Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

SPECIAL ISSUE Clinic of democracy

No. 1 (2024)

What can we learn from critical, liberation, and decolonization community psychologists of the global South?

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/rpc1-2024oa18168
Submitted
luglio 16, 2024
Published
2024-10-15

Abstract

The first part of this article illustrates how democracies are in crisis in many European countries and in the United States. The second part describes three important theoretical and political contributions made by critical community psychologists, decolonization, and liberation community psychologists to find theoretical constructs and action strategies that could enrich mainstream European and North American Clinical and Community Psychology. The third part explores how a thousand clinical psychologists, especially family therapists worldwide, have, through the Assisi Manifest, denounced the increase in psychological problems worldwide and the need to work not only with families but in the communities where people live. The last part outlines the major theoretical constructs and intervention methodologies we can integrate into our European community psychology activities and how to transform our “community homes” to decrease polarization and foster dialogue to foster better capabilities to care for one another and solve local and planetary problems.

References

  1. Akhurst, J. (2020). A South African perspective on community psychology practice competencies. Journal of Community Psychology, 48(6), 2108-2123. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22410.
  2. Andolfi, M. & International Faculty (2023). The Assisi Manifesto. Text available at: https://europeanfamilytherapy.eu/wp-content/uploads/ The_Assisi_Manifesto_ ENG_11_12_23.pdf (Retrieved, 3 December, 2023).
  3. Arcidiacono, C., De Piccoli, N., Mannarini, T., Marta, E. (a cura di) (2021). Psicologia di comunità, 2.
  4. Boas, M. & McNeill, D. (2004). Global Institutions and Development. Framing the World?. Routledge.
  5. Bond, M. A., Serrano-García, I. & Keys, C. B. (2017). Community psychology for the 21st century. In M. A. Bond, I. Serrano-García, C. B. Keys & M. Shinn (eds.), APA handbook of community psychology: Theoretical foundations, core concepts, and emerging challenges (pp. 3–20). American Psychological Association.
  6. D’ Eaubonne, F. (2022). Feminism or Death: How the Women’s Movement Can Save the Planet. Verso Books.
  7. Di Maria, F. & Falgares, G. (2021). Elementi di psicologia dei gruppi. Modelli teorici e ambiti applicativi. McGraw-Hill Education.
  8. Esposito, F. (2017). Practicing ethnography in migration-related detention centers: A reflexive account. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 45(1), 57-69. DOI: 10.1080/10852352.2016.1197742.
  9. Fernández, J. S., Sonn, C. C., Carolissen, R. & Stevens, G. (2021). Roots and routes toward decoloniality within and outside psychology praxis. Review of General Psychology, 25(4), 354-368. DOI: 10.1177/10892680211002437.
  10. Friedman, T.L. (2024). How We’ve Lost Our Moorings as a Society. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/opinion/trump-civility-society.html.
  11. Francescato, D. & Putton, A. (2022). Star bene insieme a scuola. Strategie per la promozione del benessere relazionale e il welfare di comunità. Carocci.
  12. Francescato, D. & Tomai, M. (2023). Manuale di psicologia di comunità. Teorie, metodi, esperienze. Carocci.
  13. Gatti, F. & Procentese, F. (2020). Open neighborhoods, sense of community, and Instagram use: Disentangling modern local community experience through a multilevel path analysis with a multiple informant approach. TPM-Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 27(3), 313-329. DOI: 10.4473/TPM27.3.2.
  14. Gatti, F. & Procentese, F. (2022). Ubiquitous local community experiences: Unravelling the social added value of neighborhood-related social media. Psicologia di comunità, (2), 56-79. DOI: 10.3280/psc2022-002004.
  15. Gopel, M. (2016). The Great Mindshift. How a New Economic Paradigm and Sustainability Transformations go Hand in Hand. Springer Open. file:///Users/rainbow/Downloads/978-3-319-43766-8.pdf.
  16. Griffin, M. (2024). U.N. Humanitarian Chief: World leaders are failing us. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/united-nations-gaza-ukraine.html.
  17. Guimarães, P. R. (2020). The structure of ecological networks across levels of organization. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 51(1), 433-460. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012220-120819.
  18. Kagan, C., Burton, M., Duckett, P., Lawthom, R. & Siddiquee, A. (2011). Critical Community Psychology (1st ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
