title: A community-based organization: the Las Mercedes Project.
abstract: Using the Las Mercedes Project as an example, the aim of this article is to discuss the philosophy and practice of community-based projects. At the core of such projects is a shift in understanding the nature of community. A community, in this case, represents a reality that persons construct that determines the character of rules, norms, and the focus and style of interventions. Additionally, community-based organizations, such as the Las Mercedes Project, are fully participatory, decentered, and carry the imprint of a community's members. Community-based projects, in this regard, improve the likelihood of creating successful interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA. j.murphy@miami.edu
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010568:Peru; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D040241:Social Marketing