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issue 1 09 - APS Member Groups - Australian Psychological Society

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Giving Psychology Away80own needs” (p. 2). I would expand thisdefinition to consider how the needs fordominant groups, cultures, or nations can bemet without compromising the needs ofsubordinated, minority, marginalised, ordeveloping groups in the present day.Sustainability is an environmental term, but inthe future this term should embrace a moreholistic understanding of our world,considering both biological and interpersonalrelationships. However, in order to move intoan era of sustainability, we must realise thetremendous struggle that lies ahead.The doctrines of neo-liberalism and freemarketcapitalism have spread around theworld with an emphasis on unrestrainedindividualism at the expense of ecological andhuman capital. This spread has even had animpact in places like Norway with a longhistory of focus on social concerns. A recentlycompleted discursive analysis of a Norwegiannewspaper found that talk of materialconsumption rose dramatically through thepast 20 years in that country, suggesting thewidespread impact of the consumerist ideology(Nafstad, Blakar, Carlquist, Phelps, & Rand-Hendriksen, 20<strong>09</strong>). Despite this, the tide ofsustainability may be rising in the form ofTriple Bottom Line (TBL) decision makingwhich is being considered by several worldgovernments. TBL considers not only theeconomics of any situation, but also theenvironmental and social side effects involvedin any decision (Bishop, Vicary, Browne, &Guard, 20<strong>09</strong>). This type of thinking is crucialfor any revolution of sustainability to occuragainst the massive onslaught of neo-liberalcapitalism. Myers (2003) suggested thatpsychologists can play a key role inintroducing sustainability into our globalculture. He suggested that we can enter into a“post-materialist” age by helping ourcommunities recognise the consequences ofover-consumption and the lack ofpsychological benefit from hyper-materialism.Rather, Myers promoted the creation of aculture where the “enduringly sustainable”resources (p. 2<strong>09</strong>) of relationships are assignedhigher value.Naturally, community psychologistsshould be the ideal leaders for this evolution.This will require rigorous research using newmethods to generate theories of sustainability incommunity settings, building on the currenttheories of sense of community andempowerment. Community psychologists willfind themselves even more engaged at thegrassroots level, working with communities tocreate lasting social change, and in the arenas ofpublic policy to shape more responsiblegovernments.Get BilingualAs the sustainability revolution sweepsthrough the Western world, it will create newlinks between cultures, and opportunities forlearning and conflict. With consistentacceleration in the means of transportation andcommunication, the world will continue to getsmaller, increasing everyday interactionbetween members of diverse cultures. With arespect for human diversity and plural thinking,community psychology will find itself thrivingat these intersections of culture.Many of the key challenges we face canbe explained in terms of a clash of cultures.Global terrorism can be seen as a clash betweenMuslim-Christian, Arab and non-Arab, or thecolonised and the colonisers. In the UnitedStates, the continuing discussion and pressureof immigration reform presses into the publicconsciousness an awareness of diversity and thechallenge to respond humanely. From history,we can assume that these clashes of culture andideology will continue to arise. However, for usto evolve beyond the status quo to a moresustainable way of inhabiting the planet, wemust discover ways to navigate these conflictseffectively. This acceleration opens up a wealthof opportunities for community psychologists.New theories and methods will need to becreated in order to facilitate improved interculturalinteraction as an expansion of domesticcultural competence. Community psychologistscan play a key role in helping meet these needsThe <strong>Australian</strong> Community Psychologist Volume 21 No 1 June 20<strong>09</strong>

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