Differences between social and community psychology

Although social and community psychology share theoretical frameworks and research methods, each of these disciplines is characterized by particular aspects that are important to know. In this article we will analyze the main differences between social and community psychology, one of its most relevant and demanding branches.

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What is social psychology?

Social psychology can be defined as the scientific study of the influence of other people's presence on observable behavior and in the mental contents of specific individuals or groups. The others do not have to be physically present, but also act in an imaginary or symbolic way through social norms and other factors.

Thus, from this aspect of psychology, behavior is understood as an interaction between the variables of a social type that are present at a given moment and the state of the individual. In general, particular attention has been paid to the relevance of cognitive constructs such as feelings, attitudes or intentions.

Among the phenomena and processes most commonly studied by social psychology we find social cognition, attribution of causality to behaviors and events, or self-concept (referring to a person's beliefs about himself), self-image (mental representation of oneself) and self-esteem (emotional component of self-concept).

Most experts believe that social psychology as we know it today emerged in the early twentieth century, with the United States as the nucleus. Norman Triplett's experiments on social facilitation were a key milestone; later the Gestalt School appeared, and after World War II interest in the discipline increased.

Social psychology is considered to constitute the point of union between psychology and sociology, focused to a greater extent on groups. Although these two social sciences have been acquiring their own identities over the last decades, the knowledge of both is equally useful for research and theory of psychology Social.

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Defining community psychology

Community psychology is considered to have emerged around the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. During this period the consequences of the Second World War favored the introduction of social policies with the objective of increasing the well-being of the population, particularly in risk groups such as ethnic minorities and veterans.

Usually the job of community psychologists consists of analyze characteristics, problems and needs of a given population in order to plan and apply intervention programs with a corrective or empowering purpose. Often the interest of community psychology falls on the less favored groups.

Although we can include community psychology within the framework of social psychology, which is broader, in its emergence The movements demanding a higher quality of mental health services also had a very significant influence. public. These political demands had a great weight in the Anglo-Saxon world of the time.

In this sense, it is difficult to separate community psychology from its political and vindictive aspect, closely linked to movements for the defense of social rights. Thus, community psychology has traditionally worked for the empowerment of marginalized communities, public services and citizen participation in political life.

Community psychology is closely related to other psychological disciplines, including environmental, cross-cultural, and ecological psychology. Likewise, its area of ​​application is intertwined with that of social work, public health, political science, community development, and applied anthropology.

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Main differences between the two

Since community psychology can be understood as a sub-discipline within psychology social, there are many similarities between the two, especially in relation to the theoretical foundations of both branches.

Thus, community psychology draws on the knowledge obtained by social psychology and uses it in specific human contexts.

1. Theory and practice

Social psychology has a mainly theoretical character. The contributions of professionals in this field are used by other psychologists and social scientists in multiple applied disciplines; Community psychology, which focuses almost exclusively on practical aspects of reality, is a very good example of this fact.

2. Main goal

Community psychologists typically work to improve living conditions or social functioning in specific geographic areas. By contrast, social psychology focuses on understand and predict human behavior based on their interactions, therefore having a much broader nature.

3. Analysis focus

Community psychology works, by definition, in human groups of more or less large size; concrete individuals are relevant insofar as they influence the functioning of the group in question. Social psychology has a group aspect but also another, perhaps even more important, with the individual focus typical of psychology in general.

4. Politic ideology

In general community psychologists have a clear vocation for protest, identifying with socialist ideas and proposals (although evidently in every field there are exceptions and contradictory tendencies). On the other hand, social psychologists may prefer to stay out of politics, which has earned them criticism from community psychology.

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5. Relationship with other disciplines

While social psychology tends to be more self-contained, community psychology is more interdisciplinary in nature: This discipline normally works together with other social actors and with experts in different subjects in order to solve the specific problems of a group.