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
Dreams Assessment Model and Dreamandments Outline how Black Students can Thrive
Posted in: Anti-Racism, Education | Tags: Featured ContentCommunity Researchers can drive transformative research methodologies to address racial justice. The Village of Wisdom guided new Community Researchers to develop a dream plan equipping community members with a set of tools to organize, advocate, and advance equity.
Drawing on the Experiences of Trans Students to Inform Pronoun Disclosure in Higher Education Settings
Posted in: Blog, Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: The Community PsychologistHow pronouns are addressed can seriously impact a student’s well-being. I provide some considerations for how an instructor or mentor might approach pronoun disclosure with the goal of increasing comfort and decreasing coercion, based on the experiences of six trans undergraduate students who advised these recommendations through qualitative interviews and text submissions, and my own […]
Screen Mothers, Help Kids: An Innovative Community-Based Partnership Helps Amplify the Voices of Children
Posted in: Violence Prevention | Tags: Featured ContentChildren are often the unheard voices of domestic violence. Screening mothers for the impact of domestic violence on their kids is one way to connect kids with appropriate DV services in the community.
Improving Mental Health in Rural Youth
Posted in: Children, Youth and Families, Coalition Building, Mental Health | Tags: Featured ContentThis project and study incorporate community members and students into a decision-making process to guide community-level mental health interventions for youth. The CBPR method encourages agency and decision-making power. Community involvement may lead to greater community connectedness.
What Does Blackness Mean in Puerto Rico? Opening a Dialogue to Embrace Our Heritage
Posted in: Anti-Racism | Tags: Featured ContentPublished in: Global Journal of Community Psychology PracticePuerto Ricans can be challenged with their African ancestry. Researchers wrestled with memories of childhood, oral traditions of ancestry, historical evidence, and live observations towards Blackness on the island. Narrative evidence contributes to the challenges of unlearning anti-Blackness in the lands that have thrived because of the Transatlantic slave trade.
An Open-Access Textbook for Students, Teachers, Community-Based Organizations, Researchers, and Others
Posted in: History of Community Psychology | Tags: Featured ContentA free e-Textbook providing examples of Community Psychology practice. Case studies highlight transformational work happening in communities globally. Students say, “The book is helpful in moving theory to practice.”
Featured Research
Bystanders Respond to Microaggressions to Develop Welcoming and Inclusive Workplaces
Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyRepeated exposure to micro-aggressions can have a negative impact on psychological and physical health. Expanding collective organizational capacity to address bias in respectful ways (by promoting active bystanders) has been shown to have an empowering impact and to foster more equitable workplaces.
Support for Evidence-Based Mentoring for Youth in Foster Care
Posted in: Children, Youth and Families | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyFostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is one of very few evidence-based youth mentoring interventions for youth in foster care. FHF has positive effects on youth in foster care and improves the mental health of children with varied relational histories.
Marginalized LGBTQ Identities and the Minority Stress Theory
Posted in: Marginalized Groups, Mental Health | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyYouth exposed to a greater number of minority stress experiences are among those at highest risk for attempting suicide. Disproportionate exposure among marginalized members of the LGBTQ community highlight the need for suicide prevention to prioritize those at greatest risk.
Critical Reflection as an Antidote for Oppression
Posted in: Marginalized Groups | Tags: Featured ResearchPublished in: American Journal of Community PsychologyCritical reflection is associated with lower levels of internalized oppression and higher levels of collective efficacy. It can liberate people from oppressive ideologies and empower them to resist social injustice.
