A Call for a Digital Community Psychology

Jenna Condie, MICHAEL RICHARDS

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Community Psychology has seemingly been left behind on the digital front. For one reason or another, the connections between Community Psychology, digital technologies and social media remain unplugged. We are calling for a new "Digital Community Psychology". In this chapter, we apply a digital autoethnographic method to generate knowledge about Community Psychology, social media and digital technologies. We reflect on what "Digital Community Psychology" might entail in email "call and response" exchanges. We use our emails to one another as data to explore and outline the disconnect between Community Psychology, digital technologies and social media. Second, we examine Community Psychology's existence against "mainstream psychology" to make the case for critical forms of psychology to interrogate and render accountable the powerful advances in the digitalisation and datafication of society, institutions and social practices. To push community psychological work around human- technology relations further, we draw upon ideas and concepts from transdisciplinary fields of knowledge, mainly from the scholarly work that is being badged together as feminist new materialism and posthumanism. Then we theorise social media communities: what are they becoming and what new subjectivities reflect our networked lives? Lastly, we include a case study that highlights how making social media for social activism falls within the remit of practicing Digital Community Psychology.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Routledge International Handbook of Community Psychology
Subtitle of host publicationFacing Global Crises with Hope
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter11
Pages163-179
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9781000511611
ISBN (Print)9780367344153
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Mar 2022

Keywords

  • community psychology
  • learning disabilities

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