Verbena: Overcoming Poverty as Part of the Information Ground Life Cycle
Verbena is a Seattle-based, non-profit health services and advocacy organization that serves lesbian, bisexual and queer women and transgendered individuals (LBQT). This research will examine the development of this organization or information ground via its history and current services, including outreach and how it has been a starting point for influencing governmental policy decisions. Stakeholders of interest include Verbena's organizers, board of directors, frontline staff, and clients.
The first stage of this examination is to focus on the creation and staying power of an information ground, and to address three key questions: How is an information ground created? How does an information ground change over time? And, how is an information ground maintained? Implicit these questions will be how the information ground, from initial creation through its maintenance and various transitions, provides a space for addressing the needs of its inhabitants or actors. Further focus will be placed on the fact that sexual minorities may face unique barriers to healthcare and may also be at a higher risk for health related problems. It is therefore reasonable to refer to some members of the population served by Verbena as the "information poor." Thus Chatman's (c.f., 2000) information poverty framework for understanding the social life of specific groups will be used to add context to the needs of lesbian, bisexual and queer women and transgendered individuals. Bringing these issues together this research will show that through creating a space for this unique population and nurturing an information ground the founders and current members of the organization have been able to bring LBQT healthcare to the fore and have been instrumental in changing advocacy into policy.
Seattle Commission for Sexual Minorities
King County - Healthy People, Healthy Communities
Kris Unsworth, PhD Student, The Information School University of Washington