• Reflect on the definition of a ‘community’ by Zakus and Lysack (1998) and the summary by Laverack (2007, Chapter 2). Consider the diversity of individuals and groups within a geographical area such as your neighbourhood, what problems might the neighbourhood’s diversity create in the representation of the community’s members in health programs? Consider Laverack’s ladder of community-based interaction (2007, Chapter 2) and with this in mind describe the key steps you have taken or would take and how you may approach, what you consider the best points of entry for practitioners working with communities and how might this affect the success of a program?
Discussion 2: Community Capacity-Building and Empowerment
• Reflect on the definition of community capacity by Labonte and Laverack (2001a). Does this reflect your definition of community empowerment? How might you use it to foster empowerment in your current workplace or community?

Module 2
Discussion 1: Theories, Approaches and Models of Health Promotion
• Review Nutbeam’s short text (2010), Chapters 2 and 3 in Gottwald and Goodman-Brown (2012), and Chapter 6 in Laverack (2014) on the theories and models of health promotion. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches in practice when working with diverse communities. How would you reliably select the most effective theories and health promotion models for your work? Feel free to draw on your own experiences.
Discussion 2: Increasing Awareness and Skills in Programs
• Raising awareness and developing the skills of individuals, groups and communities is an important aspect of health promotion practice. Read and review Chapters 5 and 7 of the Gottwald and Goodman-Brown text (2012) on social marketing and mass communication; Chapter 5 in Corcoran (2013) on information technology in health communication; and the paper on health literacy by Nutbeam (2000). Which strategies do you think would be effective in health programs in your community to increase awareness, motivate and develop the skills of people in diverse communities?