NCJ Number
128273
Editor(s)
N Giesbrecht,
P Conley,
R W Denniston,
L Gliksman,
H Holder,
A Pederson,
R Room,
M Shain
Date Published
1990
Length
339 pages
Annotation
The March 1989 Symposium on Experiences with Community Action Projects for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems, held in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, demonstrated the need to learn more about the process versus outcomes of community-oriented research projects.
Abstract
Experiences of about 60 symposium participants reflected enthusiasm for field research and an interest in effectively combining prevention strategies for alcohol and other drug problems with sound evaluation. Symposium papers also reflected the frustrations encountered when research-oriented professionals are confronted by disinterest and widely shared cautions about the utility of community prevention initiatives. The symposium volume contains an overview of recent community action on alcohol and other drug problems. Papers address such conceptual issues as aspects of the community that are downplayed or overlooked in prevention research, issues related to democracy and prevention interventions, and problems in encouraging and accommodating community initiatives in the course of action research. Case studies of community action research projects are provided that reflect divergent views on the nature of the community and on what constitutes community-based action research. Future possibilities with regard to community-oriented prevention initiatives are discussed that involve educational institutions, licensed alcoholic beverage premises, and community structures and institutions. Appendixes contain reports of four symposium workshops, the symposium program, and a contact list. 293 references, 4 tables, and 5 figures