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Abstract
This article examines contributions and challenges of learning alliance methodology to multicultural planning in health provision services in an urban context. A learning alliance was implemented to target health needs of different ethno-racial groups through an action research project in Swale, Kent, UK. We argue that a learning alliance is an innovative methodology that can contribute to multicultural planning by (1) promoting the involvement of new planning stakeholders and the institutionalization of learning alliance outcomes, (2) ensuring capacity-building strategies, (3) emphasizing documentation and dissemination as innovative practices, and (4) strengthening the network capacity of a community. Critical reflections are presented here as a constructive view to improve both the learning alliance methodology and multicultural planning. The article contributes to debates on public service delivery in the context of discussions about multiculturalism, health and planning.
Funding
This project was funded by Diversity House and the South East Coastal Communities (SECC) project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. The 2001 UK Census considered BME people as Indian, Pakistani, Mixed Race, Black Caribbean, Black African, Bangladeshi, Other Asian (non-Chinese), and Chinese. In the 2011 Census this category changed slightly to include gypsy and Irish travellers and Arabs in England and Wales only.
2. See the YouTube clip: “Olympic Opening Ceremony London 2012 NHS + Harry Potter + The Queen.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = ONtpILzTRuI
3. In the UK context, GPs look after general health issues of local communities and provide referrals to specialists when needed. They are usually based at community health centres.
4. Even though this statement is valid – especially in Kent – it is important to note that in the case of Swale, local authorities did have some desegregated data available that were useful for the project. (CitationSwale Borough Council, n.d.)
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Carlos Moreno-Leguizamon
Carlos J. Moreno-Leguizamon is senior lecturer and programme leader in the MSc Research in Health and Social Care at the University of Greenwich (UK). He has a social sciences background in medical anthropology and health communication. His latest research projects relate to qualitative aspects in post-natal depression, chronic pain, inter-partner violence and end of life practices in black minority and ethnic groups in the UK, incorporating the learning alliance methodology.
Marcela Tovar-Restrepo
Marcela Tovar-Restrepo conducts research on social exclusion, environmental justice and sustainable development. She serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Women's Environmental and Development Organization (WEDO), New York, and teaches urban development at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, New York.
Clara Irazábal
Clara Irazábal is the Latin Lab Director and Assistant Professor of Urban Planning in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University, New York. In her research and teaching, she explores the interactions of culture, politics, and place-making, and their impact on community development and socio-spatial justice in Latin American cities and disenfranchised immigrant communities. Irazábal has published academic work in English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
Christine Locke
Christine Locke is Director of Diversity House (Swale, UK). She holds a MA in Community Cohesion Management and a MSc in Health Promotion and Public Health. She works on community development and heath services, risk management and stakeholder engagement.