Transformative Participatory Action Research in Community Psychology

1. Transformative Participatory Action Research in Community Psychology Isaac Prilleltensky isaac@miami.edu www.education.miami.edu/isaac

2. Outline • Community psychology: Where we are and where we are going • Well-Being, Oppression, and Liberation • PsychopoliticalValidity • Epistemic • Transformational • Transformative Participatory Action Research • Examples of TPAR • Discussion

3. Community Psychology: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

4. Community Psychology: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

5. Community Psychology: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

6. Community Psychology: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

7. Community Psychology: Where We Are and Where We’re Going

8. Critical Community Psychology Carolyn Kagan and Mark Burton’s definition of community psychology captures well what we mean by critical community psychology:  • Community psychology offers a framework for working with those marginalized by the social system that leads to self-aware social change with an emphasis on value-based participatory work and the forging of alliances. It is a way of working that is pragmatic and reflexive, whilst not wedded to any particular orthodoxy of method. As such community psychology is one alternative to the dominant individualistic psychology typically taught and practiced in the higher income countries. It is community psychology because it emphasizes a level of analysis and intervention other than the individual and their immediate interpersonal context. It is community psychology because it is nevertheless concerned with how people feel, think, experience, and act as they work together, resisting oppression and struggling to create a better world. (Burton et al., 2007; 219)  

9. Critical Community Psychology For us, critical community psychology is: • Ecological in nature, recognizing the need to concentrate simultaneously on individuals, relationships, and communities • Value-driven • Guided by the central value of social justice • Praxis-oriented in its efforts to overcome social injustice through social action in partnership with disadvantaged people

10. Critical Community Psychology

11. Critical Community Psychology

12. Critical Community Psychology

13. Psychopolitical Validity • Psychopolitical validity derives from the consideration of power dynamics in psychological and political domains of health. • The main objective of psychopolitical validity is to infuse in critical health psychology an awareness of the role of power in wellness, oppression, and liberation at the personal, relational, and collective domains.

14. Psychopolitical validity • In order to attain psychopolitical validity, investigations and interventions would have to meet certain criteria. These criteria have to do with the extent to which research and action incorporate lessons about psychological and political power.

15. Psychopolitical Validity I: Epistemic • This type of validity is achieved by the systematic account of the role of power in political and psychological dynamics affecting phenomena of interest • Such account needs to consider the role of power in the psychology and politics of wellness, oppression and liberation, at the personal, relational, and collective domains.

16. Psychopolitical Validity I: Epistemic • Guidelines for epistemic psychopolitical validity are presented in Table 1.

17. Table 1 Guidelines for Epistemic Psychopolitical Validity in Critical Community Psychology

18. Psychopolitical Validity II: Transformational • Transformational validity derives from the potential of our actions to promote personal, relational, and collective wellness by reducing power inequalities and increasing political action

19. Table 2 Guidelines for Transformational Psychopolitical Validity

20. Transformative Research Paradigm

21. Roots of Transformative Research Paradigm • Participatory Research • Action Research • Feminist Research • Anti-racist Research

22. Values and principles of transformative research 1. Self-determination and participation (empowerment) ■ Research should be attuned to issues of power and promote the power of disadvantaged people ■ Research begins with the experiences and concerns of disadvantaged people ■ Research process is democratized so as to maximize the participation of disadvantaged people in all aspects of the research ■ Research uses qualitative methods that give voice to disadvantaged people 2. Community and inclusion ■ Research strives to develop authentic and supportive relationships among researchers, disadvantaged people and other stakeholders ■ Research should be directed towards the goal of building solidarity for social change

23. Values and principles of transformative research 3. Social justice and accountability to oppressed groups ■ Research money should be distributed in a way that provides job and training opportunities as co-researchers for members of disadvantaged groups ■ Research findings should be used for education and/or advocacy to create social change 4. Reflexivity ■ Research should use emergent (or flexible) research designs ■ Research should provide an educational component ■ Research should be demystified so that knowledge is accessible to all, not just researchers ■ Research should involve all stakeholders in the interpretation of findings and recommendations for change

24. Roles for Transformative Action Researchers • I VALUE IT • Inclusive Host • Visionary • Asset Seeker • Listener • Unique Solution Finder • Evaluator • Implementer • Trendsetter

