Community Psychology

Positioning the critical in community psychology.

“…In writing the first edition of their community psychology textbook in 2005, Nelson and Prilleltensky sought to inject a critical perspective and a political analysis, utilizing the discourse of oppression and liberation (Nelson & Evans, 2014). Others, like David Fryer (Fryer & Duckett, 2014;Fryer & Fox, 2015), Carol Kagan and Mark Burton (2001;Kagan, Burton, Duckett, Lawthom, & Siddiquee, 2011), and Angelique and Kyle (2002) have helped to define a critical community psychology and have persistently urged community psychologists to take a "critical turn" in theory, research, and practice. Prilleltensky and Nelson (2009) have suggested that critical community psychology is contextual, political (focusing on social justice and power), value driven (as opposed to value laden), and critical in its ontological, epistemological, and methodological underpinnings (see Table 5.1).…”