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Political connections and psychosocial wellbeing among Women's Development Army leaders in rural amhara, Ethiopia: Towards a holistic understanding of community health workers' socioeconomic status

Author

Listed:
  • Closser, Svea
  • Maes, Kenneth
  • Gong, Erick
  • Sharma, Neha
  • Tesfaye, Yihenew
  • Abesha, Roza
  • Hyman, Mikayla
  • Meyer, Natalie
  • Carpenter, Jeffrey

Abstract

Little empirical research exists on the effects of health work on Community Health Workers' (CHWs') social relationships and status, yet these factors are important in understanding the broad social and behavioral drivers and impacts of CHW programs. This is particularly true for unpaid CHWs. Engaging with others as a CHW might help a worker to embody a valued role in society as a selfless, caring individual; or it might strengthen bonds with others and improve social networks and social capital. By combining qualitative, ethnographic, and survey data collected in rural Amhara, Ethiopia from 2013 to 2016, we evaluated the extent to which unpaid female workers in Ethiopia's Women's Development Army (WDA) were better able than their peers to achieve cultural consonance by building desired social connections or fulfilling locally salient models of virtuous womanhood. We conducted a cultural consensus survey (n = 74) and measured cultural consonance in a larger survey of adult women, including WDA leaders (n = 422). We also conducted participant observation and interviews with health officials, local health staff, and WDA leaders.

Suggested Citation

  • Closser, Svea & Maes, Kenneth & Gong, Erick & Sharma, Neha & Tesfaye, Yihenew & Abesha, Roza & Hyman, Mikayla & Meyer, Natalie & Carpenter, Jeffrey, 2020. "Political connections and psychosocial wellbeing among Women's Development Army leaders in rural amhara, Ethiopia: Towards a holistic understanding of community health workers' socioeconomic status," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:266:y:2020:i:c:s027795362030592x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113373
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Little, Peter D., 2008. "Food Aid Dependency in Northeastern Ethiopia: Myth or Reality?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 860-874, May.
    2. Emily Oster, 2019. "Unobservable Selection and Coefficient Stability: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 187-204, April.
    3. Ramirez-Valles, Jesus, 1998. "Promoting health, promoting women: the construction of female and professional identities in the discourse of community health workers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 47(11), pages 1749-1762, December.
    4. Maes, Kenneth & Kalofonos, Ippolytos, 2013. "Becoming and remaining community health workers: Perspectives from Ethiopia and Mozambique," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 52-59.
    5. Dressler, William W. & Balieiro, Mauro C. & Ribeiro, Rosane P. & dos Santos, Jose E., 2007. "A prospective study of cultural consonance and depressive symptoms in urban Brazil," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(10), pages 2058-2069, November.
    6. Borgonovi, Francesca, 2008. "Doing well by doing good. The relationship between formal volunteering and self-reported health and happiness," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2321-2334, June.
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    1. Sarita Panday & Edwin van Teijlingen & Amy Barnes, 2024. "Exploring the motivations of female community health volunteers in primary healthcare provision in rural Nepal: A qualitative study," PLOS Global Public Health, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(8), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Maes, Kenneth & Closser, Svea & Tesfaye, Yihenew & Abesha, Roza, 2025. "Moving away from volunteerism in community health? Motivations and wellbeing among urban and rural Ethiopian volunteers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).

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