Critical Community Psychology

Carolyn Kagan is a Professor Emerita Community Social Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University. Having retired from the university she now works as a scholar activist on local participation and community development projects and on climate/economic/social justice policies at the regional level, through the collective, Steady State Manchester. @CarolynKaganMark Burton is a scholar-activist, working on a variety of environmental, economic and political issues. Among other activity he is part of the Steady State Manchester collective which explores and promotes a post-growth approach to economy and society in the city-regional context. For many years he worked as a psychologist and manager in health and social care services. @MarkHBurtonPaul Duckett is an academic community psychologist at Central Queensland University, Australia. He works in the fields of disability and mental health and has worked alongside disabled people including people with mental health difficulties and people with learning difficulties since 1988. He has a YouTube channel where he posts videos on topics and issues relevant to Critical Community Psychology – just search for Paul Duckett. Rebecca Lawthom is Professor of Community Psychology in the Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care at Manchester Metropolitan University. She co-directs the Research and Knowledge Exchange Centre entitled Health, Psychology and Communities. Her research embraces creative, participatory methods. @rebeccalawthomAsiya Siddiquee is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research has centred around wellbeing in various contexts - digital technologies, refugee women and arts for health. Working with mixed methods research, her future aspirations are to explore issues regarding equality, social justice and cultural diversity.

‘This is a wonderful, exciting book. In this time of austerity, it is easy to despair, but this book offers lots of examples of how to get involved in working with others to create a better world. It moves beyond theory to describe different forms of collective action and inspires hope about social change. Another world, a better world is possible but action without reflection can threaten progress. This book explores the underlying theories, values and different forms of social action in a lucid and stimulating format.’ - Michael Murray, Emeritus Professor of Social & Health Psychology, Keele University, UK. 'The second edition of this ground-breaking volume maintains the excellent approach of the first volume; it is honest, self-reflective and comprehensive in describing and elaborating this vastly important approach to understanding behaviour, institutions, societies and processes of change. It has been updated with modern cases and developments on the global stage and goes into detail of how change can be achieved without simply trying to shout louder than others.As young people become increasingly aware of their rights and of the crucial importance of altering the direction of travel if their futures are to be more secure than they currently appear, so increasing numbers of university courses (and not just Psychology degrees) will need to offer modules that provide the sort of thoughtful and lucid analyses outlined in this volume. This will make an excellent source book for such modules.' - Roger Ingham, Professor of Health and Community Psychology, University of Southampton, UK

• IntroductionPART I: THINK! What is critical community psychology? Core elements of a critical community psychology The contested nature of community Community as social ties PART II: ACT! Problem definition Action planning Action 1: furtherance of critical consciousness and creation of new forms of social settings Action 2: Development of alliances, and accompaniment, advocacy and analysis of policy Action 3: Archive research, policy analysis and developmentPART III: REFLECT! Evaluation Change, influence and power Roles, skills and reflections on learning for community psychologists Critical disruption: Does critical community psychology have an adequate praxis?