TCP 55 (2) Spring 2022
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A Publication of the Society for Community Research and Action |
Volume 55, Number 2 Spring 2022 |
From the President
Written by Yvette G. Flores, University of California, Davis
Dear members: I hope 2022 brings you and your loved ones good health. As we enter the third year of the pandemic, we continue to meet virtually in our officers and Executive Committee meetings. We held the Midwinter Meeting virtually over three days, February 3-5, 2022. Below I provide an overview of the many important issues we addressed in the meeting, as well as ongoing issues our society continues to address.
Midwinter Meeting
At this meeting we officially welcomed Dr. Kwesi Brookins to the Executive Committee, although he had been participating in officers’ meetings in his role as President Elect since early January 2022. Each year Councils, Interest Groups, Regional Networks, Committees, and elected members of the EC are invited to submit proposals requesting financial support for their activities. The EC reviews these proposals and evaluates their alignment with SCRA goals and values. The officers make recommendations regarding funding allocations informed by the recommendations from the full EC and our budgetary realities. We were heartened to see many initiatives proposed that will further SCRA’s response to the Call to Action on Anti-Blackness in our Society. In future columns, I will describe some of the important initiatives. I am certain you also will read about these from chairs of these various groups in future TCP newsletters.
From the Editors
Written by Dominique Thomas, Morehouse College and Allana Zuckerman, Mesa Community College
Hello everyone! We are excited to bring you the Spring 2022 issue of The Community Psychologist!
The Spring 2022 issue has another set of incredible articles focusing on projects and work across the field of community psychology.
We are soliciting submissions for book reviews! If anyone is interested in having their book being reviewed and wants a review published, please reach out and let us know so we can talk about it. It would help to have a reviewer in mind who might want to review it.
Community Practitioner
Edited by Olya Glantsman, DePaul University
COMMUNITY-BASED MENTORS: A HIDDEN TREASURE FOR OUR FIELD
Written by Joseph Dorri & Leonard A. Jason, DePaul University
Community psychologists are frequently involved in a vast variety of mentoring relationships in their daily work. From a Community Psychology perspective, mentees can learn about using an ecological lens and community-based participatory approaches to analyze, investigate, and address the escalating issues of economic inequality, violence, substance abuse, homelessness, poverty, and racism. Through a mentorship relationship, mentees can be provided tangible examples of what it is like to become an agent of change committed to bringing about a more equitable allocation of resources and opportunities (Jason et al., 2019). Mentees can develop the knowledge and skills to engage with their mentors in transformative applied work across a range of Community Psychology topics.
Community Psychology Practice in Undergraduate Settings
Edited by Sheree Bielecki, Pacific Oaks College and Olya Glantsman, DePaul University
DRAWING ON THE EXPERIENCES OF TRANS STUDENTS TO INFORM PRONOUN DISCLOSURE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SETTINGS
Written by Sarah Grace Frary, University of South Carolina
Increased transgender visibility within higher education, much like broader societal visibility, has created some welcome changes and some challenges for transgender students. While the increased sensitivity and accommodation of professors or administrators has in general made academic spaces more welcoming and easier to navigate for transgender students, some practices used by faculty, staff, or administrators in positions of power fail to consider the needs or desires of trans students and may cause them discomfort or stress.
Education Connection
Edited by Mason G. Haber, Lamplighter Evaluation and Consulting, LLC and William James College
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING INITIATIVE
Written by Olya Glantsman, DePaul University and Mason Haber, Lamplighter Evaluation and Consulting, LLC and William James College
In 2021 a group of SCRA members proposed an initiative to create Community Psychology (CP) knowledge sharing opportunities through an online “hub.” The idea for creating a knowledge sharing project is not new, and the need for such a resource has been apparent for some time. Those teaching CP courses for the first time (many of whom are graduate students and early career instructors) and those teaching new courses or trying to create a new course or even a program at their institution, sometimes struggle to find a range of up-to-date examples of CP educational materials, even for courses typically included in CP curricula such as program evaluation. Those who have taught specific courses many times also may seek to update their course designs and materials. Moreover, CP educators often have specific needs around the design of interdisciplinary courses or novel subject matter, needs that have often not been well addressed in psychology and other fields and may require bringing together knowledge from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
Read more...
From Our Members
Edited by Dominique Thomas, Morehouse College
COMMUNITY RECLAMATION THROUGH URBAN GARDENING AS A LIBERATORY PRAXIS
Written by Sophia Banegas, Pacifica Graduate Institute
INTRODUCTION
Having lived in low-income Los Angeles communities for the past twenty-eight years, I have witnessed the detrimental effects of colonization, capitalism, white supremacy, and the patriarchy. My insider perspective is that of a working-class Xicana, a mother, and a community member. I have experienced living in food deserts and witnessing police brutality on community members for a lifetime. Neighborhoods like the one I live in have a better chance at obtaining alcohol than having access to fresh produce; there is far more concrete than untouched land. The trauma that communities endure together continues to persist as the conditions which we all live in continue to worsen. Perhaps one of the most draconian oppressors we face is capitalism which terrorizes communities by continuously valuing profit over people, and by perpetuating the classism that separates us all.
Immigrant Justice
Edited by Moshood Olanrewaju
CALL FOR REIMAGINATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE BLACK MIGRANT EXPERIENCE
Written by Moshood Olanrewaju and Brad Olson. National Louis University
It is common knowledge that the migrant population in the United States will increase triple-fold in the coming years; migrants will continue to travel from the global south, headed to the global north. This paper is a call to action for community psychologists to get in front of the systemic injustice faced by many future black migrants from Africa, the Caribbean, and elsewhere as they interact and navigate through multiple societies. The first author, wearing two hats here, is a black migrant from Nigeria and a community psychologist. Thus, this textual appeal to reimagine the science of immigration with fellow colleagues is a personal endeavor.
