Ok - on-side with these points! I agree there are lots of different versions of criticality and that seems important to me, very much what I wanted to say. As a value like any other, it must be examined and re-examined and cannot be held to be other than a belief of a person or social group. However I want to stand by my point that SOME types of criticality can indeed be silencing and subjugating and come into tension with other CP values.
I also think, and was trying to say, we need to pay as much attention to the ways we practise critical thinking and express our critiques as we do to our definitions of what we mean by critique. Quite often there have been trickles of feedback from people on this list indicating that even here (where we might expect discussion to be supportive and inclusive as well as critical) they feel that it is a 'scary' or unsafe place to post messages! I think we need to spend as much time building our community, expressing shared values and developing community psychology as a movement distinct from critical psychology (surely we want develop a psychology of our own that challenges oppression and individualising practices!), as we do developing powerful critique of psychology and capitalism - we need to do all of that :-)
If we want to do good then I think we need to stand for something; exploring, elaborating on and critiquing shared and contested values is the way to go!
I said my last message that I believe we have a responsibility to be critical (the word you used David, 'obligation' sounds good to me too). I hope no one thinks that my argument (that 'criticality' should not dominate and simply be one of a range of competing cp values, and not in itself treated as a single practice or as anything more than a value) implied any criticism of Baro (is it important in this context that he was a priest?), or support for the gunning down of anyone taking a critical stance ;-)) (or the gunning down of anyone not taking a critical stance!). In fact I hope there was nothing in my message that indicated support for the kind of psychologising that Baro criticised either! Also, it should be on record that I wasn't saying anyone in the critical or community psychology movements is advocating cruelty - only that SOME kinds of criticality (and WAYS of being critical) can be silencing, cruel and a form of subjugation and might be in tension with important CP values.
More and more I am coming to feel that this list, which is obviously serving us well in many regards, is also in some ways quite a difficult, cold and dry forum for some of the interaction that we want - and that perhaps the list might also be used to support something more constructive with more diverse ways of interacting - ideas in another email!
Signing off for now, Grant
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fryer
Sent: 09 October 2008 17:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] CCP? Really?
Hi Grant
Just to try to head off misunderstanding . . ..
I had assumed it could be taken for granted on this list that I was not using 'critical' in the sense of "marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws" (a paper by Fryer,Duckett and Pratt 'Critical Community Psychology: What? Why? and How?' Published in Clinical Psychology, 38, 39-43, 2004) spells that point out) but in the sense of 'critical' which draws upon history and philosophy of science, sociology of knowledge, Marxism, psychoanalysis, discourse analysis, feminist standpoint research, de-colonising methodology and post modernism (especially the work of writers like Foucault).
I particularly like Foucault's account of critique in 'So is it important to think?' Interview conducted by Didier Eribon, Liberation (30-31 May 1981). In Faubion vol. 3, page 456-7:
"Critique does not consist in saying that things aren't good the way they are. It consists in seeing what type of assumptions, of familiar notions, of established, unexamined ways of thinking the accepted practices are based . . . showing that things are not as obvious as people believe, making it so that what is taken for granted is no longer taken for granted. To do criticism is to make harder those acts which are now too easy".
Suggesting that there is an obligation to be critical in relation to the psy complex does not seem to me to advocate cruelty! I have never heard any suggestion that Martin Baro, a priest, was cruel although he argued that "Psychologising has served, directly or indirectly, to strengthen the oppressive structures, by drawing attention away from them and toward individual and subjective factors" (Martin-Baro in Aron and Corne, 1994:19). On the other hand, I have heard that IMB survived several assassination attempts but was gunned down in a quadrangle of his university by right wing troops for his critical stance.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jeffrey, Grant
Sent: 09 October 2008 16:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] CCP? Really?
Hiya David and all,
I thought I would chip into this really interesting discussion about criticality and community; since the CP conference the tension between the two has been buzzing about the front of my brain a bit.
I guess that (for the moment ;-) I do in fact see 'criticality' as one value amongst many others in community psychology - it seems to me that there are different ways to be critical, which are more or less useful at different times and in different contexts.
The kind of criticality that is "marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws" might be useful in some contexts, whereas "careful evaluation and judgement" might be appropriate in others.
