PSY 270PSY 270COMMUNITY COMMUNITY

PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGYWeek 9 Day 2Week 9 Day 2

Creating and Sustaining Social Creating and Sustaining Social ChangeChange

Citizen participationCitizen participation

grass roots activismgrass roots activism self-help/mutual helpself-help/mutual help Examples CPExamples CP

Activism: Can you fight city hall?Activism: Can you fight city hall?

internal and external locus of control internal and external locus of control (social psychology constructs) (social psychology constructs)

perceived injustice + personal perceived injustice + personal power=activismpower=activism

NetworksNetworks

enabling systemsenabling systems umbrella organizations (clearing umbrella organizations (clearing

houses)houses) community development community development

corporations/neighborhood corporations/neighborhood associationsassociations

Professional Change AgentsProfessional Change Agents

ConsultantsConsultants ““Experts”Experts” CostlyCostly Fine line: overpower vs. empowerFine line: overpower vs. empower

Education/Dissemination to Education/Dissemination to produce social changeproduce social change

Wide applicationWide application Education attitudes in USEducation attitudes in US Dogmatic individuals can impedeDogmatic individuals can impede How to measure impact?How to measure impact? Culturally sensitiveCulturally sensitive

Public PolicyPublic Policy

Focus is to improve quality of life for Focus is to improve quality of life for membersmembers

Policy science: making the findings of Policy science: making the findings of science relevant and useful for science relevant and useful for governmental and organizational governmental and organizational policypolicy

Politics and community psych are Politics and community psych are intertwinedintertwined

Research and lobbying activitiesResearch and lobbying activities

Elements of Effective Community Elements of Effective Community Change InitiativesChange Initiatives

Multiple areas of action, linkages Multiple areas of action, linkages among programsamong programs

Local design of change initiativesLocal design of change initiatives External linkages and resourcesExternal linkages and resources A plausible theory of community A plausible theory of community

changechange Effective intensity of interventionEffective intensity of intervention Strengthening sense of communityStrengthening sense of community Long-term perspectiveLong-term perspective