Community Psychology

Community psychology is the study of human behavior in its multiple ecological, historical, cultural, and [Page 110]sociopolitical contexts. It is concerned with the interdependence of individuals and communities. Human behavior is understood as the result of interactions between persons, groups, and their environments. This understanding is applied to the creation of person– environment transactions that prevent dysfunction, facilitate empowerment and social justice, and promote wellness in individuals, groups, and communities. Community psychology is a shift away from psychology's internal, cognitive, and nuclear family emphases toward the incorporation of greater attention to the role of social systems and structures in human functioning.

Community psychology insists on multiple levels of analysis: individual (e.g., attitudes, cognitions, emotions), microsystem (e.g., family, classroom, team), organizational (e.g., a school, a church, an agency), community (e.g., geographic, identity, common experience communities), and macrosystem (e.g., ideologies, cultures, societal institutions). The broader field of psychology has focused almost exclusively on understanding human behavior at the individual or microsystem levels. Community psychology encourages simultaneous analysis at all levels.

Community psychology began to emerge during the 1950s, and its development was influenced by the sociopolitical climate of the 1960s and 1970s. Civil rights, peace activism, feminism, the antipoverty movement, and environmental awareness provided the context for defining the field. Fundamental to its development was the idea that psychology should not only focus on treating people once problems have emerged but also should play a significant role in addressing social conditions (e.g., poverty, racism) that increase the risk of disease and distress.

Community psychology has an identifiable set of principles that both define and guide the field. These principles include (1) wellness, strengths, and resources; (2) social justice and freedom from oppression; (3) a sense of community and connectedness; (4) multiple dimensions of diversity (e.g., gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability); and (5) community collaboration, participation, self-determination, and empowerment.

Research in community psychology is grounded in a collaborative model in which the researcher works in partnership with the community to inform and meet community needs. Community psychology research should lead to action or have clear implications for action.

Intervention approaches based on community psychology include primary prevention programs, empowerment interventions, mutual support (self-help) groups, and social action strategies (e.g., community organizing and advocacy). The overarching goal of community psychology interventions is to address the root causes of disease and distress through strategies that target antecedent and facilitating factors. Examples of such interventions include a parenting program for teenage fathers, a conflict-resolution program for elementary students, a social support system for the elderly, and an organization of community members concerned about the proliferation of corner liquor stores.

Community psychology and multicultural psychology overlap in many areas. The emphasis on understanding people in their cultural, historical, and sociopolitical contexts provides a framework for examining acculturation, racial identity, and many other variables that are central to the psychological well-being of multicultural populations. Explicit attention to social asymmetries and resource disparities are closely connected to the study of racism and ethnocentrism in multicultural psychology. In addition, the emphasis on community strengths and connectedness is consistent with the cultural worldview of collectivism, which is critical to understanding many culturally diverse populations.

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