The World Health Organization defines the social determinants of health as "the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life." These forces and systems include economic policies, development agendas, cultural and social norms, social policies,…

A description of "barefoot doctors" in the People's Republic of China is presented. These peasant doctors are commune workers who have taken basic courses in medical treatment. Because 80% of the population lives in a rural agricultural setting, and because most doctors and medical services are located in cities, there is a serious need…

Kerala, a state in southwestern India, has implemented radical reform as a development strategy. As a result, Kerala now has some of the Third World's highest levels of health, education, and social justice. Originally published in 1989, this book traces the role that movements of social justice played in Kerala's successful struggle to…

This collection of papers shows the significant achievements that can be made through collective strategies that empower the poor to become active partners in revitalizing their neighborhoods. The 12 chapters are: (1) "The Role of Social Capital in Combating Poverty" (Mark R. Warren, J. Phillip Thompson, and Susan Saegert); (2) "Social Capital and…

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. These essays focus on nursing, examining partnerships between education and service, nurse and person, and profession and community. Chapters describe both theoretical and experiential ways in which nursing has begun to incorporate service-learning…