Social Change.pdf

Why Social Change? - Social justice reasons - Community psychology’s commitment to social justice - How the “status quo” is not a level playing field - Marginalization perpetuates injustice - Psychology should not be “apolitical” - Inequity signals injustice - Injustice compels action Community and...

Why Social Change? - Social justice reasons - Community psychology’s commitment to social justice - How the “status quo” is not a level playing field - Marginalization perpetuates injustice - Psychology should not be “apolitical” - Inequity signals injustice - Injustice compels action Community and Social Change - A focus on approaches to promote change at the level of communities and societies, rather than individuals - Dofficults, complex, long-term, but possible Types of Social Change - Spontaneous and unplanned social change - Unintentional change - Ex. natural disaster - Causes stress due to the unknown and the uncontrolled - Planned social change - Limited in scope - Directed at enhancing quality of life - Provides a role for those affected by change - Guided by a social change agent - Identify issue - Research causes - Take action - Reflect Types of Change - First-order change - Only a proportion of a system is changed (person, clients, tool) - Broader system remains intact - Second-order change - Changes to the system - Changes in relationships among component parts of a system - Changes in the goals, structure or processes of a system Types of Community Change - Community betterment approach - Attempts to improve specific aspect of community functioning using a top-down approach - Community empowerment model - Uses bottom-up approach in which community members have primary control of change efforts - Can increase community capacity and strengthen sense of community Instruments of Social Power - Control of resources to bargain, reward and punish - Control of channels for citizen participation in community decisions - Ability to shape the definition of a public issue or conflict Approaches to Community and Social Change - Consciousness raising - Social action - Community development - Community coalition - Organizational consultation - Alternative settings - Policy research and advocacy Continuum of Community Change Strategies - Community coalition → policy research and advocacy → community development → social action Consciousness Raising - Emphasizes increasing citizen’s awareness of social conditions that affect them - Conscientization - when people become aware of their oppression, and the forces that maintain it - Focuses on influencing how community problems are defined and explained - Grassroots, bottom-up approach to community change Social Action - Identifies obstacles to empowerment of disadvantaged groups, and creates constructive conflict to remove these obstacles through direct, nonviolent action - Focus on power and conflict - Based on gaining control of resources - Conflict strategy because cooperation is viewed as being ineffective Dynamics of Social Action - The purpose of the Haves is the keep what they have - Thus, the Haves want to maintain the status quo and the Have - Not want to change it - The haves want to keep, the have-nots to get Alinky’s Principle - Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have - Ridicule is the most potent weapon - Make enemy live up to his or her own rules - A good tactic is one that people enjoy - The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself - The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative - Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it Community Development - Process of strengthening relationships among the community members to define community problems, resources, and strategies for solutions - Cooperative strategy intended to broaden opportunities for participation and influence in community decision-making Objectives of Community Development - Personal - Empowerment - Community - Citizen participation - Sense of community - Social learning - New services or resources - Societal - Social justice (redistribution of resources) Community Coalition - Outgrowth of community development - Broad representation of citizens to address a community problem - Can involve: - Citizens, community organizations, businesses, media, grassroots groups - Typically involve community and organization leaders - Coalitions - Develop a mission - Write and implement action plans Organizational Consultation - Professional working as consultants with workplaces, for profit, or non-profit, to make changes in the organization’s policies, structure, or practices Alternative Settings - Outgrowth of dissatisfaction with mainstream services - Ex. consumer/survivor initiatives, street health clinics, alternative schools - Sage haven and support for individuals experiences discrimination and injustice - Potential fertile ground for social change Policy Research and Advocacy - Speaking out in some form to influence decisions, policies, and laws - Participation in public decision-making and influencing how an issue is defined or understood in the political area - Persuasion based on research findings and reasoned arguments - Often a top-down method of social and community change Professional Change Agents - Community Psychologists as consultants in social change - Skilled in - Community needs assessment - Community organizing - Group problem solving - Action research - Likely to focus on social systems and institutions rather than individuals Professional Change Agents - Private consultants - cost $ - University affiliated consultants - Need $ - May be limited by academic reward structure funding/project timelines may not fit community timelines