Community Psychology Challenges, Controversies and Emerging Consensus [Paperback]

This book is both a sequel to and expansion of Community Psychology, published in 1992. It serves as a textbook for courses on community psychology but now also includes material on inequality and health, since both are concerned with the way an individual's social setting and the systems with which they interact affect their problems and the solutions they devise. Part 1 sets the scene by locating community psychology in its historical and contemporary context. In Part 2, disempowered groups and their physical and mental health are considered. Finally in Part 3 the application of community psychology is discussed, and the ways in which marginalised people can be helped by strengthening their communities highlighted.About the Author.

Preface.

Acknowledgements.

PART I. THE BACKGROUND TO COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR.

1. Challenging Psychology Over its Neglect of the Social.

The individualism of psychology.

The new public health psychology.

Critical psychology.

2. Community Psychology’s Core Values: Empowerment, Liberation and Social Justice.

Empowerment.

Social constructionism and its critics.

Liberation psychology.

Social justice as a core value.

3. The Debate over Knowledge in Community Psychology.

Dissatisfaction with existing research methods.

Support for qualitative research.

Participatory and action research.

Negotiating the community psychology researcher’s role.

What kind of science is community psychology?

PART II. UNDERSTANDING INEQUALITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON HEALTH.

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