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

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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:
Published in:
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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The HEAL Lab: Healing Health Inequity Together

Posted in: Healthcare, Marginalized Groups | Tags:
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Critical Conscious-ness Theory and Community Based Participatory Results can help communities address health disparities. The HEAL lab provides a support network and engages diverse stakeholders in critical reflection as they participate in research to advance health equity.

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Logic Model of FAI Services including empowerment, crisis intervention, and safety.

Supporting Community-Based DV Services Through Academic Collaboration

Posted in: Coalition Building, Marginalized Groups | Tags:
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Interventions 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.

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Featured Research

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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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Gender-Informed Programming for Incarcerated Girls

Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Criminal Justice | Tags:
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Treatments and programs in the juvenile justice system may not work as well for girls as they do for boys. Rehabilitation programs must be understood in context including different program format types (individual, group, family) and program emphases (cognitive, behavioral, family systems).

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Activism is Powerful for LGBT Folks

Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags:
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People who identify as LGBT are more likely to experience psychological distress than their heterosexual peers. Participating in LGBT-related civic and advocacy may foster connection among LGBT people, which may in turn support their well-being.

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