International Community Psychology: Development and Challenges

Why an issue devoted to international community psychology? In some ways, such a collection is unnecessary, even for an English language readership. Professional organizations, books, chapters and articles on community psychology appeared as early as the mid-to-late-1970s in Latin America (Montero 1996), the United Kingdom (Bender 1976), Italy (Francescato 1977), and Norway (Grinde 1977). There have been journals related to the field outside the United States at least since the late 1970s-early 1980s (e.g., Japanese Journal of Social Psychiatry; Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health; Critical Social Policy: UK; Psychology in Society: South Africa). The number of non-US articles in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP) and Journal of Community Psychology (JCP) started increasing with a 1989 special issue of the former on community psychology in Asia. The Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, an international journal, and Revista de Psicologia Social Aplicada (‘‘Journal of Applied Social Psychology’’ in Spanish) were launched in 1991, and Intervencion Psicosocial: Revista sobre igualdad y calidad de vida (‘‘Psychosocial Intervention: Journal of Equality and quality of life’’) started in 1992. Community psychology may have its earliest formal roots in the United States, but its ideas have early roots in many other cultures (Reich et al. 2007) and, in recent decades, it has grown faster in other parts of the world. As clinical psychologists dominate professional associations and laboratory researchers gain power in academic departments, community psychology in the US may be waning, at least as a subdiscipline of psychology, while many community psychologists (and whole programs) find homes in schools of education, other interdisciplinary units, or outside of academe. In contrast, the future of community psychology as a distinct field now appears clearer and more promising internationally than in the US As the contributors to the recent edited volume—International community psychology: History and theories (Reich et al. 2007) reveal, the field has begun developing in multiple countries on every continent as a critical response to mental health system limitations and/or political repression. Many of those countries have experienced colonial and post-colonial repression. In those systems, social psychology, political theory, and post-modern (e.g., narrative and other social constructivist) and participatory action research methods have been more influential than have clinical, behavioral, cognitive, or biological theories or positivist methods. International participation has increased, not only in AJCP and JCP, but also in SCRA conferences. Several European, Australia-Aotearoa, and other regional and national CP conferences have been held. Even France, which until recently had no community psychology movement, will host the European conference this year. There have been two major international conferences held on community psychology in Puerto Rico (2006) and Portugal (2008). Thus, the purpose of this issue is to take stock of the field of community psychology at a critical point in its maturation as activity in the field becomes more D. D. Perkins (&) Center for Community Studies, Program in Community Research & Action, Department of Human & Organizational Development, Peabody College #90, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203-5701, USA e-mail: d.perkins@vanderbilt.edu