2022 Psychology 348
Community Psychology
Koekemoer, S, Miss []
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
,WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
WHAT IS COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY?
Community psychology was developed to challenge the conditions of oppression and inequality that cause ill-
health and well-being.
PROBLEMS W/ THE INDIVIDUAL ORIGINATE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.
Challenge Social and Ensure access to
Developed in Goal to bring oppression political mental health
care for all
the USA in the about social and unequal events people, in the
60's and 70's change social influenced setting where
conditions psychology they live
IN SOUTH AFRICA…
Academic psychologists began to oppose racial disparities
In the
Working in context of political instability and violence
80's... Force for social change
Trauma counselling, collaboration w/ community groups and organisations
Originated as approaches for engaging w/ social psychological problems
Reaction associated w/ Apartheid
to Focus on trauma counselling
violence
NGOs serve as the link between psychologists and the community
Agents
of To transform health and mental health provision
change
, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN CONTEXT
KEY IDEAS
•ecological approach/models
Individual within •individual in layers of psychological context, interactions of
levels of environment
the system •individual is seen as a product
•Holistic view of individual in context
•risk factors: any factor that threatens health
Risk/protective •protective factors: resources to offset risk factors
•means assessment
factors society •not having all resources/protective factors = stress, anxiety
•'involves transactions between individuals, suportive
Health and Well- relationships and environments'
•holistic, ecological
•multiple risk and protective factors
being •community psychological approach to address these threats
INEQUALITY IN SA
• Highest GINI coefficient in the world
• Unemployment rate in 2019 was nearly 30%
• Nearly half of our population is considered chronically
poor
Failure to exploit
Crumbling
Unemployment natural resources
infrastructure
well
Parts of the
High disease country where
Corruption
burden people are 'locked
into poverty'
Division within Failure of public
society services
, IMPACT OF COVID-19
• High deaths and infections
• Impacted all dimensions of health and well-being
• Exacerbated inequality
o Safety, unemployment, food insecurity, GBV
• Changed the way society operated
o Burden of stress of preventative measures
o Introverted, social anxiety, isolation, hypervigilance
o Homelessness, impoverished
SOCIAL FACTORS
• Social factors create inequalities in well-being and include differences in
o Income, level of education, social class, gender, ethnicity or race
• Poverty is the most salient social factor to cause ill-health
• Problems w/ individual originate in our environment
o Implicate poor health outcome
• Interventions are created to address social factors
TO SUPPORT THE WELL-BEING OF A POPULATION
Social resources •peace, income, education
•housing, access clean water,
Physical resources sanitation
•food, clothing,
Basic physiological needs shelter
• Poverty’s Pandemic
o Limited movement = reduced opportunity to produce an income
• Psychological interventions must consider…
1. Different dimensions of well-being (more than one aspect of well-being)
2. Multiple pathways of risk factors that impact well-being (risk factors reach individuals in
different ways)
3. Consider context (take an ecological approach)
Community Psychology
Koekemoer, S, Miss []
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
,WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
WHAT IS COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY?
Community psychology was developed to challenge the conditions of oppression and inequality that cause ill-
health and well-being.
PROBLEMS W/ THE INDIVIDUAL ORIGINATE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.
Challenge Social and Ensure access to
Developed in Goal to bring oppression political mental health
care for all
the USA in the about social and unequal events people, in the
60's and 70's change social influenced setting where
conditions psychology they live
IN SOUTH AFRICA…
Academic psychologists began to oppose racial disparities
In the
Working in context of political instability and violence
80's... Force for social change
Trauma counselling, collaboration w/ community groups and organisations
Originated as approaches for engaging w/ social psychological problems
Reaction associated w/ Apartheid
to Focus on trauma counselling
violence
NGOs serve as the link between psychologists and the community
Agents
of To transform health and mental health provision
change
, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN CONTEXT
KEY IDEAS
•ecological approach/models
Individual within •individual in layers of psychological context, interactions of
levels of environment
the system •individual is seen as a product
•Holistic view of individual in context
•risk factors: any factor that threatens health
Risk/protective •protective factors: resources to offset risk factors
•means assessment
factors society •not having all resources/protective factors = stress, anxiety
•'involves transactions between individuals, suportive
Health and Well- relationships and environments'
•holistic, ecological
•multiple risk and protective factors
being •community psychological approach to address these threats
INEQUALITY IN SA
• Highest GINI coefficient in the world
• Unemployment rate in 2019 was nearly 30%
• Nearly half of our population is considered chronically
poor
Failure to exploit
Crumbling
Unemployment natural resources
infrastructure
well
Parts of the
High disease country where
Corruption
burden people are 'locked
into poverty'
Division within Failure of public
society services
, IMPACT OF COVID-19
• High deaths and infections
• Impacted all dimensions of health and well-being
• Exacerbated inequality
o Safety, unemployment, food insecurity, GBV
• Changed the way society operated
o Burden of stress of preventative measures
o Introverted, social anxiety, isolation, hypervigilance
o Homelessness, impoverished
SOCIAL FACTORS
• Social factors create inequalities in well-being and include differences in
o Income, level of education, social class, gender, ethnicity or race
• Poverty is the most salient social factor to cause ill-health
• Problems w/ individual originate in our environment
o Implicate poor health outcome
• Interventions are created to address social factors
TO SUPPORT THE WELL-BEING OF A POPULATION
Social resources •peace, income, education
•housing, access clean water,
Physical resources sanitation
•food, clothing,
Basic physiological needs shelter
• Poverty’s Pandemic
o Limited movement = reduced opportunity to produce an income
• Psychological interventions must consider…
1. Different dimensions of well-being (more than one aspect of well-being)
2. Multiple pathways of risk factors that impact well-being (risk factors reach individuals in
different ways)
3. Consider context (take an ecological approach)
