Community Psychology

Question 1

What is Community Psychology?

Answer 1

The division of psychology concerned with person-environment and ways societal issues impact functioning of both the individual and community.

• focuses on social issues (homelessness, date rape, violence in schools, hunger, health care disparities, homophobia, animal rights, etc.), social institutions, and other settings that influence indivieuals, groups, and organizations.
• community psychology grew out of the community mental health movement, but has evolved considerably as practitioners incorporated their understandings of political structures and other community contexts into perspectives on client services.

Question 2

Homelessness as Musical Chairs

Answer 2

• the best predictor of homelessness is the ratio of available, affordable housing units to the number of persons/families seeking them
• individual-level interventions may determine who gets available seats but now how many chairs are available

Question 3

Seven Core Values

Answer 3

1. Individual and Family Wellness
2. Sense of

finish card

Question 4

Role of Community Psychologist: “Participant-Conceptualizer”

Answer 4

• apply psychological knowledge to benefit community life
• to develop valid psychological knowledge that will be useful in community life
• not focused on the individual or community - but the linkages between them
  - study the influence of social structures on one another
  -

Question 5

Explain the moral of the story behind the nine dot problem

Answer 5

• the assumptions we make about a problem determines our approach to solving it
• our assumptions are shaped by culture background, personal experiences, education, and biases
• sometimes assumptions prevent effective responses to the problem, and then become the real problem

Question 6

Explain First Order and Second Order change

Answer 6

First Order change

• positively changing the individuals in a setting to fix the problem
  - in the long run, often leads to the same problems re-occuring

Examples
- individual counselling for homelessness

Second Order Change
- main focus for community psychology
- attending to systems and structures involved with the problem to adjust the person-environment fit
- changing assumptions, changing the system

Question 7

Describe the proximal and distal systems within ecological levels

Answer 7

Proximal systems (closer to individual and more face to face contact) are closer to the center of the diagram

Distal systems (less immediate to the person, yet having broad effects) are toward the outside of the diagram

Question 8

Individuals

Answer 8

• individual chooses his/her relationships/environments to some extent
• individuals also influence relationships/environment
• this level can be the focus of research and prevention

Question 9

Microsystems

Answer 9

Environments in which the person repeatedly engages in direct, personal interaction. Can be significant sources of support or conflict

• families
• friends
• classrooms
• work groups
• self-help groups
• choirs
• teams

Question 10

Organizations

Answer 10

Have a formal structure (title, mission, policies, etc.). Usually, organizations have smaller microsystems and belong to larger social units. The dynamics of the organization (hierarchy, culture) are important to consider..

• schools
• workplaces
• religious congregations
• local business or labor groups
• community coalitions

Question 11

Geographic Localities

Answer 11

“Sets” of organizations & micrroystems. Have governments, local economies, systems of social, educational, and health services.

• urban neighbourhoods
• small towns
• cities