Glossary Flashcards
the process by which individuals become aware of the sociopolitical and psychological conditions that oppress disadvantaged people
conscientization
a movement guided by the philosophy of Social Darwinism, this movement asserted that certain groups of people were of inferior genetic stock and advocated restrictive immigration policies to keep some people (eg African Americans) out of the United States, as well as institutionalization and sterilization to prevent people with intellectual and mental health challenges from procreating
eugenics movement
social and emotional support that comes from one’s informal network (e.g. family friends, spiritual advisors, mentors) rather than formal sources (i.e. professionals)
informal support
the scientific method as we understand it traditionally, including a focus on describing, explaining and predicting reality through objective research and hypothesis testing, which aims to discover natural laws
logical positivism/empiricism
collaborative research between professionals and disadvantaged community members towards the goals of knowledge creation and social change
participatory action research
in contrast to the ‘expert’ role of diagnostician or therapist, this is a role taken by the community psychologist to offer resources and collaborate with community groups
resource collaborator
a theory that emphasizes the role that social stress plays in the causation of psychological problems
social stress theory
an emphasis on the strengths and capacities of individuals and communities, rather than a focus on deficits
strengths orientation
holding individuals responsible for problems that they experience without acknowledging the role that various ecological contexts may play in contributing to such problems
victim blaming
the conscious decision of people who are privileged to share power and work with disadvantaged people towards their goals of liberation
commitment and depowerment
the interrelationships and connections of people and settings, including the concepts of sense of community, social support, community capacity and social capital
community
the community psychology approach to research that links understanding and action and strives to create participatory and collaborative relationships with community members
community science
lack of understanding or concern on the part of members of the dominant culture regarding their role and that of society in the oppression of disadvantaged groups
complacency
socially constructed stories about disadvantaged people, often of the victim-blaming variety that help members of dominant groups to rationalize their role in contributing to and perpetuating the oppression of disadvantaged people
dominant cultural narratives
a metaphor used in community pschology to understand the interrelationships of people with various eco-systems (from small systems to large social systems)
ecology
concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a small number of individuals and corporations at the expense of the majority of citizens and nations of the world and the natural environment
global capitalism
embracing and integrating people from diverse backgrounds into community
inclusion
freedom from oppressive life circumstances
liberation
a state of domination where the oppressed suffer the consequences of deprivation, exclusion, discrimination, exploitation, control of culture and sometimes even violence; while the sources of oppression are external, oppression can also be internalized into negative beliefs about oneself
oppression
a relational concept that emphasizes choice, control and the ability to influence
power and empowerment
a concept that emphasizes the promotion of well-being and competence and the prevention of psychosocial problems
prevention/promotion
the struggle of disadvantaged people to resist and overcome oppression
resistance
a tool used by community psychologists to shift the analysis of social problems from one of dominant victim- blaming narratives to alternative accounts that consider the sociopolitical context and power inequalities
reframing
a positive state of affairs that involves a transaction between individuals and supportive relationships and environments that results in meeting the needs of individuals
well-being
a belief in the importance of groups and communities that shapes attitudes and behaviours of citizens
collectivism
a school of thought that strives to restore citizens’ responsibilities towards the collective as a means of advancing social well-being
communitarianism
the social, cultural, natural or bult envronments that surround our lives and affect our cognitions. emotions and behaviours
context
a school of thought that emphasizes the importance of taking into account context and the various parts of social or natural phenomena in trying to explain them or change them
holism
a belief in the importance and supremacy of individuals over groups or collectives
individualism
a school of thought that upholds the rights of the individual in society and espouses individual solutions to problems in life
liberalism
philosophical and ethical reasoning that helps individuals and groups to decide what is the right and just course of action under a particular set of circumstances
moral theory
a tendency to locate explanations for behaviour and problems in psychological dynamics such as cognitions and emotions, often at the expense of other contextual factors influencing human beings
psycho-centric
the positive effect of multiple forces coming together
synergy
a set of principles, based on moral reasoning, which guide our behaviour
values
an image of a desired state of affairs worth striving for
vision
how people adapt to the demands of different environments
adaptation
a way of thinking about settings that is characterized by a standing pattern of behaviour and time and space dimensions
behaviour setting
the notion that people influence environments, as well as environments influencing people
circular causality
a focus on the resources within an eco-system, how they are distributed and how they can be used
cycling of resources
a value that emphasizes interrelationships and interconnections
holism
a way of thinking about people and their environments that is borrowed from biology and stands in contrast to the mechanistic metaphor that is dominant in psychology
ecological metaphor
the number of new cases of disease in a population or community within a specified time period
incidence
the notion that different elements and levels of an eco-system are interconnected
interdependence
the mechanisms that link stressful life events with psychosocial problems
mediating factors
noxious odours emanating from swamps that were believed to cause disease
miasmas
a philosophy in the field of disabilities that emphasises approaches that p community integration, rather than segregation or exclusion
