Community Psychology Concepts and Core Values
PSYCHOLOGY COMMUNITY PB30903 DR. NORSIMAH BINTI DASAN
Quote by Edward Everett Hale: "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
Human Needs for Community
Humans have an intrinsic need to belong to communities.
Complete isolation from others is unnatural and not conducive to well-being.
Distinction from Other Fields of Psychology
Community psychology offers a unique perspective on human behavior.
Shifts the focus from individualistic analysis to a structural/ecological perspective.
Example: Addressing issues like homelessness through societal context rather than solely individual issues.
Prevention Focus
Community psychology emphasizes preventing problems rather than merely treating them post-factum.
COMMUNITY WELLNESS INITIATIVES
Example Campaign: Kempens Jom Sihat
Promotes healthy lifestyles within families.
Key messages include:
Reuse: Encourages reusing materials to reduce waste.
Reduce: Advocates for cutting down on waste and avoiding energy wastage.
Recycle: Highlights the value of recycling items.
Takes a community-driven approach towards health education.
Acknowledgment of Societal Issues
Statistics: As of today, there are 564,701 homeless people in the United States, highlighting a critical societal issue.
Efforts to help include funding for homeless support (e.g., through donations).
RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES
Community Psychology Goals
Strives to enhance the quality of life for individuals, communities, and societies.
Promotes collaboration with community members as equal partners in research and action.
Participant-Conceptualizers
Community psychologists engage actively in community processes while analyzing and understanding them.
ASSUMPTIONS AND PROBLEMS IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
Importance of Context
Recognizes that personal problems cannot be understood without considering their developmental contexts.
Definition of Context: Environments in which individuals live that influence their behavior and decisions, illustrating the dynamic interaction between individual and environmental factors.
Reference: Shinn & Tohey (2003) regarding context minimization error.
Types of Change
First-order change
Definition: Alters, rearranges, or replaces individuals within a group (Watzlawick et al., 1974).
Second-order change
Definition: Modifies shared goals, roles, rules, and power dynamics within a group (Linney, 1990; Seidman, 1988).
Note: Problems are fundamentally changed, not merely solved.
CASE STUDY: ERIC
Classroom Example
Description of Eric, a child in the lowest reading group termed "the clowns."
The stark contrast in experiences between high and low ability groups, highlighting systemic issues in educational settings.
Intervention proposed: Move Eric to a middle reading group with a trial period and additional support.
Outcome: Eric's eventual success in reading and social engagement by the end of the school year, raising questions about educational equity for those left behind.
Reference: Weinstein (2002a, pp. 2–3).
PROBLEM RESOLUTION IN COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Approach
Community psychologists argue for a process of evaluating both historical context and future implications rather than mere problem-solving.
ECOLOGICAL LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
Conceptual Model
Proximal systems are integrated into broader, more distal systems, highlighting interdependence.
CORE VALUES IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
Individual and Family Wellness
Definition: Encompasses physical and psychological health, including personal achievements.
Indicators include psychological resilience, emotional skills, and overall life satisfaction.
Emphasis on strengthening family dynamics as a way to promote individual well-being, referencing community prevention initiatives focusing on child development.
Sense of Community
Definition: Reflects feelings of belonging, interdependence, and commitment shared among members of a group.
Subject of study in various settings, such as neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and online environments.
Respect for Human Diversity
Definition: Recognizes and values the diversity among communities and identities based on various characteristics (e.g., gender, ethnic identity, socioeconomic status).
Balances acknowledgment of diversity with values of social justice and collective unity.
Reference: Trickett (1996) and Prilleltensky (2001) regarding cultural variations and moral considerations.
Social Justice
Definition: Fair allocation of resources and opportunities across society.
Divided into: A. Distributive Justice: Concerns resource allocation among populations. B. Procedural Justice: Relates to decision-making processes, ensuring fair representation of citizens in these processes.
Distinction explained between outcome-focused programs and their implementation methods (Prilleltensky, 2001).
Empowerment and Citizen Participation
Definition: A process enhancing individuals' control over their lives, utilizing resources for collective decision-making.
Citizen participation encourages democratic decision-making, fostering involvement especially among those impacted by decisions.
Collaboration and Community Strengths
Definition: The relationship dynamics between community psychologists and citizens.
Focus on utilizing community strengths through collaboration, integrating knowledge, resources, and shared decision-making.
Empirical Grounding
Definition: Integrating research with community actions, ensuring efforts are based on empirical evidence.
Critique of theories lacking empirical basis; support for the notion that all research is influenced by context and researchers' biases.
Utilizes both qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand community contexts better.
CONCLUSION
It is essential to understand core values in community psychology in relation to one another, as pursuing one value in isolation can result in skewed research and ineffective actions.