Introduction to the special issue: Participatory action research in community psychology: a tool to understand human diversity

Abstract

Community psychology emerged as a response to the practical and theoretical limitations of traditional clinical psychology. From the outset, it adopted a contextual approach in order to move away from models of individual pathology that tended to blame the victims for their problems (Ryan, 1971). Another objective was to promote prevention, since existing service systems did not have the capacity to serve all those in need, particularly minority, marginalised, and low-income populations. From its inception, community psychology has embraced a positive and proactive perspective in which individuals and communities are considered part of the solution—surpassing the deficit model in which people and communities only have problems and scientists and professionals provide remedies (Sue, Ito, & Bradshaw, 1982). In Spain, the community approach has developed unevenly in the university setting (see Sánchez, 1988; Marín, Chacón, & Martínez, 1989; Martín, 1998, among others) and has consolidated as a discipline oriented towards intervention in the field of social services under the name of Psychology of Social Intervention (see, for example, the special issue of Apuntes de Psicología, 1997, vol. 49-50; Barriga, León, & Martínez, 1987; López-Cabanas & Chacón, 1997). We will refer to Community and Social Intervention Psychology (CSIP), to encompass both orientations.