Skip main navigation

New offer! Get 30% off your first 2 months of Unlimited Monthly. Start your subscription for just £29.99 £19.99. New subscribers only. T&Cs apply

Find out more

Introduction to Community Engagement and Social Mobilization

In this lecture, Malabika Sarker describes how and when communities engage. (Step 5.12)
7.7
MALABIKA SARKER: Welcome, listener. Today, we will explore the community engagement and social mobilization. Community engage when they have the opportunity to play a meaningful role in the program or intervention intended to benefit them. Rothman’s models of community change an organization talks about the relationship between source of leadership and source of resources, while source of resources the internal element is locality development and social mobilization, the external focuses on social action and social policy planning. The community engagement is a continuum process. It includes outreach, consult, involve, collaborate, and shared leadership. The shared leadership is the final decision-making taking place at the community level. Let’s start by looking at Pakistan, which has proven to be a particularly challenging context.
75.1
Please pause this presentation and view the video at the link provided. When you are finished, return and continue this presentation.
88.1
So today’s theme community engagement focuses on the importance of context, reaching special populations through vertical approach, the promise and limits of technology for community engagement, and vertical versus integrated approaches. Look at the pictures. Herat province in Afghanistan is [INAUDIBLE] but beautiful. And used to known as [INAUDIBLE].. Although it is one of the safest city in Afghanistan, bombing and attacks are not uncommon. Women are more likely to working outside the home. These women health workers fearlessly travel door to door in the community to educate families about polio and provide vaccination. Thousands of Herat children were at risk for polio after Taliban disrupted the polio drive. However, engaging religious leaders and community icons helped to fill up that gaps.
151.1
You can see how a Mullah helps a polio worker to hang the polio banner.

Malabika Sarker, MBBS, MPH, PhD James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh

In the lecture, you are invited to watch the video Pakistan polio campaign.

As you watch the video, consider:

How do Rothman’s Models of Community Change and Organization and the Continuum of Community Engagement apply to the context described in the video?

Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the discussion.

This article is from the free online

Building Alliances in Global Health: From Global Institutions to Local Communities

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now