110 likes | 460 Views
PSY 270 COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY. Week 12 Day 1. Outline. Reasons for social change Types of social change Why social change efforts fail How to be a successful radical. Reasons for social change. Diverse populations Declining resources Knowledge-based and technological change
E N D
PSY 270COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY Week 12 Day 1
Outline • Reasons for social change • Types of social change • Why social change efforts fail • How to be a successful radical
Reasons for social change • Diverse populations • Declining resources • Knowledge-based and technological change • Community conflict • Dissatisfaction with traditional services/practices • Desire for diversity of solutions
Types of social change • Spontaneous or unplanned change • Natural disasters • Shifts in population • Stressful due to unpredictability • Planned or induced change (deliberate action) • Limited in scope • Enhancing quality of life • Provides a role for those affected • Often guided by a change agent
Issues related to planned change • Collaboration is the most effective? • Community psychology value • Participatory decision making or collaborative problem solving • Heavy investment, time consuming • Multi-pronged continuous approach • Contextual issues important • Research & systematic reflection • Holistic and realist
Why social changes plans fail • In-group/out-group resistance • Human nature • Cognitive misers-path of least effort in decision making and thinking. • Dogmatic-close minded; conserve old ways • Appeal to a large or significant of number • Lack of organization • Lack of research orientation; ongoing evaluation of impact
How to be a successful radical • Use whatever you’ve got to get attention • Don’t go outside the experience of your people • But whenever possible, go outside the experiences of the enemy • Make the enemy live up to its own rules • Ridicule is a potent weapon, and it makes the opposition react to your advantage • A good tactic is one that your people enjoy—if they don’t enjoy it, there is something wrong • A tactic that drags on too long is a drag • The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself • Power is what you have and what the enemy thinks you have • Keep the pressure on Saul Alinsky, 1971