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Community Psychology: Introduction
1.
2. COMMUNITY PSYCH VS. CLINICAL PSYCH
1. COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY TREATED PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND NOT
2. COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY IS FOCUSED ON PREVENTION
3. RATHER THAN VIEW INDIVIDUALS AS PASSIVE RECIPIENTS OF
TREATMENT, COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGISTS COLLABORATE WITH
THOSE THEY ARE TRYING TO HELP AND ATTEMPT TO EMPOWER
THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO REALIZE THE PERSONAL OUTCOME THAT
THEY DESIRE.
3. HISTORY OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
• THE SIXTIES
A NUMBER OF SOCIAL ISSUES HAD EMERGE DURING THE SIXTIES
(SUCH AS, DRUG CULTURE AMONG THE YOUNG, GENDER
INEQUALITY PROTEST AMONG OTHERS)
• SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES
ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS
5. PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS OF COMMUNITY
PSYCHOLOGY
HAS EVOLVED TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON BEHAVIOR AS IT OCCURS AT
INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, ORGANIZATIONAL AND SOCIETAL LEVELS.
(HELLER ET AL., 1984)
AN ATTEMPT TO FIND OTHER ALTERNATIVES FOR DEALING WITH
DEVIANCE FROM SOCIETAL BASED NORMS… (RAPPAPORT, 1977)
6. COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
FOCUSES ON SOCIAL ISSUES, SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS,
AND OTHER SETTINGS THAT INFLUENCE GROUPS
AND ORGANIZATIONS
THE GOAL IS TO OPTIMIZE THE WELL BEING OF
COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH INNOVATIVE AND
ALTERNATE INTERVENTIONS DESIGNED IN
COLLABORATION WITH AFFECTED COMMUNITY
MEMBERS AND WITH OTHER RELATED DISIPLINES INSIDE
AND OUTSIDE PSYCHOLOGY.
7. PREVENTION RATHER THAN TREATMENT
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY TAKES
A PROACTIVE APPROACH RATHER
THAN REACTIVE ROLE.
8. LEVELS OF PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION
PRIMARY PREVENTION- ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT A
PROBLEM BEFORE IT OCCURS AT THE EARLIEST
POSSIBLE MOMENT. IT REFERS MOST GENERALLY
TO ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE UNDERTAKEN WITH A
HEALTHY POPULATION TO MAINTAIN OR ENHANCE
ITS HEALTH, PHYSICAL,AND EMOTIONAL.
9. CRITERIA FOR A PROGRAM TO BE CONSIDERED
TRULY PRIMARY PREVENTIVE
COWEN 1996:
• THE PROGRAM MUST BE MASS OR GROUP
ORIENTED
• IT MUST OCCUR BEFORE THE MALADJUSTMENT
• IT MUST BE INTENTIONAL IN THE SENSE OF HAVING
A PRIMARY FOCUS ON THE STRENGTHENING
ADJUSTMENT OF THE AS YET UNAFFECTED.
10. CRITERIA FOR A PROGRAM TO BE
CONSIDERED TRULY PRIMARY PREVENTIVE
LEVINE (1999);
• EVALUATE AND PROMOTE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS AND
CONSIDER HOW TO MODIFY COUNTERVAILING FORCES
• BE STRUCTURED TO AFFECT COMPLEX SOCIAL
STRUCTURES.
• EXAMINE INSTITUTIONAL AND SOCIETAL ISSUES, NOT JUST
INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
• RECOGNIZE THAT WHATEVER THE PROGRAM, IT IS BUT ONE
PART OF A MUCH LARGER CULTURAL EFFORT
11. SECONDARY
PREVENTION- ATTEMPTS
TO TREAT A PROBLEM AT
THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE
MOMENT BEFORE IT
BECOME SEVERE OR
PERSISTENT. AT-RISK
INDIVIDUALS ARE
ALREADY MANIFESTING
SOME SYMPTOMS OR
PROBLEMS.
12. TERTIARY PREVENTION- ATTEMPTS
TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF A
PROBLEM ONCE IT HAS
PERSISTENTLY OCCURRED. IN
OTHER WORDS, AT RISK
INDIVIDUALS ARE ALREADY
MANIFESTING SOME SYMPTOMS
OR PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS.
13. COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY GIVES….
• EMPHASIS ON STRENGTHS AND COMPETENCIES
COMPETENCE – A SENSE OF MASTERY WHEN INTERACTING WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT ; A BASIC DESIRE TO FEEL CAPABLE
• IMPORTANCE OF THE ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
PERSON-ENVIRONMENT FIT. THE ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE MEANS AN
EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONS AND THEIR
ENVIRONMENT (SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL) AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OPTIMAL
MATCH BETWEEN THE PERSON AND THE SETTING.
14. • RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE DIFFERENT, AND DIFFERENT DOES
NOT MEAN INFERIOR. IF DIFFERENCE IS ACCEPTED AS A FACT OF LIFE
THEN THE RESOURCES OUGHT TO BE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED TO ALL
THESE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
• EMPOWERMENT
- THE PROCESS OF ENHANCING THE POSSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE CAN
MORE A TIVELY CONTROL THEIR OWN LIVES.
• CHOICE AMONG ALTERNATIVES
GIVEN A RESPECT FOR THE UNIQUENESS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL,
RESPECT SHOULD LEAD TO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT A SINGLE
HUMAN SERVICES IS NOT OPTIMAL FOR EVERYONE.
15. ACTION RESEARCH
• DIRECTED TOWARD RESOLVING SOCIAL PROBLEM
• IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY MOST ACTION RESEARCH IS
PARTICIPATORY; AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT MERELY
“SUBJECTS” IN THE STUDY BUT RATHER ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN
SHAPING THE RESEARCH AGENDA.
16.
17. SOCIAL CHANGE
• UNPLANNED SOCIAL CHANGE- OCCURS SPONTANEOUSLY; NO ONE
PLANS FOR IT TO HAPPEN…, IT JUST HAPPEN.
• PLANNED SOCIAL CHANGE- AN INTENTIONALLY CREATED SOCIAL
CHANGE. HERE, WHATNIS TO BE CHANGE IS TOBE TARGETED IN
ADVANCE; DIRECTED TOEWARDS ENHANCING THE COMMUNITY
AND PROVIDES FOR A ROLE IN THE DESIGN OF CHANGE BY THOSE
AFFECTED BY THE CHANGE.
18. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER DISCIPLINE
COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS GIVES NEW AWARENESS OF
HOW OTHER DISCIPLINES EXPERIENCE A PHENOMENON
19. A SENCE OF COMMUNITY
• IF ENVIRONMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS ARE WELL MATCHED, A MORE
OPTIMAL COMMUNITY AS WELL AS A COMMUNITY WITH ASENSE OF
SPIRIT AND A SENSE OF “WE-NESS” CAN BE CREATED
WHAT IS SENCE OF COMMUNITY?
SENCE OF COMMUNITY IS THE FEELING OF THE RELATIONSHIP AN
INDIVIDUAL HOLDS FOR HIS OR HER COMMUNITY.
20. A SENCE OF COMMUNITY IS SPECIFICALLY THOUGHT TO INCLUDE
FOUR ELEMENTS:
1. MEMBERSHIP- PEOPLE EXPERIENCE FEELINGS OF BELONGING
IN THEIR COMMUNITY
2. INFLUENCE- PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN THEIR COMMUNITY
3. INTEGRATION- MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY BELIEVE THAT
THEIR NEEDS WILL BE MET BY THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN
THE COMMUNITY.
4. EMOTIONAL CONNECTION- IMPLIES THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS
HAVE AND WILL SHARE HISTORY, TIME, PLACES AND
EXPERIENCES.
