REFLECTIONS ON MEASURING COMMUNITY POWER

In Reflections on Measuring Community Power, Hahrie Han explores the challenges of assessing how communities build and exercise power to advance health equity. She highlights the multidimensional, contextual, and dynamic nature of power—spanning visible victories, narrative influence, and structural change—while stressing the need for co-created, place-based learning systems. By moving beyond linear measurement models and centering race and inequity, Han outlines pathways for more authentic evaluation and strategy. This aligns with Aspen CSG because we believe that community-driven power building, grounded in equity and local leadership, is essential for transforming systems and creating lasting rural prosperity.