Community+Psychology

Community psychology was created to study and help the mental health of a community or group. This branch of psychology relates closely to sociology in the way that it looks at group settings, but it does this on a more individual level by making sure that all members of the group are being treated well and are functioning within the group dynamic to prevent any mental illness. Community psychology is also related to Industrial Organizational Psychology because it can be used in the workplace but instead of being used from the corporate standpoint, this branch of psychology looks at each individual worker to see if their job is best for them.  There are ecological implications of community psychology. It also looks at diversity issues, empowerment issues, and other dynamics that can be found in a community setting such as the workplace. It mostly focuses on the prevention of mental illness.   After World War II there was an apparent need for better treatment for mental illnesses. There were many veterans who needed treatment. People at this time were also looking at ways of preventing mental illness and not just treating it after it arises. They were also looking at ways to allow people with mental illnesses to be either put into mental health centers that focused on community, or be integrated back into their own communities outside of the mental institution. In 1965, Community Psychology was first identified as a separate branch of psychology. This occurred at the Swampscott Conference in Massachusetts. Psychologists met to determine the best way to provide mental health care for a community and found that this issue was distinct from the problems of clinical psychology.

   
 * Typical questions that a Community psychologist would ask are : **
 * Would a juvenile delinquent get more from a detention center or from getting tutored in both academics and social skills?
 * Is there a better place to put mentally ill patients than a mental institution?
 * What is the best way to support someone who is grieving?
 * Are employees being treated correctly in the workplace?

  ** Major Community Psychologists **  __**James Kelly **__ <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 108%;"> looked at how individuals can interact and are related in a social setting. He focused a lot on the ecological aspect of community psychology.

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kelly,J.G. (2008). Community psychology in practice. New York: Haworth Press. (Edited with A.V.Song).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Kelly, J.G. (2006). //Becoming ecological: An expedition into community psychology.// New York: Oxford University Press
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kelly, J.G. (2007). The system concept and systemic change:Implications for community psychology. American Journal of Community Psychology,39,415-418.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kelly,J.G. (2006). Defining community psychology practice. The Community Psychologist,39,75-76.

__**<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Paul Watzlawick **__ <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 132%;"> stated that community psychology deals with second-order change, which is changing the environment to best fit the individual.

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 132%;">__**Julian Rappapor**__t claims to have conceptualized Community Psychology in 1977. He is known for publishing the Handbook of Community Psychology. He mainly focuses on juvenile delinquents and how to best integrate them back into normal society.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The language of change: elements of therapeutic communication __<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> By Paul Watzlawick
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Change; principles of problem formation and problem resolution __<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> By Paul Watzlawick, John H. Weakland, Richard Fisch

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 96%;">Rappaport, J. (2005) Community psychology is (thank God) more than science. American Journal of Community Psychology, 35, 231-238.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 96%;">Rappaport, J.(2004) On becomming a community psychologist: The intersection of autobiography and history. In J. G. Kelly & A. Song (Eds.) Six community psychologists tell their stories: History, contexts, and narrative. New York: Haworth.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 96%;">Rappaport, J., & Seidman, E. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of Community Psychology. New York: Plenum/Kluwer.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 96%;">Rappaport, J. (2000). Community narratives: Tales of terror and joy. American Journal of Community Psychology, 28, 1-24.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 96%;">Wiley, A., & Rappaport, J. (2000). Empowerment, wellness and the politics of development. In D. Cicchetti, J. Rappaport, I. Sandler, & R. Weissberg (Eds.), The promotion of wellness in children and adolescents. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.