Stories Science and Power in Policy Change: Environmental Health Community-Based Research and Community Organizing in a U.S.-Mexico Border Colonia

摘要

In Westway colonia, located in northwestern El Paso County, Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) affiliated Border Interfaith leader Fr Pablo Matta from Imaculado Corazon de Maria Catholic Church repeatedly said he had "never buried so many people from cancer." This study, based on policy ethnography from 2005 to 2013 and a random sample of 103 Westway households in 2012, asks the following about environmental justice, with a focus based on ethnicity, class, and citizenship. From what power sources willpolicy solutions emanate for environmental health problems: stories, science, or both and in what sequence and context? We argue that neither the passionately communicated stories nor the scientific research findings reduced pollution emissions, at least in the short-term perspective, given the challenges posed in time-consuming relational work versus time-consuming grant-funded social science in a community undergoing political flux. Policy strategies at wider levels are necessary to foster change, such as what occurred in public health over the last century around toxic waste, sanitation and water supply.