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Community Psychology, Dismantling systems require a coordinated effort.…

- - - - The interconnectedness of each individual is what makes a community, so it is to be expected that this principle would be addressed. The ecological perspective helps to explain how we should go about becoming the best individual in order to help lend ourselves to the betterment of the community. Interdependence is a principle which indicates how one change can have a ripple effect, highlighting the delicate balance necessary in a successful community.
        
        Collaboration is an integral part to the work of community psychologists. Particularly, interdisciplinary collaboration results in a broader understanding of different barriers that exist, as well as how to promote a shared understanding, something described in the Ecological Model.
        
        This collaborative theme is one that seems to keep popping up. Not only is the research about communities, but being involved with said communities is just as much a part of the territory.
        
        In order to understand a community, the importance of the community itself must be established. Otherwise, what would be the point? The good news is that a positive sense of community, or general perception towards the community they are a part of, is associated with better quality of life. Though intuitive, this is important to remember, as communities need to regularly reflect on what the general sense of community is.
        
        Wellness is something that community psychologists concern themselves with for a couple of reasons. In this case, the collective wellness refers to the overall combination of physical, psychological, and social health that a group is experiencing. These things are just as important as the other related aspects of wellness, but they do not often get the attention they require. Community psychology theories point to these factors as being heavily indicative of the overall way of life that people in the communities are experiencing.
- - - - One of the main differences between International community and traditional community psychology is the scope and the open mindedness that is employed. International community psychologists must look beyond the immediate community to recognize different cultural differences that may contribute to the differences. Culture, or the way things tend to be done in an area, is a huge part of the ecological model which we live in.
        
        Sometimes, international community psychologists run into an experience so drastically different from what they are accustomed to that it takes them back. This is an instance of culture shock. Though uncomfortable at first, this culture shock is something that should be explored, as it gives insight into what preexisting expectations they had for that experience. Essentially, culture shock does not happen unless there was some expectations in place, so this self-examination is a good way to combat it.
        
        Ethnocentrism, or using one's own culture as the standard from which to judge other cultures, is particularly difficult to combat without international experience. If the systems perspective is employed properly, the ethnocentric urge is often reduced in favor of a more neutral and adaptable viewpoint.
        
        Understanding the existing power structures that we have in our country is not possible without the social justice perspective, as exactly what equality entails has shifted since the inception of many of these existing power structures. Imperialism and capitalism, two economic systems predicated on who controls what, both have led to profits taking precedent over equality.
        
        International Community Psychology is a bit more complex than traditional community psychology for a couple of different reasons. First, finding collaborators is difficult, as International conferences do not guarantee coordination. Secondly, language barriers obviously exist in this field, but given English is the standard language used at conferences, this barrier is less prevalent for many of us in the United States. Lastly, political barriers make it next to impossible for some nations to experience the benefits of community psychology. Instead of being viewed as a guest, they could be view as a foreign intruder. These difficulties pale in comparison to the good international community psychology does.
- - - - Power can be displayed in many different ways, but two manifestations of power are particularly common in history as well as in our current society. The first manifestation of power, language, is somewhat self explanatory given the role knowledge plays in power. If people are able to access and understand information, then they are more likely to gain power. If they are restricted by means of language, this threat is naturalized as far as the powerful are concerned. The second manifestation of power, colonialism, can be seen when large amount of political, economic, and military control is exerted on a population. In some cases, this suppression and domination are justified, but not in all.
        
        The interesting dichotomy between oppression and power extends far beyond the realm of community psychology. Power, in general, is designed to harm the potential for opportunities for social groups, leading to that groups oppression. At the same time, oppression is designed to minimize the power certain groups have in society. This starts a cycle of increasing power dynamics, resulting in the deeply embedded oppression that exists in some systems today.
        
        There are a few ways to help dismantle oppression and power dynamics called action strategies. One of these strategies, liberation, refers to the deconstruction and the reclamation of power seized from a dominant group. Autonomy is gained as the previous burdens are lifted in exchange for freedom, agencies, and control. Another strategy, decoloniality, refers to the process of disrupting or undoing the local knowledge base on something. A huge example of this which has been found to be very difficult is the Euro-centric ideologies that we still uphold in the Western world.
        
