Critical pedagogy and its application to health education: a critical appraisal of the Casa en Casa model.

Casa en Casa is a popular education project of the community health education section of La Clínica de la Raza, a community-based health clinic in Oakland, California. The author examines the Casa en Casa model for its contributions to furthering health education practitioners' understanding of critical pedagogy and community organizing and their relationship to health education. A description of the project's achievements and the obstacles faced in reaching its goals of community empowerment is followed by an analysis of the weaknesses in the project that may undermine its effectiveness. Recommendations are made as to the importance of linking theory to practice and practice to a long-term vision of social change.