name will appear in
any report or other document and nobody
except the interviewer will be able to know
what anybody said during the interviews.
The next step in data-gathering will
be to hold a series of focus groups in the
study areas in the Fall 2002, discussed in
more detail below. As preparation for the
focus groups, members of the team have
visited the study areas, explained the procedure to community leaders, and asked
for their support and co-operation, which
has willingly been promised in most areas.
We’ve been active in other ways
since the last newsletter. On the public
relations front, articles about the project
have appeared in the Telegram, the MUN
Gazette, and the Clarenville Packet (and
perhaps in the Lewisport Pilot by now). A
3
4
Is this just an academic
exercise?
What do the communities
get out of the study?
No, it’s also an exercise in action
research. On the one hand this is an academic study. We’ll gather statistics, interview residents and community organizations and all the other usual data gathering activities. It will lead to a report
and we expect to get our quota of published papers out of it. On the other hand
we want not only to know what situations
communities face but also to play a part
in changing those situations for the better. Members of the communities will be
involved at all stages of the study.
Through forums and community meetings we’ll return the results of the study
to the communities, analyze the situations that they face and devise strategies
to help them face them better. The academic part of the study describes these
situations; the action research part of the
study helps to change them.
We’re not promising that taking
part in the study will make anyone much
richer. There are some material benefits
to the communities from the study, such
as training and paying local interviewers,
payments to those interviewed and the
team’s spending on visits. Those who
co-operate with the study will, however,
be helping their communities in intangible ways - raising the visibility of the
communities, perhaps contact with other
communities, information that can be
used for their own purposes, a certain
amount of assistance in strategic planning and, in general, the enhancement of
community capacity.
What can you do to help?
You can help by agreeing to be
interviewed, by answering all relevant
questions as fully as possible, and by
participating in the focus groups.
Trepassey Community Visit
L-R: Tony Hewitt, Mayor of Trepassey;
Dr. Mariitta Valimaki, University of
Tampere, Finland; Dr. William Kennedy,
Faculty of Education, Memorial University
Text written by Dr. David Macdonald,
Extension Community Development
Co-operative.
For more information, visit our website:
www.mun.ca/cin
4
CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL NURSING
NEWSLETTER—NATURAL RESOURCE
DEPLETION AND HEALTH STUDY
Volume 1, Number 2
September, 2002
WHAT’S THIS PROJECT ABOUT?
To see how the health of people in
communities in Newfoundland and Cape
Breton that depended on natural resources
have been affected by the depletion of
those resources. There are five study areas: Trepassey, Bonavista, the Avalon
Isthmus, and Fogo Island areas in Newfoundland, and New Waterford in Cape
Breton. Some areas are affected more than
others and provide an opportunity for comparison.
In Newfoundland, an earlier study
looked at the effects of the cod moratorium
during TAGS. In this study, we’ll look at
how peoples’ health has changed since
TAGS ended. In Cape Breton, the coal
mine closures have happened more recently; the communities there are trying to
adjust to the mine closures while our study
is going on. We should also say that, at
least in the Fogo Island area, residents
have expressed fears to us that natural resource depletion is still going on, this time
with the crab stocks.
As well as the health of people in
the communities, we are interested in the
health of the communities themselves and
especially in what we call community resiliency—how well communities are able
to cope with adversity. Success in this
matter varied a lot from one place to an-
other and we’d like to know why some
communities are more resilient, better able
to rebound from adversity, than others.
This project is an exercise in action
research, not just a data-gathering exercise.
Once we have results from the study, we’ll
return the information to the communities
and discuss with them how they can best
use the information that his study generates. This will maximize the benefit of the
study to the communities that have taken
part in it.
Inside this issue:
What’s this project about?
Page 1
Who’s doing this study?
Page 2
Team, Advisory Committee, Students
Page 2
Who’s paying for the study?
Page 3
What have we done so far?
Page 3
What will we do next?
Page 3
Is this just an academic exercise?
Page 4
What can you do to help?
Page 4
What do the communities get out
of the study?
Page 4
Community Visit
Page 4