What is Community Psychology?
Social justice. Action-oriented research. Global in nature. Influencing public policy. Working for empowerment. Multidisciplinary in focus. Celebrating culture. Preventing harm. Behavior in context. Social action. Supporting community strengths. Reducing oppression. Promoting well-being. Scientific inquiry. Honoring human rights. Respecting diversity.
Community psychology goes beyond an individual focus and integrates social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and international influences to promote positive change, health, and empowerment at individual and systemic levels.
Featured New Content
Supporting Community-Based DV Services Through Academic Collaboration
Posted in: Coalition Building, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: Global Journal of Community Psychology PracticeInterventions to reduce negative effects of domestic violence are highly context dependent. Latina DV survivors face unique socio-cultural barriers when seeking services. Community-based resources can be supported by collaborative academic partnerships to strengthen the evaluation component of the work.
When the Feds Need Help: Community-Based Policing and Deportation
Posted in: Criminal Justice, Immigrant Justice | Tags: Featured ContentWhile there is a long history of cooperation between local police and sheriffs and federal immigration agents in the United States, the issue has more recently become a source of conflict. Local police and sheriffs are increasingly seen as “force multipliers” for the federal government causing some backlash at a time when many are calling […]
Raising Awareness and Getting to Action: Uprooting White Supremacy and Promoting Racial Justice
Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ContentIn response to the repeated police killings of Black people, including the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Rayshard Brooks, and the global mobilization demanding structural change to ensure that Black Lives Matter, the Society for Community Research and Action membership pulled together resources to support awareness raising and action for […]
Society for Community Research and Action Statement on Police Brutality
Posted in: Criminal Justice, Marginalized Groups, Public Policy, Violence Prevention | Tags: Featured ContentWe, the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), are in solidarity with those calling to move funding out of policing and into systems that facilitate community wellness. For this reason, we take up policing as an institution.
Celebrate and Replicate! Building Community through the New Bank for Community Solutions and Ideas
Posted in: Inspiration | Tags: Featured ContentSubmit your stories of community-building, action, and hope to the The New Bank for Community Solutions!
Featured Research
Juvenile Offenders in Context: How Their Worldviews Impact their Actions
Posted in: Criminal Justice, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyJuvenile offending is not simply the outgrowth of “poor choices”. Rather, antisocial behavior may reflect adolescents’ views of unfairness and injustice within the legal system and the world at large.
Using Intersectionality Theory and Microaggression Theory in Research: The Muslimah Project
Posted in: Marginalized Groups, Mental Health | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyBoth subtle and overt discrimination negatively impact Muslim women’s mental health. Applying Microaggression and Intersectionality Theories can help untangle the complex experiences of Muslim women so that we can address the negative consequences of discrimination.
CBOs Can Address Health Disparities in LatinX Communities
Posted in: Immigrant Justice, Mental Health | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyThe lack of attention to increasing LatinX immigrant health inequities created by system-level factors has created a public mental health crisis that calls for innovative strategies to support immigrant families and the community-based organizations that serve them. It is critical to focus on building capacity within community-based organizations (CBOs) that immigrant families already access.
Paying Time After Time: The Costs of Criminal Record Stigma
Posted in: Criminal Justice | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyPerceived stigma is common among people with criminal records. We can reduce criminal record stigma and discrimination and provide work and social opportunities to enhance quality of life post-incarceration.
The Scalability of Mentoring
Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Poverty and Socioeconomic Status | Tags: Featured ResearchGroup mentoring is a promising strategy for building resilience among young people vulnerable to school dropout. Mentoring in small groups is more scalable than traditional one-on-one mentoring.
With Racism Everywhere, What makes Youth “Engage Against the Machine?”
Posted in: Coalition Building, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyActivism is a crucial part of the democratic process. Social action can be helpful in combating the exhaustion of daily inequality.
