Call for Submissions
Critical Community Practice
Special Issue of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and
Psychology
Dedicated community
organizations and helping practitioners are working to make life better for
people in communities around the world. Unfortunately, what we mostly witness
is a certain type of community practice where the original source of the
problem in society is left unchanged (and probably unknown and not discussed),
while new programs and services are continuously developed to treat the
individuals most affected. The products of ameliorative, uncritical practice
are reactive, short-term, professional-driven, and individualistic approaches
that ignore the assets of their constituents and communities (Albee, 1986; Butcher
& Robinson, 2007; Evans et al., 2011; McCubbin, 2001; Prilleltensky, 2005;
I. Prilleltensky & O. Prilleltensky, 2003). Some would say that
transformative or revolutionary change through community-based organizations is
impossible because they are too overwhelmed by the intense need in communities
and constrained by the political and policy stances of their donors (Bess,
Prilleltensky, Perkins & Collins, 2009; Harvey, 2010; Kunreuther, 2002).
What is needed is a commitment to critical community practice (Butcher &
Robinson, 2007).
Critical community
practice implies a particular vision of society: one grounded in the ideals of
social justice, social inclusion, self-determination, solidarity, and
collective wellness (Butcher, 2007b; Kagan & Burton 2001; Prilleltensky,
2001; Weil, 1996). Critical community practice is "action based on
critical theorizing, reflection, and a clear commitment to working for social
justice through empowering and transformative practice" (Henderson, 2007,
p. 1). This approach to practice works under the assumption that social
transformation is possible when people have a voice, power, and access to
resources (Prilleltensky & Nelson, 2002). It is grounded in an
understanding that the roots of most community problems lie in patterns of
systemic poverty, disadvantage, social exclusion and oppression that are
manifestations of structural inequalities and social divisions within society
as a whole (Butcher, 2007a). Critical community practice is a radical praxis
(Freire, 1970) wherein action, research, and theory are intertwined in complex
ways, and grounded in a deep understanding of the experiences of those who are
marginalized, oppressed and distressed (Kagan & Burton, 2001).
This special issue aims
to advance discourse, theory, research and practice of critical community
practice. Possible topical areas include, but are not limited to:
- Critical consciousness and consciousness-raising of counselors, psychologists, and other community practitioners;
- Organizational critical consciousness and its relationship to critical practice;
- Institutionalization and system constraints on critical practice;
- Social change philanthropy;
- The “ideology-practice divide” in community practice and how to close the gap;
- Critical theory and critical community practice;
- Radicalizing and democratizing community organizations;
- Radical praxis in community settings;
- Constituent/consumer-led organizations and radical praxis;
- Normalizing, redefining, conscientization, and externalizing in counseling practice.
Submission process:
Authors should submit manuscripts by email to the Guest Editors of the Special
Issue no later than January 15, 2013. Guest Editors will review the papers for
topic relevance and then select papers for peer review consistent with JSACP
guidelines for reviewers found here: http://jsacp.tumblr.com/guidelines.
Types of manuscripts may include: original articles (theory or research), first
person accounts, case studies, interviews and dialogues with
practitioners/activists, or empirical reviews. Manuscripts submitted should be
relevant to counselors, psychologists, human service professionals as well as
students, educators, policy makers, community organizers, and activists.
Initial acceptance and on-line publication is anticipated as early as July
2013.
Send proposal
submissions or inquiries to the Guest Editors: Scot D. Evans, Adam Rosen, and
Krithika Malhotra at s.evans4@miami.edu
References
Albee, G. W. (1986).
Toward a just society: Lessons from observations on the primary prevention of psychopathology.
American Psychologist, 41, 891–897.
Bess, K., Prilleltensky,
I., Perkins, D., & Collins, L. (2009). Participatory Organizational Change
in Community-Based Health and Human Services: From Tokenism to Political
Engagement. American Journal of Community Psychology, 43(1),
134-148.
Butcher, H. (2007a).
Power and empowerment: The foundations of critical community practice. In H.
Butcher, S. Banks, P. Henderson, & J. Robertson (Eds.) Critical
Community Practice, (pp 17-32). Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Butcher, H. (2007b).
What is critical community practice? Cases studies and analysis. In H. Butcher,
S. Banks, P. Henderson, & J. Robertson (Eds.) Critical Community
Practice (pp 33-49). Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Butcher, H. &
Robinson, J. (2007). Critical community practice: Organizational leadership and
management. In H. Butcher, S. Banks, P. Henderson, & J. Robertson (Eds.), Critical
Community Practice (pp. 97-115). Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Evans, S.,
Prilleltensky, O., McKenzie, A., Prilleltensky, I., Nogueras, D., Huggins, C.,
& Mescia, N. (2011). Promoting strengths, prevention, empowerment, and
community change through organizational development: Lessons for research,
theory, and practice. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community,
39(1), 50-64.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy
of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Harvey, D. (2010).
Organizing for the anti-capitalist transition. Interface: a journal for and
about social movements, 2(1), 243 – 261.
Henderson, P. (2007).
Introduction. In H. Butcher, S. Banks, P. Henderson, & J. Robertson (Eds.) Critical
Community Practice, (pp 1-13). Bristol, UK: Policy Press.
Kagan, C., & Burton,
M. (2001). Critical Community Psychology Praxis for the 21st Century.
Presented at the British Psychological Society Conference, Glasgow. Retrieved
from http://www.compsy.org.uk/GLASGOX5.pdf
Kunruether, F., &
Bartow, F. (2010). Catalysts for Change: How California Nonprofits Can
Deliver Direct Services and Transform Communities (Part 1). Social Service
Social Change Series. Building Movement Project. Retrieved from http://buildingmovement.org/pdf/catalysts_part_one.pdf
McCubbin, M. (2001).
Pathways to health, illness and well-being: from the perspective of power and
control. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 11(2),
75–81.
Prilleltensky, I.
(2005). Promoting well-being: Time for a paradigm shift in health and human services.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 33(66 suppl), 53 -60.
Prilleltensky, I.
(2001). Value-based praxis in community psychology: Moving toward social
justice and social action. American Journal of Community Psychology, 29(5),
747–778.
Prilleltensky, I., &
Nelson, G. (2002). Doing psychology critically: Making a difference in
diverse settings. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Prilleltensky, I., &
Prilleltensky, O. (2003). Towards a critical health psychology practice. Journal
of Health Psychology, 8(2), 197 –210.
Weil,
M. O. (1996). Community building: Building community practice.
Social Work,
41(5), 481-499.
----------------------------
Tod Sloan, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept of Counseling Psychology
Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling
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