Levels of Action – Individual
Equity Framework > Levels of Action > Individual
Working at this level focuses on growing capacity for equity-based work among individuals and teams. At the individual level, self-reflection is a necessary ongoing practice to evaluate strengths and areas for knowledge and skill building. At an individual level, growing capacity to advance equity in child and family well-being can include learning about:
- Root causes of inequities;
- Historical and current conditions that produce inequities;
- Understanding institutional power; and
- Understanding systems (e.g. economic, legal, educational, and government systems, as well as systems of oppression)
Long-term skill building is key to supporting work at the individual level of action. To be sustainable, this learning and skill building needs ongoing coaching, peer-to-peer networks, and communities of practice. In this context, individuals can develop skills related to:
- leadership for social inclusion;
- practices to support representation;
- recognizing the impact of your own social position and privilege; and
- analysing proposed actions for their potential to reduce inequities
Lastly, creating clear accountability structures and tracking impact of capacity building is part of action at the individual level.
Consider what kinds of actions are needed at the individual level?
Examples of Drivers for Change that may be useful in individual level action include:
- Reflect on Ways of Knowing
- Practice Allyship
- Engage in Reflective Practice
- Consider your Social Position
- Strengthen Capacity
- Check Assumptions
- Advocate
- Engage in Ongoing Learning
- Engage in Peer Learning
References
- Ismail, H., & Wong, M. (2023). The Community Playbook. Social Planning Toronto. Available from: https://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/the_community_playbook
- Scheetz, M., & Senge, P. (2016). Systemic Change and Equity. Equity-Centered Capacity Building Network (ECCBN). Available from: https://capacitybuildingnetwork.org/article3/#_ednref4
- Pauly, B., Shahram, S. Z., van Roode, T., Strosher, H.W., & MacDonald, M.(2018). Reorienting Health Systems Towards Health Equity: The Systems Health Equity Lens (SHEL). Victoria, BC: The Equity Lens in Public Health (ELPH) Research Project. Available from: https://www.uvic.ca/research/projects/elph/assets/docs/kte-resource-6—systems-health-equity-lens.pdf