History and Theory of Community Psychology: An International Perspective of Community Psychology in the United States: Returning to Political, Critical and Ecological Roots

In this chapter, we explore the historical roots of community psychology in the United States from a critical feminist perspective. We discuss how unique historical and sociopolitical contexts contributed to the development of the field as well as its fundamental theories and concepts. Our feminist critique of the field illustrates how these contexts contributed to what can be described as largely Anglo-and androcentric scholarship, suggesting an ongoing struggle with tensions between stated values and actual research and practice. Despite this, we argue that an organic, ever present tendency to distinguish its identity through critique has allowed the field, and those of us who work within it, to move toward better representation of our stated goals and values. We contend that the field would be well-served by a return to its critical, ecological roots via explicit and intentional analyses of social power at multiple levels. Acknowledging the field’s roots in white, male power and privilege is one way to facilitate discourse from the margins and to remain forever critical in our growth and development in ways that honor the community psychology’s stated value of social justice.