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The Ecological Paradigm: Persons in Settings

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A Quarter Century of Community Psychology

Abstract

A central theme of community psychology is the idea that people live in a variety of social settings that influence their well-being. Any explanation of individual behavior without reference to these influential contexts is incomplete and may lead to misdirected efforts at social change. The term “Community Psychology” itself implies a junction of setting (“Community”) and individual (“Psychology”) processes. At the time it was founded, the concept of studying “persons within settings” was advanced as one that was central to the field. Inquiry and action should address social system structures as a means to attaining the goal of prevention of mental health disorders (Bennett et al.,1966, Chapter 5, this volume).

Community psychology in this view is devoted to the study of general psychological processes that link social systems with individual behavior in complex interaction...The community psychologist should have the knowledge and skill to assess and modify the reciprocal relationships between individuals and the social systems with which they interact. Bennettet. al., 1966, p.7

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doctoral Program in Psychology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, 10016-4309, USA

    David Livert

  2. Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, 10003, USA

    Diane L. Hughes

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  1. David Livert
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  2. Diane L. Hughes
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Graduate Center of the City, University of New York, New York, New York, USA

    Tracey A. Revenson (Senior Editor) & David Livert (Senior Editor) & 

  2. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Anthony R. D’Augelli

  3. University of California, Riverside, California, USA

    Sabine E. French

  4. New York University, New York, New York, USA

    Diane L. Hughes , Edward Seidman , Marybeth Shinn  & Hirokazu Yoshikawa , ,  & 

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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Livert, D., Hughes, D.L. (2002). The Ecological Paradigm: Persons in Settings. In: Revenson, T.A., et al. A Quarter Century of Community Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8646-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8646-7_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-46730-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-8646-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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