COUV ACTES - Psychologie communautaire

Community Psychology: Common Values, Diverse Practicesreflection of these practicum experiences took place within this international forum of dialogue. Within thisroundtable discussion, each student shared in detail their participation within each of their respectivecommunities, the problems they encountered, and the successes they achieved. The students also used theirexperiences to prompt audience participation by asking audience members how they felt each student experiencerelated their own personal work with the community. Members of the audience discussed similarities that arose intheir work, along with unique issues that arose at their respective institutions. Common discussion points includedhow to overcome the obstacles such as time, balancing university course goals with the goals of the community,developing strategies for evaluating student experiences in the community, and distinguishing what makes a therole of the community psychologist unique to a community setting. Session participants also examined mechanicsof the practicum class and the different approaches to implementing class within the university. Throughout theconversation, the exchange of shared information and reflection across people from around the world built uponexisting third-person inquiry.Overall, first, second, and third inquiry provides an opportunity for graduate students to become more consciousand sensitive to what knowledge is generated, how knowledge is generated, why knowledge is generated andultimately, how it is interpreted. Given that there are dominant paradigms that shape our ideas and choices, it isessential to highlight how such paradigms shape the way we understand and participate in social change. Inorder for students to examine the ways that impacted communities, it is important to understand the processesthat led to the success or failure of their participation. Regardless of the impact, this reflective process providesadditional opportunities for students to examine ways that future work and or engagement could be improved.While each institution engages students in the community at different time points (i.e. first year versus last year),it is important that students have an opportunity to learn by way of the classroom, the community, and throughreflection. This enhances how students conceptualize and interpret both their experiences and the experience ofthe communities they serve.ReferencesChiu, Lai Fong. 2006. Critical Reflection. More than nuts and bolts. Action Research. 4(2)183-203.Senge, Peter M, Kleiner Art, Roberts Charlotte, Ross Charlotte, & Smith, Bryan. 1994. The Fifth DisciplineFieldbook, New York: Doubleday, 237-246.285