25. Example 1: Miami SPEC projectOrganizational conditions leading to transformative practice: Findings from a multi-case study, action research investigation • University of Miami SPEC Team • Isaac Prilleltensky • Ora Prilleltensky • Scot Evans • Adrine McKenzie • Debbie Nogueras • Randy Penfield • Corinne Huggins • Nick Mescia

26. What is transformative practice? • In the context of community, educational, health, and human service organizations, we define transformative practice as consisting of four principles • Strengths • Prevention • Empowerment • Community change

27. Drain Approach Deficits-based Reactive Alienating Individualistic Problems Too little Too late Too costly Too unrealistic SPEC Approach Strengths-based Primary Prevention Empowerment Community change Opportunity Built to last Starts early and saves $$$ Creates civic engagement Builds social movement DRAIN VS. SPEC APPROACHES Prilleltensky

28. Time and place of interventions THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE Collective Quadrant IV Examples: Food banks, shelters for homeless people, charities, prison industrial complex Quadrant I Examples: Community development, affordable housing policy, recreational opportunities, high quality schools and accessible health services Reactive Proactive Quadrant II Examples: Skill building, emotional literacy, fitness programs, personal improvement plans, resistance to peer pressure in drug and alcohol use Quadrant III Examples: Crisis work, therapy, medications, symptom containment, case management Individual THIS IS WHERE WE ARE

29. Focus and engagement in interventions THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE Strength Quadrant I Examples: Voice and choice in celebrating and building competencies, recognition of personal and collective resilience Quadrant IV Examples: Just say no! You can do it! Cheerleading approaches, Make nice approaches Detachment Empowerment Quadrant II Examples: Voice and choice in deficit reduction approaches, participation in decisions how to treat affective disorders or physical disorders Quadrant III Examples: Labeling and diagnosis, “patienthood” and clienthood,” citizens in passive role Deficit THIS IS WHERE WE ARE

30. Context of Investigation • Action research with 5 community based organizations (CBOs) to promote Strengths, Prevention, Empowerment, Community Change • Three year study consisting of • Training • Team work • Consultation • Professional development • Action research

31. Context of Investigation • Organizations selected on basis of “readiness” • Organizations consist of • Major local funder (MF) • Major provider of health services for poor (HS) • Organization that promotes early interventions (EI) • Local civic coalition (LC) • Local human service (HS) • Budgets range from $ 1 million to over $ 100 million • Personnel ranges from 15 to 700

32. Context of Investigation • Intervention components • Training • Each organization sends reps to 18 person class • 3 hours biweekly • Lecture, discussion, application • Team work • Transformation teams meet biweekly • Consultation • A researcher assigned to each organization • Weekly or biweekly consultations • Professional development • Action research

33. Research Design • Action Goal of overall project: Promote SPEC practices in organizations to improve community well-being • Research Goals of overall project: • Assess whether organizations become more aligned with SPEC principles as a result of interventions • If so, how • Data collection • Quantitative and qualitative methods at baseline, year one, and end of project • Goal of present study: Examine organizational conditions leading to SPEC based on qualitative data gathered through interviews, focus groups, and field notes with about 80 different participants in the five organizations

34. Simple logic model Organizational history Organizational mission Organizational strategic plan

35. Simple logic model Focus of current study

36. Emerging findings

37. Findings: Organizational Conditions for Transformative Practice

38. Organizational Conditions for Transformative Practice

39. Climate • Effective • Enabling structures; good communication; timely completion of tasks; efficiency; accountability and follow-through, etc. • Most of the organizations noted at least some deficiency in this domain, including duplication of efforts; inconsistent policies; and bureaucracy • Reflective • Learning opportunities; organizational learning; asking “big questions”; challenging old notions; evaluating practice, etc. • Organizations vary on this dimension, with some presenting as highly reflective and others describing an environment where there is insufficient trust to challenge old notions and practices. (“you ain’tgonna rock the boat.”) • Affirmative • Climate of acceptance and appreciation; employee strengths are highlighted and utilized; voice and choice; sense of control; team work and conviviality • Distinction made between voice and choice in a number of organizations where empowerment is espoused as an organizational value, but not always practiced well. • In other organizations, staff empowerment is not even part of the organizational radar.

