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PYC2614
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY:
BUILDING FOUNDATIONS SUMMARY (2022)

,Theme 1
History and schools of community psychology
There are different world views and concepts on community psychology:
1. Mainstream Modern Psychology
 Western way of viewing reality
 Psychology seen as objective and universal science
 Scientific and fact based
 Idea: psychologist is expert
 Disregards other cultural perspectives, knowledge, ideas, values,
practices, role of discourses and languages
 Exclusively based on worldview of members of white middle class

2. The bio-medical model
 Focuses on individual as unit of analysis
 Emphasizes role of biological factors in influencing behaviour
 Psychological changes viewed as brain diseases
 Focuses on cure
 Individual’s mental/ psychological illness interpreted underlying
biological cause (Pharmalogical treatment)

3. African psychology
 Organises world in hierarchy of beings
 Ancestors play important role
 Universe = organic and ecological
 Little distinction between nature and culture
 Causality linked to life forces
 Knowledge gained through participating and connecting (observer part
of system and has big influence)
 Individuals and communities seen as interdependent

4. Critical approach to psychology
 Community psychology concerned with social change that incorporates
radical psychology of liberation
 Interested in values and meaning and how they influence knowledge
 Focuses on “lived” experiences
 Challenges view that communities have no influence/effect on
“realities” regarding traditional psychology
 It questions mainstream psychology and science as value free
 Promotes middle class white male in society
 Aim: make psychology less oppressive and more available to
community

, 5. Critical African perspectives on psychology
 Focuses on indigenisation of psychology- takes into account
languages, philosophies and worldview
 Existence is concrete and particular
 Looks into how cultural traditions and social practices regulate, express
and transform human psyche
 The self = collectivistic and interdependent
 Criticizes acculturation and marginalisation of African and other
systems
 Aim: address needs of society
 Components of worldview: time, nature, human activity, relational
connections


The concept of community
 South African context = community interpreted ito race differences
 Community = political term
= refer to social groups we feel we belong
= usually positive connotations


 Concept of community differ due to worldviews and cultures
 Western understanding of community = group of people spatially
connected, share common interests, concerns, identities (local/
national / international)
 African sees community = 3 dimensional
 1st dimension: visible community living here and now
 2nd dimension: departed eg ancestors
 3rd dimension: yet to be born
Defining community psychology
 There is no single definition – would be insufficient
 Community psychology = interdisciplinary
 Community psychology is study of people in context (Nelson & Prillelteneky)
 “The critical study of people in contexts directed towards the common aim of
improving community conditions and promoting psychological wellbeing.”
 It focuses on local
 Universal claims tend to impose themselves onto other’s worldviews/
experience/ conditions/ contexts.
 Universal claims irrelevant to local populations.
 Solutions need to be relevant to local contexts – use developments in other
parts of the world as starting point.