Abstract
In the following thesis "Faith and the Public's Health," I detail
findings from
research and interviews I conducted from March 2011 through
February 2012. I
identified more than 70 stakeholders; conducted 16 interviews (in
person and on the
phone); synthesized my notes from stakeholder interviews; attended
four meetings; read
books, peer-reviewed journals, and internet articles; and scanned
the environment in
order to supplement the content for my thesis.
During the initial phase of my research, I developed the following
thesis
statement: "Should there be a connection between faith and the
public's health in the City
of Decatur, and if so, what could this relationship look like?" As
I attended meetings,
conducted interviews, and reviewed the literature, I discovered
numerous examples of
cooperation between the faith and public health communities across
the country and
around the world that demonstrate the value of, and need for, this
connection. People are
excited and motivated to work at the unique intersection of faith
and public health. There
are many success stories. There are barriers to overcome, but these
barriers are not
insurmountable. Finally, people continue to hold onto hope and work
together with
vision, passion, and zeal. Therefore, my conclusion is, "Yes, there
should be a connection
between faith and the public's health in the City of
Decatur."
However, the second part of my thesis question still remains, "What
could this
relationship between the faith and public health communities look
like?" To this end, I
would like to continue my work in order to address this question. I
believe it would be
exciting to secure grant funding in order to conduct a feasibility
study pertaining to the
creation of a "City of Decatur Faith and Public Health Coalition."
In exploring the
opportunity to create this coalition, I would seek to engage the
stakeholders listed in my
original thesis proposal: City of Decatur churches, Columbia
Theological Seminary,
Decatur City Services, the DeKalb County Health Department, the
Housing Authority of
the City of Decatur, Decatur Cooperative Ministry, Decatur
Emergency Assistance
Ministry, the United Way, and others as suggested by the
stakeholders engaged.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF
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About this Master's Thesis
Rights statement
- Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.
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