Health Activism: Foundations and Strategies

Activism is action on behalf of a cause, action that goes beyond what is conventional or routine and is relative to the actions by others. Health activism is a growing area of interest for many who work to improve health at both national and international levels because it offers a more direct approach to achieve lasting social and political change. This book, for the first time, provides a clear foundation to the theory, evidence-base and strategies that can be harnessed to bring about change to improve the lives and health of others. Glenn Laverack presents activism as a realistic option with which public health practice can engage. Based on a practical set of principles and well developed tools, he describes how this can be achieved and uses powerful case examples to show how it can has been applied in practice. For anyone working to improve the health of groups and communities, this will be thought-provoking reading. It has particular relevance for postgraduate students and practitioners in public health and health promotion.