normalisation
the idea that the adaptation of the individual is a function of the interaction between the individual and the environment
person-environment fit
reduction of incidence
primary prevention
resources that moderate, buffer or protect individuals from the adverse consequences of risk factors
protective factors
stressful life events, life strains or other conditions that increase the likelihood that an individual will develop a problem in living
risk factors
early detection and treatment
secondary prevention
prevention that is aimed at individuals considered to be at risk of developing problems
selective (high-risk) prevention
the perceived or felt environment, consisting of three broad dimensions: relationships, personal development and systems maintenance and change
social climate
a long-term perspective on people and systems
succession
prevention that is aimed at everyone in a population
universal prevention
a group of people affiliated on the basis of common bonds, such as geographical location, religion, profession, nationality or other
community
the capacity and opportunity to influence the course of events in one’s personal life or in the life of others in the community
power
groups of people who congregate in order to help each other with a particular challenge in
self-help/mutual aid
the feeling derived from belonging to a partouar group where the individual experiences bonds of affection, influence, companionship and support
sense of community
collective resources consisting of civic participation, networks, norms of reciprocity and organizations that foster trust among citizens and actions to enhance the common good
social capital
theory describing how social support may enhance coping and mitigate the negative effects of stress
stress-buffering hypothesis
an obligation or willingness to follow through on commitments and values, to be responsible for one’s actions and to let others examine one’s actions
accountability
a mode of dealing with diversity in a way that maximizes differences among groups
alpha bias approach
an approach to opposing discrimination based on the realization that power differentials among groups must be addressed in order to reach tolerance and progress for minorities
anti-racism
a mode of approaching differences between groups that minimizes differences
beta bias approach
an agreement or pledge to take some action consistent with values and principles
commitment
having to do with explanation or knowledge associated with a particular phenomenon
epistemic
policies and practices that support diversity and give voice and choice to individuals, groups and communities which have been traditionally marginalized
inclusion
discriminatory acts or gestures by individuals
individual racism
policies, practices and norms embedded in cultural patterns and social structures that perpetuate racial discrimination
institutionalised racism
a special category of values that makes sure other values are enacted and respected
meta-values
an approach to dealing with diversity that affirms the unique value of different groups
multiculturalism
the degree to which research and action take into account power dynamics operating in psychological and political domains and in the interaction between them
psychopolitical validity
inclusion and participation of groups with varying degrees of power in decision-making processes affecting their personal and collective lives
representation
experience of living at the margins of society often due to discriminatory policies and practices of groups or governments against people who are different from the mainstream transformational related to structural and social change
social exclusion
settings that are designed to be alternative to and are often in opposition to, mainstream or traditional settings (e.g. an alternative school)
alternative setting
an approach to intervention that focuses on improvement rather than fundamental change of underlying assumptions, values and power structures, also known as first-order change
ameliorative
reframing how social issues are conceptualized or understood; transformative interventions involve reframing the way issues are typically understood
framing
the integration of theory and practice in social intervention; it includes attention to cultural context, vision, action and needs
praxis
the subjectivity and social location of community psychologists in their roles as social interventionists, including the privileges that they enjoy
reflexivity
the sub-discipline of psychology that is concerned with understanding people in the context of their communities, the prevention of problems in living, the celebration of human diversity and the pursuit of social justice through social action
community psychology
one who engages in transformative social change, as contrasted with social technician and social reformer roles
social interventionist
an organisation that is specifically dedicated to transformative social change
social movement organisation
an approach to intervention that focuses on fundamental change of underlying assumptions, values and power structures; also known as second-order change
transformative
interventions purposeful activities designed to alleviate the results of living in unjust and prejudicial societies
ameliorative
a group of groups dedicated to achieving social, economic or health goals for a particular sector of the population
coalition
person assigned the role of improving an aspect of the population’s health
health promoter
refers to comprehensive improvement in the education, health, housing social and economic conditions of a population
human development
struggles within social movements or political parties
internecine
non-governmental organizations dedicated to fostering a particular cause for the improvement of human and/or emironmental well-being
NGOs
person collaborating with others in developing a governmental or non-governmental project
program developer
infusion of material, intellectual and human resources into social change efforts
resource mobilisation
are intentional processes designed to affect the well-being of the population through changes in values, policies, programs, distribution of resources, power differentials and cultural norms
social interventions
social movement organisations dedicated to challenge the status quo and to transform conditions that have an impact on human and/or environmental well-being
SMOs
intentional processes designed to alter the conditions that lead to suffering
transformative interventions
efforts by organized groups and agencies to enhance the well-being of community members marginalized by social practices of exclusion discrimination and injustice
community interventions
a person who works with an organization or community and assists them in achieving their goals
consultant
the phase in which people realize that something needs to change
contemplation
