Contributions of Canadian community psychology.

Abstract

The contributions of Canadian community psychologists to ethics, theory, methodology, research, and practise are highlighted in this article. Important debates about ethical issues in psychological research and practise have been advanced by Canadian community psychologists. Canadian community psychologists have also introduced theoretical perspectives (e.g., cognitive community psychology) that have provided an impetus for research and practise, and they have broadened the focus of research in community settings with contributions to participatory action research, program evaluation, and qualitative methods. A variety of substantive contributions have been made to the research literature, especially in the areas of community mental health, prevention, and social inclusion. Finally, Canadian community psychologists have contributed to practise in terms of policy, programs, and social interventions. The article concludes with a discussion of future potential areas of contribution for Canadian community psychology. Keywords: community, mental health, evaluation, prevention, action Contemporary Canadian community psychologists have made important contributions to psychology and the public good since the formation of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Section on Community Psychology in 1982 (Nelson, Lavoie, & Mitchell, 2007). Yet, as Walsh-Bowers (1998) observed, the contributions of Canadian community psychology receive little to no acknowledgement in reviews of psychology in Canada. Adding to the invisibility of community psychology in Canada is the fact that Canadian community psychologists tend to publish their work in the two U.S. community psychology journals (American Journal of Community Psychology [AJCP] and Journal of Community Psychology [JCP]) and the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health ([CJCMH]; Fortin-Pellerin, Pouliot-Lapointe, Thibodeau, & Gagne, 2006), to which they have contributed substantially as editors and authors. Moreover, much of the Canadian community psychology theory and research originating in Quebec is published in French, which limits its diffusion to English speakers. The purpose of this article is to raise the visibility of Canadian community psychology amongst the broader Canadian psychological community by highlighting some of the major contributions of Canadian community psychology. Historically, community psychology in Canada, the United States, and many other parts of the world grew out of clinical psychology and community mental health (Nelson et al., 2007). Dissatisfied with an individualistic, deficit-based, treatmentoriented approach to theory and practise, community psychology strived to develop a more ecological, strengths-based, prevention-focused approach. Born in the 1960s, community psychology also emphasises social change to promote well-being and a more just world, especially for people who are disadvantaged by virtue of poverty, race, and other forms of social exclusion. To identify the contributions of Canadian community psychology, we began by identifying Canadian community psychologists who had published their work in Canadian Psychology, CJCMH, AJCP, or JCP. We then sorted the areas of contribution into five broad areas: values and ethics, theory, methodology, research, and practise. It is common in applied psychology to consider the domains of theory, research, and practise, and this approach seemed to fit the contributions of community psychology fairly well. However, we decided to break the research area down into methodology and substantive areas of research, as we believed it was important to capture some of the unique methodological approaches that have become widespread in community psychology. Finally, we decided to add the area of values and ethics, as values have long been a central focus for community psychology (Rappaport, 1977), and Canadian community psychologists have made important contributions to values and the examination of ethical issues in research and practise. …