Community Psychology Reflection Post

Chapters 1 and 2 of the Community Psychology text authored by Kloos et al. (2012) have provided valuable insights into how individual well-being is intertwined with community and societal structures. To begin with, according to community psychology, an ideal personal life integrates individual wellness with active involvement in the community. This concept partly posits well-being as the outcome of both intrapersonal and contextual and societal factors (Thai & Lien, 2019). To me, a perfect life is one where people engage in community services, grow as individuals, and cultivate social relationships. This ideal life is related to the context of the community and society, as community psychology places a lot of importance on the settings of people’s lives (Thai & Lien, 2019). This entails that my personal needs with regard to community relationships, resources and opportunities to form relationships are strong. Notably, the core values guiding this life include promoting social justice, diversity, and collaboration, which form the basis of this life, promoting fairness and a voice for all persons (Thai & Lien, 2019). Social justice makes people treated equally, dignity preserves people’s opinions, and cooperation ensures leaders act in unity to address community issues.

Moreover, ideal communities embrace individual and family health promotion through membership, cooperation and accessibility to organs like mental health promotions and education. This environment enables families to grow and enjoy protection, relations, and power. Accordingly, an effective community looks after and empowers inhabitants and families as it guarantees available services and a feeling of being part of a community. Since they have proper healthcare education and social support for their needs, families can dedicate efforts to attaining long-term personal and career development goals accordingly.

Further, education, healthcare, and empowering organizations are crucial in such a community. These organizations empower individuals to become active citizens and successfully manage to address poverty by offering key support tools and key growth experiences. Noteworthy, the core values of an ideal community include diversity, empowerment, and social justice because they desire the inclusion of all persons in society and offer them equal chances in the community. These values help enhance the likelihood of establishing a positive society that will support rather than vouch for discrimination against one person by another.

Defining an Ideal Society

At a broader level, society would embrace and uphold these community values of equity, fairness, and active participation. Such a society would support both individuals and marginalized communities by implementing inclusive policies that address social, economic, and financial disparities. Importantly, the principles of equality, justice, and participation are vital in ensuring individuals are actively involved in governance and contribute to societal development

Consistently, community psychology distinguishes between locality-based communities, which are geographically defined, and relational communities, which are formed through shared interests or goals (Thai & Lien, 2019). For instance, my neighborhood is a locality-based community, while an online group I belong to is a relational community.

Implicitly, a sense of community, as conceptualized by McMillan and Chavis, encompasses four dimensions: membership, influence, integration, meeting needs, and emotional connection. These elements outline how relationships that exist between communities are created and maintained. Once, I encountered organizational culture violations when I could not relate to the work community because of different communication patterns and perceptions of morality. I felt like an outcast, and it made me develop poor self-esteem. However, it helped me understand the effects of minority stress, fostering respect for diversity in communities (Kloos et al., 2012).

It is also worth noting that, in today’s society, locality-based communities are declining while online communities are expanding. As people become more mobile and technology-driven, traditional neighborhood bonds weaken while virtual communities flourish (Kloos et al., 2012).

In summary, Chapters 1 and 2 of Community Psychology have expanded the understanding of interdependence between persons, communities, and society. This new knowledge will be useful in my life and career by inspiring me to develop contexts that help people flourish and are responsible and socially just.

References

Kloos, B., Hill, J., Thomas, E., Wandersman, A., Elias, M. J., & Dalton, J. H. (2012). Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities (3rd ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Thai, N. D., & Lien, A. (2019). Respect for diversity. Rebus Community; Pressbooks. https://press.rebus.community/introductiontocommunitypsychology/chapter/respect-for-diversity/

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