Discussion: Community Empowerment

Last week, you explored how individual therapy is viewed in both Western and non-Western cultures. This week, you discover how global psychology contributes to macro-level interventions. "Macro" refers to interventions that address large-scale needs at community, national, or global levels. Psychologists involved in macro-level interventions often contribute to policy development and social change by addressing psychological issues such as posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression.

According to Chapter "macro-level interventions consist of community-based programs implemented on a large scale in a manner that contributes to peace and social justice." Psychologists collaborate with local leaders to gain the support of villages or tribes to initiate and implement interventions. Your course text also describes additional examples of macro-level interventions in which community empowerment was an important mechanism for successfully addressing the intervention and initiatives that address: the HIV/AIDS worldwide pandemic, school desegregation in the United States, and the institutionalization of orphans from war-torn regions.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review photo essays of macro interventions on the UNICEF web site. Select one photo essay that interests you.

• In the photo essay you selected, consider whether you see evidence of community empowerment.

• Think about how community empowerment might have been increased if you do see existing evidence of it or how community empowerment might have been engendered if you do not see evidence of it.

• Consider how a capacity building approach can improve outcomes in at-risk environments.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post a brief description of the photo essay you selected. Explain whether you see evidence of community empowerment. If you see evidence, explain the evidence and explain how community empowerment might have been increased. If you do not see evidence, explain how community empowerment might have been engendered. Lastly, discuss how a capacity building approach can improve outcomes in at-risk environments.

Note: Identify the title of the photo essay you selected in the first line of your post. You will be asked to respond to a colleague who selected a photo essay that you did not.