Week 9
Activating action: Aims, methods and imperatives of
research in community psychology
T. Swart & B. Bowman Page | 1
Community psychology – entails research [one of the defining elements of the sub-
discipline]
This chapter: illustrates the important contribution of theoretically + methodologically
sound participatory research to the guiding ethos of community psychology
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS
All research based on set of assumptions about:
1. Ontology [nature of reality]
2. Epistemology [possibilities of + limits on what we can/cannot know about this
reality]
3. Methodology [collection of methods, procedures, conventions + rules used in
research enquiry]
All 3 – constitute paradigm within which specific research is undertaken
Historically, psychological research grouped into 3 major paradigms:
EMPIRICIST OR POSITIVIST PARADIGM
o Assumes that phenomena under study can be observed + quantified
[numerically measured]
o Observations + measurements then collated + systematically organized into
data sets rigorously analyzed to illuminate causal/correlational relationships
o Research methods: data collected from large groups using predetermined
sampling strategy [include questionnaires, structured interviews, tests or
experiments that yield data which is analyzed statistically]
Community Level Interventions
, Week 9
INTERPRETIVIST PARADIGM
o Concerned with description + distillation of subjective accounts +
explanations of behaviours
o Researcher aims to understand meaning of behaviour/experience from frame
Page | 2
of reference of research participants, by interacting with participants in their
social context
o Research methods: qualitative in nature + typically involve unstructured or
semi-structured interviews/fieldwork
CRITICAL PARADIGM
o Identification of unequal power relations + their effects on health,
security, safety + economic development
o Researchers also positioned as activists who pursue rectification of skewed
patterns of social power + social injustices that these produce
o Research methods: quantitative + qualitative
See table 27.1 page 89
Due to colonial + apartheid history in S.A. – psychologists in the country have opted
to embrace the critical tradition
S.A. community psychology has historically challenged positivist paradigm (dominant
paradigm), data collection + analysis methods + elitist publication practices
associated with traditional psychology in country > mainstream psychology seems to
collude in production of unequal S.A. society
SO goal of community research: construct knowledge that is useful to the
promotion of community well-being + which challenges existing skewed patterns of
power in communities + in production of knowledge about communities
BUT community psychologists will make use of all available paradigms + inherent
methodologies if + when they are appropriate to particular community-related issue
under examination or articulated by community
Key in research in community psychology: ability to make use of methodological
pluralist approach [crossing paradigms]
Community Level Interventions
Activating action: Aims, methods and imperatives of
research in community psychology
T. Swart & B. Bowman Page | 1
Community psychology – entails research [one of the defining elements of the sub-
discipline]
This chapter: illustrates the important contribution of theoretically + methodologically
sound participatory research to the guiding ethos of community psychology
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS
All research based on set of assumptions about:
1. Ontology [nature of reality]
2. Epistemology [possibilities of + limits on what we can/cannot know about this
reality]
3. Methodology [collection of methods, procedures, conventions + rules used in
research enquiry]
All 3 – constitute paradigm within which specific research is undertaken
Historically, psychological research grouped into 3 major paradigms:
EMPIRICIST OR POSITIVIST PARADIGM
o Assumes that phenomena under study can be observed + quantified
[numerically measured]
o Observations + measurements then collated + systematically organized into
data sets rigorously analyzed to illuminate causal/correlational relationships
o Research methods: data collected from large groups using predetermined
sampling strategy [include questionnaires, structured interviews, tests or
experiments that yield data which is analyzed statistically]
Community Level Interventions
, Week 9
INTERPRETIVIST PARADIGM
o Concerned with description + distillation of subjective accounts +
explanations of behaviours
o Researcher aims to understand meaning of behaviour/experience from frame
Page | 2
of reference of research participants, by interacting with participants in their
social context
o Research methods: qualitative in nature + typically involve unstructured or
semi-structured interviews/fieldwork
CRITICAL PARADIGM
o Identification of unequal power relations + their effects on health,
security, safety + economic development
o Researchers also positioned as activists who pursue rectification of skewed
patterns of social power + social injustices that these produce
o Research methods: quantitative + qualitative
See table 27.1 page 89
Due to colonial + apartheid history in S.A. – psychologists in the country have opted
to embrace the critical tradition
S.A. community psychology has historically challenged positivist paradigm (dominant
paradigm), data collection + analysis methods + elitist publication practices
associated with traditional psychology in country > mainstream psychology seems to
collude in production of unequal S.A. society
SO goal of community research: construct knowledge that is useful to the
promotion of community well-being + which challenges existing skewed patterns of
power in communities + in production of knowledge about communities
BUT community psychologists will make use of all available paradigms + inherent
methodologies if + when they are appropriate to particular community-related issue
under examination or articulated by community
Key in research in community psychology: ability to make use of methodological
pluralist approach [crossing paradigms]
Community Level Interventions
