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Empowering schools: translating health promotion principles into practice

Angela Scriven (Angela Scriven is Course Leader, Department of Health and Social Care, Brunel University, London, UK.)
Liz Stiddard (Liz Stiddard is Year Team leader, Speedwell Technology College, Bristol, UK.)

Health Education

ISSN: 0965-4283

Article publication date: 1 April 2003

3017

Abstract

Although schools are highly appropriate arenas for promoting health, in England they have hierarchical cultures, limited autonomy and a dominant academic function that can inhibit the adoption of empowerment approaches. Centred on an English perspective, this article presents a broad examination of the concept of empowerment and considers the implication this may have to schools. Aspects of personal empowerment, including the development of psychological and personal competencies, will be discussed alongside questions surrounding access to power at both the levels of the individual and the community. Ethical issues, such as freedom of action versus control, will also be addressed. The outcome of this analysis is a set of recommended practices which individual schools could adopt to encourage a more empowering environment for young people.

Keywords

Citation

Scriven, A. and Stiddard, L. (2003), "Empowering schools: translating health promotion principles into practice", Health Education, Vol. 103 No. 2, pp. 110-118. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280310467735

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited

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