This case study examines the development of a co-operative to govern a collaboration of health and social service agencies in a town in British Columbia. Community action research was the methodology used to answer the question 'What are the possibilities and issues of co-operative governance for collaboration among nonprofit agencies?' Documents, participant observation, and interviews constituted the data. The analysis is presented in four ways: the chronological stages of development; the way the participants began to act like the co-op they wanted to become; the features of membership in comparison to the seven Principles adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance; and the issues of concern. The findings are that participants established a shared vision, formed new relationships in a network governed as a co-operative, and added new resources to enhance the social capital of the community. A co-operative governance model, newly possible after changes in the BC legislation governing co-operatives, was chosen and put into practice because it was seen as innovative, flexible and egalitarian. This choice indicated a new purpose, to build mutual trust and a sectoral voice within the social economy through co-operative practice. The members expect that their cooperative will help them cope with change by providing a forum for learning and consensus building. The development of the co-op can claim to be health promoting because it built social capital and increased community control of conditions affecting the lives of children, youth and their caregivers.

The following study is a phenomenological inquiry into five white, middle classwomen's experiences living with HIV and AIDS in British Columbia. The purpose, rather than describing AIDS as a medical phenomenon, is to document how being diagnosed HIV positive has affected the women's lives, health, relationships and livelihoods. A context for the women's stories is provided through a critical review of the biomedical model, as well as biomedical and community organizing perspectives on women and AIDS. Mostly verbatim accounts drawn from taped interviews conducted with the five women describes their lives with HIV and AIDS. Experiences surrounding their diagnosis, sources of information about their illness, strategies for coping, management of health, and management of personal and social identities are the themes explored. The women's participation, the role of the researcher, and the work produced are considered parts of an interactive process, demonstrating shared authority between the researcher and participants in the ethnographic process. Documentation of the women's experiences leads to a discussion of the ways in which they successfully manage and control their own health care and well being within the context of larger social forces of sexism, medical bias and stigma. The women are given the last word in the study. In conclusion, a review oftheir situations three years after their initial interviews contributes a significant emotional and descriptive time-depth to the study.

The following study is a phenomenological inquiry into five white, middle classwomen's experiences living with HIV and AIDS in British Columbia. The purpose, rather than describing AIDS as a medical phenomenon, is to document how being diagnosed HIV positive has affected the women's lives, health, relationships and livelihoods. A context for the women's stories is provided through a critical review of the biomedical model, as well as biomedical and community organizing perspectives on women and AIDS. Mostly verbatim accounts drawn from taped interviews conducted with the five women describes their lives with HIV and AIDS. Experiences surrounding their diagnosis, sources of information about their illness, strategies for coping, management of health, and management of personal and social identities are the themes explored. The women's participation, the role of the researcher, and the work produced are considered parts of an interactive process, demonstrating shared authority between the researcher and participants in the ethnographic process. Documentation of the women's experiences leads to a discussion of the ways in which they successfully manage and control their own health care and well being within the context of larger social forces of sexism, medical bias and stigma. The women are given the last word in the study. In conclusion, a review oftheir situations three years after their initial interviews contributes a significant emotional and descriptive time-depth to the study. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

An examination of developments between 1970-1990 demonstrate a substantial restructuring of relations between the state and nonprofit societies within Vancouver's mental health system. While helping to establish and support the growth of nonprofit societies, the state, during the 1970's, maintained a "hands off" relationship with the nonprofit sector. Throughout the 1980's and early 1990's, state intervention into the affairs and aspirations of nonprofit societies dramatically increased, primarily through the establishment of corporatist arrangements. Such arrangements necessitated the establishment of non-aligned intermediary organizations to regulate and monitor activities within the nonprofit sector. The establishment and development of nonprofit societies and the subsequent restructuring of relations between the state and nonprofit societies is explored through an examination of corporatism. This examination includes a detailed case study of two nonprofit societies operating in the city of Vancouver between 1972 to the present, the Coast Foundation Society and The Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services Society. The methodology utilized includes analysis of secondary data, archival and documentary materials, and personal interviews with a number of key informants previously or currently employed within the mental health system. Analytic themes from the literature on pluralism and corporatism, along with Claus Offe's theoretical examination of state-interest group relations, are used to explain the construction of corporatism during this period. While the inquiry provides a detailed account of developments within Vancouver's mental health system through a case study approach, broader issues are also explored. The impact of macro economic changes, especially the effect of the recessionary period during the 1970's, is crucial in understanding changing state priorities and the subsequent construction of corporatism. An understanding, therefore, of the way in which corporatism relates to the broader reconstruction of consensus within late capitalist societies is an important focus of this study.

