Community Organisations

This research area focuses on the role of community organisations, particularly broad-based and community organising models, in fostering political engagement, collective power, and social justice. It investigates how organisations rooted in community participation challenge traditional state-society relations, build leadership, and navigate the tensions between activism and institutional partnerships. Understanding these processes matters for developing sustainable grassroots movements capable of addressing social inequalities and effecting systemic change.

This theme explores the structural and relational dynamics within networks comprising community organisations and healthcare providers, focusing on mechanisms like navigation (resource referral), negotiation (coordination of activities), and contagion (spread of ideas). It studies how these networks develop, function, and influence service integration, particularly for chronic conditions like diabetes. Insights inform strategies to improve collaboration, resource allocation, and patient outcomes through understanding network roles and processes.

This research investigates the extent, forms, and roles of community and voluntary sector contributions to healthcare, focusing on support for community hospitals and patient wellbeing. It assesses the quantity of human and financial resources volunteered, their impact on service quality, and challenges in sustaining these contributions amid changing social and economic conditions. Understanding how voluntary support operates and fluctuates informs policies to harness and maintain community involvement in healthcare delivery.