Culture and Community Psychology: Toward a Renewed and Reimagined Vision

Interest is growing in community psychology to look more closely at culture. Culture has resided in community psychology in
its emphasis on context, ecology, and diversity, however we believe that the field will benefit from a more explicit focus
on culture. We suggest a cultural approach that values the community’s points of view and an understanding of shared and divergent
meanings, goals, and norms within a theory of empowerment. Furthermore, we posit the importance of pluralistic, multi-method
programs of research and action encompassing both idiographic and nomothetic approaches, and critical reflexivity of our roles
and agendas. Culture can be further incorporated into all the branches and fibers of community psychology.