Colleen Loomis

Social Change: Toward an Informed and Critical Understanding of Social Justice and the Capabilities Approach in Community Psychology.

Community psychology has long been concerned with social justice. However, deployments of this term are often vague and undertheorized. To address this weakness in the fields knowledge body we explored John Rawlss theory of social justice and Amartya Sens economic theory of the capabilities approach and evaluated each for its applicability to community psychology theory, research, and action. Our unpacking of the philosophical and political underpinnings of Rawlsian theory of social justice resulted in identifying characteristics that limit the theorys utility in community psychology, particularly in its implications for action. Our analysis of the capability approach proposed by Amartya Sen revealed a framework that operationalizes social justice in both research and action, and we elaborate on this point. Going beyond benefits to community psychology in adopting the capabilities approach, we posit a bi-directional relationship and discuss how community psychology might also contribute to the capabilities approach. We conclude by suggesting that community psychology could benefit from a manifesto or proclamation that provides a historical background of social justice and critiques the focus on the economic, sociological, and philosophical theories that inform present-day conceptualizations (and lack thereof) of social justice for community psychology.

Youth Narratives on Community Experiences and Sense of Community and Their Relation to Participation in an Early Childhood Development Program

This comparative study examined how participation in an early childhood development (ECD) program, Better Beginnings, Better Futures, for children (ages 4-8) relates to sense of community (SOC) in later adolescence (ages 18-19). Youths’ stories (N = 96) about community experiences, collected by semistructured, open-ended interviews, were quantitatively coded for several narrative dimensions (specificity, positivity, prosocial content, and meaning-making) and for elements of SOC (membership, influence, needs fulfillment, and shared emotional connection). Findings show a significant positive relationship between all narrative dimensions and the total SOC score. Better Beginnings youths’ stories (n = 64) were significantly higher on specificity and shared emotional connection than comparison youth (n = 32). Findings have implications for community-based ECD programs to impact later adolescence SOC and for using narratives to study these effects.

Shifting Societal Attitudes: Examining the Effects of Perspective Taking on Attitudes toward and Derogation of the Poor

ABSTRACT People tend to hold negative attitudes about and derogate those in poverty to varying degrees, often relying on indivi-dualistic explanations of poverty that largely ignore systemic sources. This study (N = 208) examined a perspective-taking strategy that could be used to reduce distancing behaviors and negative attitudes toward the poor. Perspective takers distanced less and reported fewer negative attitudes than others. An additional finding was that men (n = 57) were more likely to derogate/distance than women, showed greater agreement with personal deficiency explanations for poverty, and reported stronger stereotypic attitudes toward people who are impoverished.

Interprofessional empathy: A four-stage model for a new understanding of teamwork

ABSTRACT Collaboration in healthcare implies that health providers share responsibility and partner with each other in order to provide comprehensive patient care. A review of the empirical literature on teamwork in healthcare settings suggests that the relationships between service providers remain conflictual and variable in commitment to interprofessional collaboration. Recently, social psychologists have given considerable attention to the possibility that empathy could be used to improve intergroup attitudes and relations. Although empathy may be referred to as a means to humanize healthcare practices, few published studies from the healthcare literature focus on the nature of interprofessional empathy. Understanding frameworks different from your own and empathizing with other members of the team is fundamental to collaborative practice. The aim of this study was to understand the nature of empathy among members of interprofessional teams within a hospital environment. This study followed the lived experience of 24 health professionals with their perspective of empathy on interprofessional teams. A two-step procedure was used consisting of semi-structured interviews and depth interviews. Phenomenological data analysis was used to identify common themes and meanings across interviews. From the findings, a four-stage developmental model of interprofessional empathy emerged: Stage 1 is engaging in conscious interactions; Stage 2 requires using dialogical communication; Stage 3 is obtained when healthcare professionals consolidate understanding through negotiating differences between each other; and Stage 4 shows mastery of nurturing the collective spirit. Knowledge of this stage model will provide clinicians with the information necessary to develop awareness of how day-to-day activities within their interprofessional teams influence the development of interprofessional empathy.

Longitudinal analysis of virtual community perceptions of cohesion: The role of cooperation, communication, and competition.

Online, virtual group interactions may help adherence to health promotion programs. The purpose of this study was to explore longitudinal relationships among dimensions of group cohesion and group-interaction variables to inform and improve group-based strategies within programs aimed at promoting physical activity in virtual communities. In all, 56 online virtual users completed a group dynamics–based physical activity promotion intervention and assessments of group cohesion and group interaction at baseline and 4 weeks. Friendly competition and cooperation were consistently strong predictors of cohesion. Facilitating a sense of friendly competition and cooperation may increase engagement in physical activity programs by bolstering group cohesion.

Linking schools, universities, and businesses to mobilize resources and support for career choice and development of students who are visually impaired

This study documents how linking schools, universities, and local organizations can make school curriculum more relevant for career development for students who are visually impaired. Two schools, one for the visually impaired with students aged 4–19 years and another school for students aged 11–19 years who have severe or profound learning difficulties, were part of the collaboration, along with local university students who were teachers in training. Outcomes included new curriculum material for use in public schools to sensitize sighted students on visual impairment. The project also initiated employment apprenticeships for two students who are visually impaired. Our findings suggest that we can educate multiple groups of students simultaneously while building stronger ties between schools, universities, and local public and private employers. Using an outreach approach results in building relationships that facilitate education and employment for students who are visually impaired. St. Vincent’s School obtained consent for all participants in this study and participants chose to be identified, rather than have a pseudonym used.

INVESTIR NO PRÉ-ESCOLAR NA AFRICA SUBSAARIANA. UMA SÍNTESE DA LITERATURA INTERNACIONAL

This literature review summarizes and integrates the existing knowledge on early childhood education and preschool programs in order to assess under what conditions the preschool has a positive impact on cognitive and social development of preschool children and their subsequent school achievement. Four basic conditions emerge from the literature for a quality preschool education in disadvantaged contexts: 1. relevant teaching models; 2. an education rooted in local culture; 3. involvement of families and communities; 4. programs of health and nutrition related to preschool. http://dx.doi.org/10.14572/nuances.v22i23.1765