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SAGE Journal User Guide

Article 1.

Aiyer, S. M., Zimmerman, M. A., Morrel-Samuels, S., & Reischl, T. M. (2014). From broken windows to busy streets: A community empowerment perspective. Health Education & Behavior, 1-11.  doi:10.1177/1090198114558590

This article presents a  new approach, “busy streets,” for understanding communities.  Refocusing the conversation away from urban decay and social disorganization, this perspective focuses on the conditions that contribute to prosocial interaction and empowered, healthy, and safe communities. 

Questions:

1. How does the “busy streets” approach to understanding neighborhood depart from the traditional approaches to studying neighborhood effects (i.e., Social Disorganization and Broken Windows Theories)?
2. How do the authors define community empowerment?  Explain the three components in their model. 
3. What are some specific interventions that flow from the empowerment-based “busy streets” model for safe and healthy communities?   

Article 2. 

Gültekin, L., Brush, B. L., Baiardi, J. M., Kirk, K., & VanMaldeghem, K. (2014). Voices from the street: Exploring the realities of family homelessness. Journal of Family Nursing, 20(4), 390-414. doi:10.1177/1074840714548943

This article describes a qualitative study of homeless mothers and the caseworkers providing services to homeless families.  The differing perspectives of the two groups are highlighted. 

Questions: 

1. How does homelessness affect the health of families and children and their interactions with the health care system? 
2. What issues did the mothers in this study raise with respect to their experiences in shelters and receiving services? 
3. Describe the conflicting perspectives of the mothers and the caseworkers in this study.  What are the implications of these conflicts for service provision?