40. Resources • Human • Adequate number of workers to meet demands; high skill level; capacity; dedication; motivation; initiative • Largely described workers as caring, conscientious and committed to meeting the needs of their constituents • Variable level of skill across organizations • Concern in some organizations that people are spread too thin due to a broad, overly ambitious mission • Financial • Adequate financial resources to support positions; programs; etc. • A major barrier for most organizations in the current economic climate • Cuts in positions and lack of job security are a source of strain • For funding organizations, ongoing concern to make sure investments provide good return • Organizational • Appropriate organizational structures to meet vision and mission; adequate time, space, etc. • Most organizations described as committed to vision and mission • Some noted that rapid and poorly communicated policy changes lead to inconsistent practices and poor PR with other agencies • In one case, solicitation of input from “boots on the ground” was seen as a necessary condition for improved buy-in to vision and mission

41. Support and Legitimacy • Leadership for SPEC • Leadership provides legitimacy and support to SPEC principles and practices; leader(s)“walk the talk” in their support of the vision and mission of the organization • Organizations whose leaders are involved in all aspects of the SPEC training (class, T-Team, etc.) experience greater legitimacy and support for SPEC practices and principles • Lower level of leaders involvement is associated with fewer SPEC practices • Board support and legitimacy for SPEC • Board of Directors provides legitimacy and support to SPEC principles and practices ; board members“ walk the talk” in their support of the vision and mission of the organization • Some describe difficulties in dealing with board members who come from a corporate background and unfamiliar with nonprofit • Some board members advocate for special interest groups • Funder support for SPEC • Funders provide legitimacy and support to SPEC principles and practices; funders “walk the talk” in their support of the vision and mission of the organization • Some indication that funders may not always walk the talk, despite the theoretical support of SPEC; some feel micromanaged by funders

42. Consciousness • Justice • Organization espouses a justice orientation; considers issues of fairness and justice in understanding community problems and devising solutions • Large variation between organizations. For some, themes of “economic justice” and “social justice” are espoused and central to the organizational mission. For others, justice is described as enabling access to services, regardless of client background, legal status, etc. • Power • Organization is highly aware of power issues in the community; sensitive to how differences in power affect voice, choice and wellbeing; considers power issues when understanding problems and devising solutions • Awareness and sensitivity to power issues in the community are at times inconsistent with internal practices with employees. • Ecology • Organization espouses an ecological orientation; considers personal, organization, and systemic factors in understanding problems and devising solutions • A shared understanding that social and economic conditions are at the root of people’s struggles does not always translate to more systemic organizational practices

43. Discussion • Study begins to identify necessary and sufficient conditions for transformative practice • Contribution to community psychology approaches to system change: not just generic, but also specific conditions are necessary to promote justice and social change (see special issue AJCP on systems change June 2007, v. 39 ¾) • Contribution to organizational development: literature focuses mainly on for profit and ameliorative not for profits. This study aims to foster transformative practice in not for profits and identifies consciousness as key condition (Chetkovich & Kunreuther, 2006; Crutchfield & McLeod Grant, 2007)

44. Limitations, possibilities,and next steps • Great variation across organizations • More qualitative and quantitative data needed • Develop tool that can assess organizational profile • Refine methodology, initial pilot of conceptual framework resonates with participants

45. Example 2: SPEC-YE PAR with Youth • SPEC-YE - SPEC for youth engagement in African American Neighborhood in Miami - Youth participate in running after school leadership program following SPEC principles - Youth engage in civic projects

46. MLK Center Example 3: New SPECsThree-year action research project in South East mid-size City Island Center John Snow Foundation Nazaret Center Healthy City

47. New SPECs ProjectCenter for Community StudiesVanderbilt University Vanderbilt New SPECs Team Kimberly Bess, Patricia Conway Scot Evans, Carrie Hanlin, Diana McCown, Bob Newbrough, Doug Perkins, Isaac Prilleltensky

48. Goals of New SPECs • Apply community psychology principles to organizational change for community well-being • Generate new practical knowledge for organizations and the field • Develop practices in line with SPEC • Develop policies in line with SPEC • Institutionalize SPEC in the life of the organization and the community

49. Principles of New SPECs • Ownership by workers and community members • Participation of workers and community members • Power sharing • Home grown solutions • Practice and reflection • Action research

50. Structure of New SPECs • Structures within organizations • T-Team • Councils • Affiliation groups • Forums • Workshops • Task Forces • Structures across the project • Coordinating Committee • Structures within our own Team • Business meetings • Reflection meetings • Retreats