International Committee
Edited by Douglas Perkins, Vanderbilt University and Olga Oliveira Chuna, NOVA University
HOW CAN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGISTS WORK WITH LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS? EXPERIENCES FROM ASIA AND OCEANIA
Written by Daniel Kelly, University of Auckland, New Zealand and Sean Nicholas, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
We (Sean Nicholas and Dan Kelly) are two doctoral students interested in food systems and community psychology. Sean Nicholas is based in Singapore, volunteering and doing research with employees and volunteers at community and commercial urban farms. Urban farms are a subset of urban agriculture – defined as food production in cities (McClintock, 2018) – that engage in income-generating activities (Giacche et al., 2021; Poulsen et al., 2017). Dan Kelly is based in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland in New Zealand, and works with (and alongside) backyard growers, community gardeners and urban farmers. In this article, we explore the motivations for our work, the approaches we've been using, challenges we've encountered and why we think there is a need for more community psychologists to engage with food. In line with broader calls for decolonisation and its decentering of a singular perspective (e.g., Machado de Oliveira, 2021), we explore these ideas here as a dialogue between two connected but distinct voices: a “pre-figuring” of the diversity we hope to support.
Prevention & Promotion Interest Group
Edited by Susana Helm, University of Hawai`i at Mānoa
Prevention & Promotion IG Co-Chairs: Toshi Sasao and Kayla DeCant
Column Editor: Susana Helm, PhD, University of Hawai`i at Mānoa HelmS@dop.hawaii.edu
The Prevention & Promotion IG column of The Community Psychologist highlights P&P resources as well as the P&P work of community psychologists and allied professionals. Please email Susana if you would like to submit a brief report or if you have resources we may list.
Reading Circle
Edited by Dominique Thomas, Morehouse College and Allana Zuckerman, Mesa Community College
To encourage an ongoing dialogue with each other about what we are reading and how those readings are influencing our work, we are starting a reading circle and recommended reading list. Each issue we will share resources that have influenced our work and provide a space for additional submissions. This is a space for people to share what they are reading so we can get an idea of the different knowledge bases people are exposed to and what is influencing their research and practice. This is also a way for us to share information and knowledge across a variety of topics to showcase and enhance richness of thought within the field.
Research Council
Edited by Chris Keys, DePaul University
CREATING PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH TEAMS TO PROMOTE EQUITY-FOCUSED SCHOLARSHIP AMONG BIPOC AND EARLY CAREER FACULTY
Written by Nkiru Nnawulezi, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Shabnam Javdani, New York University; and Kymberly Byrd, Vanderbilt University
A collective within the SCRA Research Council convened to identify topics to present at the 2021 virtual Biennial Conference. Students, early and later career members all underscored the importance of a topic essential to promoting equity-focused scholarship that has received limited written attention: creating and sustaining community-engaged research teams. The purpose of this paper is to share issues and best practices that emerged from this presentation around creating and growing research teams within academic settings.
Student Issues
Edited by Aaron S. Baker, National Louis University, asbakercervantes@gmail.com; Jessica S. Saucedo, Michigan State University, sauced23@msu.edu
VOICES OF THE YOUTH CLIMATE JUSTICE MOVEMENT
Written by Emmanuel-Sathya Gray, University of Cincinnati
In their late twenties—an age bracket that most would consider “youth”—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a spokesperson; Cesar Chavez was employed as an organizer; Russell Means participated in the Alcatraz takeover; and Dr. Angela Davis stood trial. Even younger, from SNCC Freedom Riders to Vietnam war protesters, the turn of the century dawned with images of young adults, college students, and recent graduates as fresh archetypes for movement action, presumably due to their biographical availability, time, interest, and networks (McAdam, 1986; Schussman & Soule, 2005).
SCRA News
Edited by Dominique Thomas, Morehouse College
EXCITING NEWS FOR THE GLOBAL JOURNAL!
In 2015, I had the very great honor of beginning my work with the Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice as it transitioned to the Community Engagement Institute at Wichita State University in Kansas, USA. It has been a labor of love ever since. Being named editor in 2019 was both humbling and exciting as I began to think about all the things I wanted to do. I will not say that I have had the pleasure of checking off all the things on my list, but I am so grateful for the opportunity, space, and support to try. Now it is time for a new editor to lead the mission, and put their mark on the future.
As of March 1, 2022, Dr. Olya Glanstman will be the new editor of this amazing publication. Dr. Glantsman received her MA/PhD in Community Psychology from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, USA. She is a Sr. Professional Lecturer in the Psychology Department at DePaul University as well as a Program Co-Director for the Combined BA/MS and MS Programs in Community Psychology, and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Concentration in Community Psychology.
SCRA Member Spotlight
Edited by Dominique Thomas, Morehouse College
The SCRA Member Spotlight lets us engage our members and highlight great work! Each issue we solicit submissions of accomplishments. We especially would like students, early career scholars, and practitioners to submit their accomplishments and work. Submissions can include but are certainly not limited to:
- New jobs
- Post-docs
- Promotions
- Thesis/Dissertation Defenses
- Newly published journal articles, books, chapters
- Podcasts, blogs, news items that are by or about you
- Certifications or other credentials
- Retirement
- Grants
- Awards
- Successful/ongoing projects
- New projects or community initiatives
If you are interested in submitting for the next issue, please click this link and fill out the form. We hope to hear from you!