'COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Kloos, Hill, Thomas, Wandersman, and Dalton have addressed the challenge of transforming an abstract, theoretical topic into a lively and understandable subject for students. Through concrete examples and consistent pedagogy, this text helps students understand the concepts as well as how to apply them. After introducing community psychology and its history, the authors describe methods of community research and discuss how to understand communities from the perspectives of sense of community, coping, and social support. The focus then shifts to community programs and actions: preventing problem behavior and promoting social competence, citizen participation, organizing for community and social change, and program evaluation and development.
' The text features in-depth chapters on conceptual foundations of community psychology, human diversity, the psychological sense of community, implementation of prevention and promotion programs, and community program evaluation. Every chapter contains pedagogical features to enhance student understanding, including brief outlines of chapter contents, anticipatory questions to cue student interest and learning, key points, "Model Program" boxes that provide examples of programs such as Community Change Initiatives, brief exercises to apply concepts from the chapter in real life, and numbered summaries. Brief exercises at the end of every chapter allow students to review the material, apply it to various scenarios, and try out ideas in their own lives and communities
'PART I: INTRODUCING COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY. 1. Introducing Community Psychology. 2. How Has Community Psychology Developed? PART II: COMMUNITY RESEARCH. 3. The Aims of Community Research. 4. Methods of Community Psychology Research. PART III: UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITIES. 5. Understanding Individuals Within Environments. 6. Understanding Community. 7. Understanding Human Diversity. 8. Understanding Stress and Coping in Context. PART IV: PREVENTING PROBLEM BEHAVIOR AND PROMOTING SOCIAL COMPETENCE. 9. Prevention and Promotion: Key Concepts. 10. Prevention and Promotion: Implementing Programs. PART V: PROMOTING COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE. 11. Citizen Participation and Empowerment. 12. Community and Social Change. 13. Program Evaluation and Program Development. 14. Looking Ahead.
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