| Reconcilable differences? Human diversity, cultural relativity, and sense of community. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 20978837 Owner: NLM Status: In-Process |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Sense of community (SOC) is one of the most widely used and studied constructs in community psychology. As proposed by Sarason in (The Psychological sense of community: prospects for a community psychology, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1974), SOC represents the strength of bonding among community members. It is a valuable component of community life, and it has been linked to positive mental health outcomes, citizen participation, and community connectedness. However, promotion of SOC can become problematic in community psychology praxis when it conflicts with other core values proposed to define the field, namely values of human diversity, cultural relativity, and heterogeneity of experience and perspective. Several commentators have noted that promotion of SOC can conflict with multicultural diversity because it tends to emphasize group member similarity and appears to be higher in homogeneous communities. In this paper, we introduce the idea of a community-diversity dialectic as part of praxis and research in community psychology. We argue that systematic consideration of cultural psychology perspectives can guide efforts to address a community-diversity dialectic and revise SOC formulations that ultimately will invigorate community research and action. We provide a working agenda for addressing this dialectic, proposing that systematic consideration of the creative tension between SOC and diversity can be beneficial to community psychology. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Greg Townley; Bret Kloos; Eric P Green; Margarita M Franco |
Related Documents
:
|
21061057 - Examining multi-sector community collaboratives as vehicles for building organizational... 17902577 - Identity and status of the italian national bioethics committee: contrasting paradigms ... 9524437 - Germ theory vs. community theory in understanding and controlling the proliferation of ... 19307217 - Reproducible community dynamics of the gastrointestinal microbiota following antibiotic... 15314517 - Aids-associated cancer in developing nations. 6629577 - Social change in a therapeutic community. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: American journal of community psychology Volume: 47 ISSN: 1573-2770 ISO Abbreviation: Am J Community Psychol Publication Date: 2011 Mar |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2011-01-06 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 0364535 Medline TA: Am J Community Psychol Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 69-85 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA. Gregory.townley@gmail.com |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
| Grant Support | |
ID/Acronym/Agency:
|
K23-MH65439/MH/NIMH NIH HHS |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Characterization, genetic diversity, and evolutionary link of Cucumber mosaic virus strain New Delhi...
Next Document: Culture in Asian American community psychology: beyond the East-West binary.