An examination of developments between 1970-1990 demonstrate a substantial restructuring of relations between the state and nonprofit societies within Vancouver's mental health system. While helping to establish and support the growth of nonprofit societies, the state, during the 1970's, maintained a "hands off" relationship with the nonprofit sector. Throughout the 1980's and early 1990's, state intervention into the affairs and aspirations of nonprofit societies dramatically increased, primarily through the establishment of corporatist arrangements. Such arrangements necessitated the establishment of non-aligned intermediary organizations to regulate and monitor activities within the nonprofit sector. The establishment and development of nonprofit societies and the subsequent restructuring of relations between the state and nonprofit societies is explored through an examination of corporatism. This examination includes a detailed case study of two nonprofit societies operating in the city of Vancouver between 1972 to the present, the Coast Foundation Society and The Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services Society. The methodology utilized includes analysis of secondary data, archival and documentary materials, and personal interviews with a number of key informants previously or currently employed within the mental health system. Analytic themes from the literature on pluralism and corporatism, along with Claus Offe's theoretical examination of state-interest group relations, are used to explain the construction of corporatism during this period. While the inquiry provides a detailed account of developments within Vancouver's mental health system through a case study approach, broader issues are also explored. The impact of macro economic changes, especially the effect of the recessionary period during the 1970's, is crucial in understanding changing state priorities and the subsequent construction of corporatism. An understanding, therefore, of the way in which corporatism relates to the broader reconstruction of consensus within late capitalist societies is an important focus of this study. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature and content of the social policy of "normalization" in community based services which have been used to meet the needs of deinstitutionalized mentally retarded adults. In the process it was hoped that data would be obtained to aid decision makers in planning community services for retarded adults. The study was directed to examine the relationship between the levels of normalization in services which had been provided for retarded adults who were discharged from the Provincial institution for mental retardation - Woodlands - under the medical administration of retardation services as well as after the assumption of same responsibility by the Ministry of Human Resources. These administrations represented the medical and the social systems of service delivery. "Normalization" had been adopted as "policy" soon after the transfer of responsibilities by the Ministries. Three areas of concern were examined: Levels of normalization of services; needs of subjects; and normalization as policy. These areas had been central to public discussion of retardation issues in British Columbia. In order to examine the three areas, normalization was defined in the Greater Vancouver Area of study using the explicit judgement of citizens and the implicit judgement of professionals. From their judgements, a criteria for measuring normalization was developed and used in scoring individual services according to the special features of those services. A total of seven service areas were scored: Residential, Social, Medical, Recreational, Educational, Psychological and Vocational. The needs of subjects were identified from institutional records and scored. Five service characteristics were further examined for normalization. These were the nature, type, name, location and degree of integration. An integrated framework for policy analysis as well as empirical results were then used to analyse findings. The study showed that community services were essentially deviant in orientation; that level of normalization were about the same for each five year period of study; that services were inadequate in meeting needs; that there was lack of coordination in delivery of services] and that "normalization" was a principle rather than a policy of the Provincial Government. Implications for policy development as well as areas for further research have been suggested. / Medicine, Faculty of / Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of / Graduate

In recent years, the term "Healthy Communities" has become a catch phrase among planners, health promotion workers, social workers and government agencies, and increasing numbers of professionals have taken a role in the development of healthy communities projects. The literature on the healthy communities concept has increased in size and scope. Yet the concept itself is byno means clearly defined. Nor is there a standard method for developing a successful healthy communities project, or a regional collaboration of healthy communities projects. The question remains, when a planner undertakes a role in the development of a healthy communities project, what are the most important factors to consider? This thesis examines the influence of various project inputs on the ability of a regional healthy communities project to achieve its objectives. The thesis uses a case study of the Tri-City Health Promotion Project, a collaborative healthy communities project undertaken in the cities of Castlegar, Trail and Nelson in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. In this study, documentary analysis and interviews with Tri-City project staff illuminate the importance of several influences on a regional healthy communities project. Some of these are: the approach used by the participants (task- orprocess-orientation), the resources and constraints specific to each community, the context from which the project grew, the personalities of those involved, the ability of the collaborating communities to work together, and the relationship between the community and regional bodies in the project structure. Conclusions: While every healthy communities project will be affected differently by various inputs, in the case of the Tri-City Health Promotion Project, the relationship between the regional and community bodies in the project structure had the greatest influence on the ability of the community Steering Committees to achieve their goals. Planners working on a regional healthy communities project must carefully examine the design of the project, in order to develop a structure which enhances the working relationship between regional and community bodies. This is particularly crucial in the healthy communities context, where decision-making power often resides at the community level, rather than being centralized in the regional body.

In recent years, the term "Healthy Communities" has become a catch phrase among planners, health promotion workers, social workers and government agencies, and increasing numbers of professionals have taken a role in the development of healthy communities projects. The literature on the healthy communities concept has increased in size and scope. Yet the concept itself is byno means clearly defined. Nor is there a standard method for developing a successful healthy communities project, or a regional collaboration of healthy communities projects. The question remains, when a planner undertakes a role in the development of a healthy communities project, what are the most important factors to consider? This thesis examines the influence of various project inputs on the ability of a regional healthy communities project to achieve its objectives. The thesis uses a case study of the Tri-City Health Promotion Project, a collaborative healthy communities project undertaken in the cities of Castlegar, Trail and Nelson in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. In this study, documentary analysis and interviews with Tri-City project staff illuminate the importance of several influences on a regional healthy communities project. Some of these are: the approach used by the participants (task- orprocess-orientation), the resources and constraints specific to each community, the context from which the project grew, the personalities of those involved, the ability of the collaborating communities to work together, and the relationship between the community and regional bodies in the project structure. Conclusions: While every healthy communities project will be affected differently by various inputs, in the case of the Tri-City Health Promotion Project, the relationship between the regional and community bodies in the project structure had the greatest influence on the ability of the community Steering Committees to achieve their goals. Planners working on a regional healthy communities project must carefully examine the design of the project, in order to develop a structure which enhances the working relationship between regional and community bodies. This is particularly crucial in the healthy communities context, where decision-making power often resides at the community level, rather than being centralized in the regional body. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate