Representing Neighborhood Health: Exploring Citizen Science as a Democratic Force

Abstract

In discussions about citizen science (CS), scholars have considered CS as not only a tool to produce better science, but also a democratizing practice allowing for new definitions of public problems. Inspired by science and technology studies, we present an analysis of a CS collaboration on public health—University with the Neighborhood—in low-income neighborhoods. We show how this CS project results in three representations of neighborhood health. 1. Health is not defined in terms of individual lifestyle but rather in terms of public space. 2. Citizens’ work is not participation, but maintenance and repair. 3. Neighborhood work is not about “the community” but about diverse publics. We conclude that the democratic potential of CS in public health and health promotion lies not in the mirroring-of-reality capability of citizens but in the transformation of objects of concern and the representation of problems in public health.

Keywords

• public participation
• science and technology studies
• neighborhood health
• health promotion
• citizen science