Social Justice Through Collaborative Research and Action

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.

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Featured New Content

Photograph of two students

High-Quality Afterschool Programs for LatinX Youth

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Education, Marginalized Groups | Tags:
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LatinX youth’s cultural experiences are related to the ways in which they experience afterschool program activities and interact with staff. To better support diverse youth and their math and STEM learning, serious and thoughtful consideration should be given to the promotion of culturally responsive practices.

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Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness in Communities of Color

Posted in: Mental Health | Tags:
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We can take an action-oriented approach to identify how cultural aspects of mental illness stigma manifest for racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. Culturally salient interventions can promote change and empowerment at systemic and individual levels.

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The Roles of Settings in Supporting Immigrants’ Resistance to Injustice and Oppression: A Policy Position Statement by the Society for Community Research and Action

Posted in: Immigrant Justice | Tags:
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Settings of various sizes and scopes can support immigrants’ resistance to oppression. This policy statement describes how.

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Retiring Juvenile Detention Centers for Wrap-Around Community-Based Services

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Criminal Justice | Tags:
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Youth are not best served in JDC environments and should be diverted to community-based and therapeutic environments whenever possible. Girls’ feedback through a confidential youth advisory process prompted systemic change better suited to meet their needs.

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Decision Tree for the Range of Youth Participatory Approaches

Comparing Youth Participatory Approaches

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families | Tags:
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There are many commonalities among Community-Psychology-informed youth participatory approaches. However, approaches differ on the level of emphasis on research to inform action, how much decision-making power young people have throughout the process, and the role and power of adults.

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Theater: Engaging in Critical Thinking about Social Justice

Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags:
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Using visual and creative methods, we can engage people in thinking about social justice and their place and responsibilities within it. Art can be an engaging way to encourage people with privilege to work towards social justice.

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Featured Research

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“Safe Space” or “Brave Space”: How GSAs can Address Intersectionality

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Marginalized Groups | Tags:
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Collective norms around race and immigration talk facilitated or impeded the extent to which these were discussed. Advisors and student leaders can embrace a “brave space” rather than a “safe space” dynamic to encourage students to participate in intersectional conversations.

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Creating the Most Effective Collaborative Infrastructure

Posted in: Coalition Building, Criminal Justice, Violence Prevention | Tags:
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While infrastructures can improve teams’ relationships and work, some are difficult to implement. SARTs could first focus on infrastructures that build trust and buy-in before adopting other accountability-focused infrastructures. Improving SART infrastructures can help promote SART collaboration and thereby improve survivors’ experiences.

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Learning “Maleness”: Implications for Mental Health

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Mental Health | Tags:
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Masculinity and mental health are related, especially for adolescent boys. Findings reveal the need to support adolescent boys to resist expectations of stereotypical masculinity.

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Brief Consultation Supports Interventions

Posted in: Education | Tags:
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Teachers receiving brief consultations taught more content than those who did not receive consultations. Consultation support to deliver a school-based program may need to be tailored and made briefer than is typical to fit different school contexts.

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Coping with Mental Illness on Tumblr

Posted in: Mental Health | Tags:
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Marginalized groups use social media to build social capital and form communities. Social media can be a valuable resource for people experiencing mental illness, but the support experienced online varies among #hashtag communities on Tumblr.

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Recovery from Substance Abuse: We are as Successful as Those around Us

Posted in: Housing, Substance Use | Tags:
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The social environment may be a more important influence on substance abuse recovery than previously recognized. Recovery can be strongly influenced by others with whom the recovering individual has regular social contact, whether for good or for bad.

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