        Other strategies include that of the Black Feminist Thought, where intersectionality is employed to help re-conceptualize race, ethnicity, and other categories of positions of power. Black women did not have their concerns fully addressed during the Civil Rights Movement or the white feminist movement, so this approach is very useful. The Systems Perspective is useful for predicting and mapping behavior. As behavior is networked, each system has different level which relate to one another. We must look at not only the system that is in place, but what ideology went into creating said system.
- - - - There are certain competencies, or a common framework for the discussion of skills in the field, that are important for community psychologists. A list of 18 competencies exist, but carefully employing each skill or a combination of skills is part of what separates community psychologists from other community setting workers. Analyzing your own skills is important as it may explain some areas of deficiency, indicating a need to revisit said competency.
        
        Community psychologists are urged to push outside of the established field, so it is no wonder that there are so many opportunities outside of the traditional community psychology professions. Professionals can add expertise in the areas of public health, social work, or sociology in order to develop a more comprehensive idea of what community psychology entails and what methods might be best to use.
        
        There are two major settings where community psychologists use their skills. Academic settings refer to positions where teaching and research are the focus. This would include community-based participatory research, evaluation work, and other research endeavors. Practice settings differ in that they focus on the actual application of the learned principles in the academic setting. This would include non-profits, consulting firms, etc. It is easy to see which area of interest best fits by volunteering with AnmeriCorps, PeaceCorps, or other related agencies.
        
        One of the major keys to obtaining a solid grasp on what it means to be a community psychologist is having a good mentor. A mentor in the field is crucial as they guide you through the difficulty of finding specialty, learning how to use your strengths, and what projects would benefit from the fresh perspective of a community psychologist.
- - - - The political climate of late 1970's to early 1980's allowed for rapid expansion of the field of community psychology, marked by the first Midwest Ecological Community Psychology Conference. Here, individuals were able to confer and discuss their research to help push further research. Prevention became the basis for the field, as Emory Cowen encouraged community psychologists to pursue that mindset. Other competing ideas such as an emphasis on empowerment began to arise, but they all agreed that a respect for diversity was something that must be developed, understood, and executed in order to the field to grow.
        
        The late 1980's saw community psychology expand into other domains including schools, voluntary associations, and government positions. Individuals who possessed knowledge of community psychology principles were able to contribute to the solutions for emerging social problems, homelessness being one example. A new textbook based solely on Community Psychology was published, making the founding principles more accessible to everyday people. A major conference in Chicago helped refocus the research in the field, as community psychologists were able to better coordinate their efforts.
        
        In the early 2000's, attention was focused on research. Particularly, the field was exploring the idea of a participatory approach to research, meaning that active participation in the planning, implementing, and evaluating of research. This would lead to a new way to collaborate with community members, as it gave community psychologists a better chance to define and intervene when a social problem is faced. Financial security was gained for the first time in the fields existence, so the research was set to take off.
        
        In recent years, community psychology has become a staple in the international psychological community.. This can be seen when the European Community Psychology Association was formed. Before this, Europeans relied on an informal network for community psychology, but the new sector began having positive impact. The values that community psychology is based on allow for active collaboration between different nations, as highlighted by the emphasis on cultural diversity. In conclusion, the 50+ year history of community psychology is only the beginning!
- - - - The Ecological Theory helps to provide a framework for people to understand the function of community in a series of principles. The first principle, interdependence, says that changing one aspect of the environment can and often does have a ripple effect. Adaptation, the second principle, is focused on how people are able to better understand what behavior is effective in different environments. As for the third principle, the Cycling of Resources, it is the processing of material and resource to foster development in the community. Lastly, succession refers to the ever-chaning nature of communities, so this leads to different requirements to adapt.
        
        The sense of community theory is designed to capture the feeling that people get when they feel that connection to a broader community outside themself. Feeling this sense of community can only be done with adequate amounts of membership, influence, integration, and shared emotional connection. If these things are adequate, then membership, or feeling that you belong in a community, is reached. Assessing and measuring the sense of community is difficult, but it is important when assessing how effective different intervention strategies are.
        
