(De)colonizing Culture in Community Psychology: Reflections from Critical Social Science

Abstract

Since its inception, community psychology has been interested in cultural matters relating to issues of diversity and marginalization. However, the field has tended to understand culture as static social markers or as the background for understanding group differences. In this article the authors contend that culture is inseparable from who we are and what we do as social beings. Moreover, culture is continually shaped by socio‐historical and political processes intertwined within the globalized history of power. The authors propose a decolonizing standpoint grounded in critical social science to disrupt understandings of cultural matters that marginalize others. This standpoint would move the field toward deeper critical thinking, reflexivity and emancipatory action. The authors present their work to illustrate how they integrate a decolonizing standpoint to community psychology research and teaching. They conclude that community psychology must aim towards intercultural work engaging its political nature from a place of ontological/epistemological/methodological parity.

Ecology of Sites of Confinement: Everyday Life in a Detention Center for Illegalized Non‐citizens

“…Instead, we paid particular attention to how power is wielded in everyday life in detention in a bid to create emancipatory knowledge and to provide a platform for marginalized voices to be heard (cf. Reyes Cruz & Sonn, ).…”

“…Particularly, we tried to put our privilege to work in the service of detainees by sharing the information that we had access to with them (i.e., concerning rights, laws, procedures, and sources of support and information available inside Ponte Galeria), as well as by supporting them, at least emotionally, in their struggles. Furthermore, and in alignment with critical ethnography's commitment to a “decolonizing standpoint” (Reyes Cruz & Sonn, ), we adopted a transdisciplinary attitude in order to unpack and; thus, challenge the micropolitical processes of detention and how the enduring legacy of colonialism, in intersection with other systems of power, influences such processes. Such a critical engagement, however, was not always straightforward.…”

Mental Health Care for Latino Immigrants in the U.S.A. and the Quest for Global Health Equities*

“…These may include options provided by community grass-root organizations, or churches for example. They may also arise from individuals' personal strengths, support networks, and critical reflection about their conditions (e.g., Balcazar et al, 2012;García-Ramírez et al, 2011;Reyes-Cruz & Sonn, 2011).…”

Decolonizing Sex: A Multicultural and Gay Affirmative Approach to Counseling with African American and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men

“…Utilizing Motivational Interviewing techniques such as exploring ambivalence and rolling-with-resistance were especially helpful. It was also important to acknowledge issues of power within the therapeutic relationship (Reyes-Cruz & Sonn, 2011). Andre was asked how comfortable he felt in talking about issues of sex and race with his therapist, an out gay man of color.…”