Understanding space and place in relation to child health — community mapping
Community-based and community-led interventions demand an understanding of community that is as complex as possible, though this is rarely the case. Typically, the emphasis on community stops at the geographical, with concerns about distributions of illness or demographics. In our context, we sought to explore community as a more complex entity, acknowledging three often under-appreciated dynamics related to communities of place: (1) social identity processes (how people identify and relate to each other) linked to the use of space; (2) community of practice and action — created through engagement in shared activities; and (3) symbolic communities — linked to cultural sub-groups. The mapping activity (see [Young women’s group community mapping activities