A future for community psychology: The contexts of diversity and the diversity of contexts

Today I revisit a premise central to community psychology since its official inception (Bennett et al., 1966): the importance of developing theory, research, and intervention which locates individuals, social settings, and communities in sociocultural context. I return to this premise not because community psychology has not made significant substantive and distinctive contributions to research and practice during the last three decades but because of how much work remains to be done. We are still struggling with how to incorporate issues of culture and context into the questions we ask, the research strategies we pursue, and the ways we design and carry out interventions (Bernal & Enchautegui-de Jesus, 1994; Leidig, 1977; Loo, Fong, & Iwamasa, 1988; Myers & Pitts, 1977; Novaco & Monahan, 1980; Trickett, Watts, & Birman, 1993; Walsh, 1987a). Incorporating culture and context more fully into the conceptual frameworks and intervention activities of the field will both further the field’s originating vision and create an exciting and socially responsible agenda for the future. It represents an opportunity for community psychology to make a distinctive contribution to how we think and how we act.