Listening to Diversity Stories: Principles for Practice in Community Research and Action

Abstract

Three broad Diversity Principles for Community Research and Action are described and offered as community psychology's contribution to the growing literature on multicultural competence in psychology. The principles are applicable to multiple dimensions of diversity including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and social class. The diversity principles are illustrated with examples from the twenty-two diversity stories in the AJCP Special Issue on Diversity Stories in Community Research and Action. Each of the three diversity principles (Community Culture, Community Context, and Self-in-Community) are associated with a fundamental assumption, a process emphasis (descriptive, analytic, and reflective), a core question to engage, an orienting stance (informed compassion, contextualized understanding, and empowered humility), and three areas of focus. Taken together, the principles suggest the value of the overarching stance of connected disruption. It is suggested that applying the principles to community work in diverse settings will facilitate the process of bridging differences and enhance the relevance and effectiveness of our work.

Practicing what we teach? An autobiographical reflection on navigating academia as a single mother

“…In a special issue on diversity in community research and action, Harrell and Bond (2006) point out that examining aspects of diversity separately leads to a ''limited understanding of the nuanced nature of personal and community experience'' (p. 366). I could not agree more; further, I find it difficult to impossible to separate the privileged aspects of my identity from those that are marginalized in my daily life.…”

Creating Community-Inclusive Organizations: Managerial Accountability Framework

“…142). Organizations are expected to empower surrounding communities, moving from accepting a society of conformity to accepting one of diversity through inclusionary and reciprocal relationships between the privileged and the less privileged (Harrell & Bond 2006;Rappaport, 1995;Trickett, 1996). To date, community engagement/empowering research within the developing regional context is limited to validating the importance of community driven approach.…”

Integrating a Transcultural Perspective into the Social Work Curriculum: A Descriptive and Exploratory Study

“…Finally, some authors point out that it is not possible for social workers to set aside their own cultural perspectives; consequently, practitioners need to create a "site where client and worker from different cultures negotiate and communicate to co-create new meanings and relationships" (Yan & Wong, 2005, p. 187). Approaches that emphasize cultural humility and narrative processes also may be used to inform practice in community work and research (Harrell & Bond, 2006;Minkler, 2005).…”