21. NEIGHBORING
- A CONCEPT RELATED TO SENSE OF COMMUNITY, WHICH
IS A PERSON’S EMOTIONAL, COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL
ATTACHMENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT MAKES
HIM/HER MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN
NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS, AND IS THEREFORE A
DIFFERENT CONCEPT FROM SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
22. COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
1. THERE IS A SHIFT OF RESEARCH METHODS; FROM
EXPERIMENTAL TO CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
2. THERE ARE NOW FEWER STUDIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
CHRONICALLY MENTALY ILL. INSTEAD AN EXAMINATION OF
LARGER PORTIONS OF PARTICIPANTS FROM THE COMMUNITY
AT LARGE DEMONSTRATES THAT RECENT RESEARCH IS BEING
CONDUCTED WHERE SOCIAL PROBLEMS OCCUR WHICH ONE OF
THE GOAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY.
Editor's Notes
THE SUB DECIPLINE OF PSYCHOLOGY THAT IS CONCERNED WITH UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES, THE PREVENTION OF THE PROBLEMS OF LIVING, THE CELEBRATION OF HUMAN DIVERSITY AND THE PURSUIT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH SOCIAL ACTION.
PREVENTION RATHER THAN TREATMENT WAS INSPIRED AT THE SWAMSCOTT CONFERENCE AND MORE BROADLY BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH MOVEMENT ; AND IS AN IMPORTANT PIVOTAL CONCEPT IN THE FIELD. THE UNDERLYING THEME IS THAT TREATMENT COMES TOO LATE IN THE INTERVENTION PROCESS; IT IS USUALLY PROVIDED LONG AFTER THE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPED THE PROBLEM, SO IS OFTEN INEFFECTIVE.
PREVENTION MIGHT COUNTER ANY TRAUMA BEFORE IT BEGINS, THUS SAVING THE INDIVIDUAL AND PERHAPS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY FROM DEVELOPING A PROBLEM.
PRIMARY PREVENTION CAN ALSO MEAN WORKING WITH POPULATIONS WHO ARE AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING A DYSFUNCTION AND PREVENTING THE DYSFUNCTION FROM EVER OCCURING.
Typically psychology focuses on weaknesses and problems. None of us would like to be incompetent. We feel a sense of strength that comes from mastering some part of the environment.
Ecological implication. You put them in a diff environment they may thrive. Competency is aligned with prevention. If strengths were enhanced early on. Problems might be avoided.
You DO NOT control the environment to change an individual. Labeling an individual who does NOT fit the setting is also not productive because of their transactional nature. Rather examine both the individual and the environment. Find the right combination.
DISTINCT WORLD VIEW, STYLES OF LIVING, AND SOCIAL ARRANGEMENT THAT ARE NOT PART OF MAINSTREAM SOCIETY. YOU AVOID COMPARING THIS DIVERSE POPULATIONS W/C MAY DEVIANT AT MAY DEFICIENT.
EMPOWERMENT IS ACONSTRUCT THAT LINKS INDIVIDUAL STRENGTH AND COMPETENCIES, NATURAL HELPING SYSTEMS, AND PROACTIVE BEHAVIORS TO SOCIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL CHANGE. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION IN THEIR COMMUNITY
Enhance tgeir access to various community change. Provide choices in community and accessibility.
Help in preventive efforts work best for whom, when, and why.
PROMOTES SOCIAL CHANGE
ARMED, WITH RESEARCH ONE OF THE GOALS OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY IS TO INDUCE SOCIAL CHANGE.
CHANGE IS DIFF BETWEEN TWO POINTS IN TIME
SOCIAL CHANGE MEANS CHANGE IN SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
For example, scientists seek more efficient forms of energy, and advertisers try to
convince us that life is incomplete without this or that new gadget. So market researchers find out new ways
of convincing people to use the new product. Yet rarely one can envision all the consequences of the
changes that are set in motion. Automobile has been introduced for mobility and transportation. At the
same time there have appeared many unintended consequences like pollution, accidents, and the same autos
being used for robbery and other unlawful activities.
COMMUNITY HAS TRADITIONALLY MEANT A LOCALITY OR PLACE SUCH AS A NEIGHRBORHOOD.
NEIGHBORHOODS MIGHT BE DEFINED AS LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BOUND TOGETHER SPATIALLY WHERE RESIDENTS FEEL A SENSE OF SOCIAL COHESION AND INTERACTION.
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS DIFF FROM NEIGHBORHOOD
Why?
Can experience a sense of community w/o the whole community