        The Social Climate Theory was developed to help understand the relationship between people and their social contexts. Social climate is closely related to the indicators of individual well being, so is has been a useful measure for identifying and assessing different dynamics that may be present in schools and juvenile treatment programs. When we look to understand a person, we must look beyond the individual to the other aspects of their experience. What other challenges are they facing? How are different groups experiencing these challenges? Though these measures need more testing, they allow us to get a perspective into the relationship between individual and social context.
        
        The Empowerment Theory was described in 1981, but more recent accounts of it relate it to the power gained from succeeding in a decidedly oppressive society. The autonomy gained by experiencing individual success in the face of adversity is something that can lead to an increased sense of self-worth, confidence, and sense of acceptance.
- - - - Cultural Humility, or the ability to be open about learning of other cultures while recognizing one's own lack of competence, is important if we hope to increase our competence. Cultural humility embracing the idea of not knowing by presenting this ignorance as a chance to learn rather than presenting it as a point of condemnation.
        
        Race, or the observable physical or biological criteria for identifying a group, is something that is socially constructed. This leaves it open to inequality, even mores that other aspects in community psychology. It is harmful and inaccurate to determine someone based upon their race, as most genetic variation exists within racial groups rather than between then.
        
        Ethnicity, or the social identity that one holds based on their affiliation with a cultural group, is based on a multitude of things such as customs, social ties, and language.
        
        Social class is a dimension of diversity which includes income/material wealth or occupational status. This is a socially constructed concept, but that has no bearing on how it affects our choices and opportunities.
        
        Sexual Orientation refers to the romantic, emotional, or spiritual connection with things in relation to their identified sex or gender. This is different from gender identity, or the inner psychological sense of male vs. female, which refers to any non-expressive form os sexual orientation.
        
        Intersectionality refers to the dimensions and how they do not exist independently. Rather, an interaction between these dimensions is what results in the social identities and impact of privilege that we see today.
        
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- - - - The presentation from Mr. Buechel gave me some great insight into some of the complexities regarding sexual orientation that I was not previously aware of. For example, the concept of intersex was one that did not previously make sense, but his simple illustrations make the small differences between the related concepts become apparent. He highlighted some of the practical difficulties that non-heterosexual individuals face, but I was already aware that many of these existed. The emotional difficulties are what I was unaware of. He spoke of the unrest that typically comes with being a non-heterosexual who is not open about their sexuality. Even those who are aware and open with their sexuality face an emotional toll. Confusion, frustration, and other emotions are common among LGBTQ+.
        
        The Starfire presentation from Tim Vogt was a great introduction into the different difficulties that people with disabilities experience compared to able-bodied individuals. I personally found his metaphor to him in a Santa Claus costume and the people around him being like children very fascinating. It seems that people with disabilities have the ultimate goal of being treated as equal. Often times, we tend to coddle those people, but all that does is makes them lose their independence. In his case, he was ashamed that he view the people almost like children rather than capable adults, simply because of their disabilities. His honesty was admirable and his enthusiasm was infectious.
        
        The presenters who detailed the skit that we will be engaged in later in the semester gave us a brief overview of the project as well as some of the possible parts we could play. I am excited to see what role I am assigned, as I feel that the role played will have a huge impact on the effect of the activity. Seeing a real-life representation of some of the concepts we have been discussing will help us identify instances of injustice in our lives more easily.
- - - - The discussion where we were tasked with explaining our changes that we would like to see in order to better accommodate different cultures was interesting, as my group all seemed to have different answers. Some of us felt that the best way to be inclusive, at the University of Cincinnati for example, would be to make a purposeful effort to help people branch out of their cultural bubble. For example, it can be seen that pockets of international students seems to get together and stick together on campus. Offering to study with, have lunch with, or simply having a positive interaction can go along way to fostering a connection. Even if the interaction does not result in a connection, that person will be more likely to engage with others in the future.
        
        In our small group discussion where we mentioned what diversity was to us and how we would like diversity reflected in our college experience, my group came to a similar conclusion that diversity was not just racial diversity. We embrace diversity regarding ethnicity, cultures, sexual orientation, etc. Our main focus was that people need to expand their thoughts on diversity, as it includes things diverse perspectives, diverse ideas, and diverse solution sets. Being able to collaborate successfully with diverse groups is crucial, so practicing that while at college seemed logical to us.