The Entrepreneurial Activities of Citizen Led Coalitions
Kathy L. Rush, Mike Chiasson, Mary Butterfield, Silvia Straka & Barbara Jean Buckley
International Journal for Equity in Health volume 18, Article number: 119 (2019)
May 2017 – Kelowna
The principal investigators of the study were Kathy Rush, PhD, RN Associate Professor at the School of Nursing UBC Okanagan and Dr. Mike Chiasson, Professor, Faculty of Management, University of British Columbia Okanagan.
Seven diverse CLCs (n = 40) from different rural communities participated in focus groups and in individual and coalition-level surveys.
Citizen-led coalitions can be viewed as democratic publics or voluntary groups that form as a result of citizens sharing the consequences of an identified social problem [13]. One of the key roles of community coalitions is representing service users who are often marginalized, hidden or, ignored [14,15,16] and ultimately lack recognition. The role of coalitions in bringing recognition to marginalized groups has been implicit and tangential in the literature. In a case study of the strategic role of third-sector agencies, “being at the top table” (pg. 227) was critical in developing a strong third sector and user presence [16]. Third sectors were viewed as bringing something extra, such as volunteers and access to funding.
The emergence and existence of health coalitions have been implicitly linked to inequitable distribution of health services and resources [20]. The purpose of this study was to understand the entrepreneurial experiences and strategies of rural coalitions to effect change in the delivery of health services for older adult populations within their communities.
Note: it was at this meeting in Kelowna, on April 27, 2017 that discussion began that led to the formation of the BC Rural Health Network, officially launched seven months later on December 1, 2017.
