Swampscott in International Context: Expanding Our Ecology of Knowledge

• Published in: American journal of community psychology Vol. 58; no. 3-4; pp. 309 - 313
• Main Author: Sonn, Christopher C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2016; Blackwell Science Ltd
• Subjects: Community psychology; Decolonisation; Decolonization; Ecology of Knowledge; Forecasting; Global South; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Internationality; Intersectoral Collaboration; Knowledge; Liberation Paradigm; Marginality; Political systems; Psychology; Psychology, Social - organization & administration; Psychology, Social - trends; Social dynamics; Swampscott; Australia; United States > US; South Africa; Decolonisation; Swampscott; Global South; Ecology of Knowledge; Liberation Paradigm
• ISSN: 0091-0562; 1573-2770
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12038

In this paper, I offer reflections as someone from outside the United States about the Swampscott conference. I refer to Fryer and Fox's (The Community Psychologist, 24, 2014, 1) critique of the “Swampscott discourse” and its role in fixing the birthplace of community psychology. While the critique is important, I note the growing references to international community psychology and the need to view the discipline as a product of social political realities in different contexts, as well as dynamics of dominance and marginality in knowledge production in psychology. The work in the Global South presents opportunities to contribute to developing a decolonizing community psychology through expanding the ecology of knowledge.