  19. Lavanco, G. & Novara, C. (2013). La psicologia dinamica di comunità. In Mannino G. (a cura di), Anima, cultura, psiche. Relazioni generative. FrancoAngeli.
  20. Lilla, M. (2017). The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics. Harper Collins.
  21. Maldonado-Torres, N. (2007). On the coloniality of being. Cultural Studies, 21(2-3), 240-270. DOI: 10.1080/09502380601162548.
  22. Maldonado-Torres, N. (2016). Outline of Ten Theses on Coloniality and Decoloniality. Text available at: https://fondation-frantzfanon.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/maldonado-torres_outline_of_ten_theses-10.23.16.pdf. (Retrieved, 11 Decem-ber, 2023).
  23. McNeill, D. & Boas, M. (2004). Global Institutions and Development. Framing the World?. Routledge.
  24. Marcomin, F. & Cima, L. (2018). L’ecofemminismo in Italia. Le radici di una rivoluzione necessaria. Il Poligrafo.
  25. Martín-Baró, Aron A. & Corne, S. (1994). Writings for a Liberation Psychology. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  26. Menegatto, M. & Zamperini, A. (2018). Coercizione e disagio psichico. La contenzione tra dignità e sicurezza. Il Pensiero Scientifico.
  27. Meringolo, P. (ed.) (2020). Preventing Violent Radicalisation in Europe: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Springer.
  28. Mertens, D.M. (2009). Transformative Research and Evaluation. Guilford Press.
  29. Mignolo, W. D. & Walsh, C. E (2018). On Decoloniality: Concepts, Analytics, Praxis. Duke University Press.
  30. Montero, M. (2007). The Political Psychology of Liberation: From politics to ethics and back. Political Psychology, 28(5), 517-533. DOI: 10.1111/ j.1467-9221.2007.00588.x.
  31. Montero, M., Sonn, C. & Burton, M. (2017). Community Psychology and Liberation Psychology: A Creative Synergy for an Ethical and Transformative Praxis. In M. A. Bond, I. Serrano-García & C. B. Keys (eds.), Apa Handbook of Community Psychology, vol. 1: Theoretical Foundations, Core Concepts, and Emerging Challenges. American Psychological Association.
  32. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S. (2020). Decolonization, Development and Knowledge in Africa: Turning over a New Leaf. Routledge.
  33. Nelson, G. M. & Prilleltensky, I. (2005). Community Psychology: In Pursuit of Liberation and Well-Being. Palgrave Macmillan.
  34. Ornelas, J. (2008). Psicologia Comunitária. Fim de Século.
  35. Putnam, R. (2023). Comunità contro individualismo. Una parabola americana. il Mulino.
  36. Prilleltensky, I., Dietz, S., Prilleltensky, O., Myers, N. D., Rubenstein, C. L., Jin, Y. & McMahon, A. (2015). Assessing multidimensional well-being: Development and validation of the I Coppe Scale. Journal of Community Psychology, 43(2), 199-226. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.21674.
  37. Prilleltensky, I. & Prilleltensky, O. (2006). Promoting Well-Being: Linking Personal, Organizational, and Community Change. Wiley.
  38. Rappaport, J. (2000). Community narratives: Tales of terror and joy. American Journal of Community Psychology, 28(1), 1-24. DOI: 10.1023/a:1005161528817.
  39. Sloan, T.S. (2016). Damaged Life the Crisis of the Modern Psyche. Routledge.
  40. Schuetze, C. F. & Maslin Nir, S. (2024). In Wake of Election Defeat, Germany’s Weakened Leader Will Slog On. The New York Times. https:// www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/world/europe/election-germany-olaf-scholz.html.
  41. Sonn, C. C., Fox, R., Keast, S. & Rua, M. (2022). Fostering and sustaining transnational solidarities for transformative social change: Advancing Community Psychology Research and Action. American Journal of Community Psychology, 69(3-4), 269-282. DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12602.
  42. Stevens, B. (2024). Do We Still Understand How Wars Are Won?. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/opinion/israel-ukraine-war-us.html.
  43. Stevens, G. & Sonn, C. C. (eds.) (2021). Decoloniality and Epistemic Justice in Contemporary Community Psychology. Berlin: Springer.
  44. Tebes, J. K. (2017). Foundations for a Philosophy of Science of Community Psychology: Perspectivism, Pragmatism, Feminism, and Critical Theory. In M. A. Bond, I. Serrano-García & C. B. Keys (eds.), APA Handbook of Community Psychology: Methods for Community Research and Action for Diverse Groups and Issues. American Psychological Association.
  45. Teo, T. (2005). The Critique of Psychology: From Kant to Postcolonial Theory. Springer.
  46. Teo, T. (2012). Critical Psychology. In R. Rieber (ed.), Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories. Springer.
  47. Thunberg, G. (2022). The climate book. Mondadori.
  48. Shiva, V. (1988). Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development. Zed books.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...