International Community Psychology: History and Theories

Community psychology (CP) has a rich history and presence internationally that many people may not be aware of. Today's increasingly global environment encourages reviewing the world-wide goals and practices of CP. The desire to promote collective well-being clearly transcends geographical boundaries. The goal of developing a global perspective and discourse between countries has been delayed by the lack of a single, accessible source for information.

This book provides the first in-depth guide to global community psychology research and practice, history and development, theories and innovations, presented in one field-defining volume. Included are contributions from countries with long histories of oppression, social movements, and political turmoil; long-time democracies and former dictatorships. Fully-formed CP establishments compare with fledgling ventures into the field. The contributors document the complex relationships between CP and ideological currents, other strands of psychology and social science, cultural and historical traditions, and economic developments.

The goals of this book are several: Promote international collaboration, enhance theory utilization and development, identify biases and barriers in the field, accrue critical mass for a discipline that is often marginalized, minimize the pervasive US-centric view of the field.

Practitioners and researchers will find in "International Community Psychology" new perspectives on the communities they serve. As a text for advanced and graduate-level courses, it depicts a robust field with a legitimate mission. When concepts of community - and sometimes even of psychology - may not always translate from one nation to the next, this book provides a world of needed context.

Stephanie M. Reich, Ph.D., is a research associate at the Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement at the Vanderbilt University. Born in the United States of America, Dr. Reich's graduate education has been in community psychology, child development, and program evaluation with a specific emphasis on quantitative methods. She is the recipient of Newbrough Award for academic writing, a fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health for children's mental health services research as well as the Julius Seeman award for academic and professional excellence. Dr. Reich's research interests focus on social interventions for children and families, applied and theoretical models of program evaluation, definitions and applications of community theory, and historical underpinnings to social inequality.

Manuel Riemer, Ph.D., is a Research Associate at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Prior to coming to the United States, Dr. Riemer, who was born and raised in Germany, was a student of clinical, cultural, and critical Psychology at the Free University of Berlin where he researched and published on the history of Critical Psychology in Germany. While Dr. Riemer's training in the USA has been in quantitative methods of psychology and applied social psychology he always had a strong interest in community psychology as his research interests focus on understanding, modeling, evaluating, and changing complex human behavioral systems as well as issues of power, oppression and inequality. Dr. Riemer is currently the director of research and system development in a large-scale multi-site study on organizational change in mental health as well as a lecturer in the Community Action and Research Program at Vanderbilt University.

Isaac Prilleltensky, Ph.D., is Dean of the School of Education at the University of Miami. Prior to that he was Director of the Doctoral Program in Community Research and Action at Peabody College ofVanderbilt University. Isaac was born in Argentina and has studied and worked in Israel, Canada, Australia and the United States. He has lectured widely in South America, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Isaac is concerned with value-based ways of promoting personal, relational, and collective well-being. He is the author, co-author or co-editor of several books, including Community Psychology: In Pursuit of Liberation and Well-Being, Doing Psychology Critically, Critical Psychology, Promoting Family Wellness and Preventing Child Maltreatment, and The Morals and Politics of Psychology. He recently completed with his wife, Dr. Ora Prilleltensky, a book entitled Promoting Well-Being: Linking Personal, Organizational, and Community Change.

Maritza Montero, Ph.D. is a Professor of Social Psychology and Coordinator of the Doctorate Course in Psychology at University Central de Venezuela. She has lectured extensively throughout Latin America, and in USA, Great Britain, France, Spain, and Australia. Her 1985 book Ideología, alienación e identidad nacional (Ideology, alienation and national identity) received the Central University of Venezuela Faculty Association (APUCV) award. Dr. Montero is on the editorial boards of several community and social psychology journals, among which the American Journal of Community Psychology (Associate Editor), and Community, Work and Family. Dr. Montero has won several national and international scientific awards, among which the Interamerican Society of Psychology (1995) and the Venezuelan National Science Award (2000). She has served as President of the International Society of Political Psychology (2006) and as Vice President for South America of the Interamerican Psychology Society (1997-1999). Her latest publication is a trilogy published in Spanish, in Argentina: Teoría y práctica (Theory and Practice of Community Psychology), 2003: Introducción a la psicología comunitaria (Introduction toCommunity Psychology), 2004, and Hacer para transformer. El método en la Psicología comunitaria (To do and to transform. Method in Community Psychology), 2006. Has contributed numerous papers and book chapters published in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French. Her research interests focus on community and political psychology; and the theoretical, epistemological and methodological aspects in Social Psychology.