Criticality (in some of its forms in some contexts) will potentially conflict with other values that might be at home in community psychology* and to argue that criticality itself is something other than a competing value (what would it then be like, 'a given', rule that must not be questioned?) might in itself oppress / subjugate conflicting values.
Values (beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment?), whenever they are not explicit, will inevitably be implicit in any organisation, movement, or social group. Contesting, challenging, and even celebrating values is part of the process of making them explicit and ensuring that community psychology remains vibrant and reflective. We need to be critical about criticality too. But we need to stand for something, have beliefs, and that we need emotional investment in our work.
It will always be very difficult to say which values are be 'ideologically oppressive' and in what circumstances, as a consequence I am worried that reifying criticality is in itself risky, missing the key point that there are different types of criticality and, importantly, different ways of being critical. There are times when critical judgement might have to be suspended until we have listened and understood clearly what other people are saying, and indeed times when simply listening (relatively!) non-judgementally (or non-critically) with an open heart might have a place.
Clearly we have a responsibility to think critically, but community psychology and critical psychology are not the same, and I am not troubled by the idea that community psychology might actually stand for things, ways of working, values that sit alongside criticality but are not dominated by it in every context. We are capable of being reflexive and thinking critically about our own values without needing to abandon beliefs and values entirely!
It is not ok to simply say - "it is always good to be critical". Perhaps there are forms of criticality that can themselves be silencing, cruel, a form of subjugation?
A tuppence worth at least,
Grant
(*I don't want to suggest values for CP in this wee email ;-) but I do think that warmth, sensitivity, good-spirit, kindness, friendliness, inclusiveness, encouragement etc, all values which I am sympathetic to more or less, are all potentially in tension with SOME types of criticality and I think it is risky to neglect those tensions or be careless about the damage criticality can do to community.)
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Fryer
Sent: 09 October 2008 09:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] CCP? Really?
I am not convinced that the critical perspective is just one amongst many "community psychology's values" and I am not convinced talk of values is helpful in relation to community psychology (as opposed to in relation to community psychologists). It can lead to values being problematically 'prioritised' when they are apparently 'in conflict' and acritical decisions about which value(s) to privilege are made. If I were to think in terms of community psychologists' values, for me a critical dimension would be essential to every value worth holding - I would not want community psychologists to practice, think or speak in accordance with any so-called 'value' which was ideologically oppressive, for example and when two values were apparently in 'conflict' I would expect decisions about how to proceed to require critical reflection: asking whose interests would be served in what ways by any particular way of acting, thinking, talking, theorising i.e. about how it would relate to oppression.
David
________________________________________
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rebekah Pratt [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 08 October 2008 09:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] CCP? Really?
Hi there,
I think any confussion is mostly a matter of context really! In Aus/NZ (where I trained as a community psycholgist myself) there is a clear distinction between clincial and community psych, both in teaching and practice. In the US people often undertake joint community AND clinical training. Here in the UK, as you know, the group of us called community psychologists is mostly made up of people who practice clinically and that influences what CP means here. As for that word critical, and critical community psychology... it is turning into a bit of a bugbear of mine to be honest!
As a community psychologist I try to build on a sense of a values based community psychology, of which being critical is PART of. I think we could reposition the 'critical' perspective to being one of CP's values (as opposed to being part of a blanket label), one that exists along a range of tensions with the many other values. I think the idea of 'critical community psych' has diffused some of the core identify of community psychology in the UK (and maybe opened up a debating ground where we try to narrow down our range of persepctives as opposed to broadening our debates to consider a greater variety of positions) I think it is time to find talk about how we can be critical as one of our many values, and bring back other values into focus (collaboration, diversity, context, practice/praxis) that foster respectful interactions which might just make space for growing knowledge rather than narrowing it down into one dominant view. Any anyway... isn't the invention of a new discipline, 'CCP' a sort of patriarchial academic exercise that is more about owning knowledge that building knowledge?
As critical views are gaining ground I feel we are loosing space to be able to talk about our practice as community psychologists through being constantly positioned as critically problematic. For me, my practice is mostly in a research setting, for many of our colleagues it is in clinical settings, but there are unlimited ways in which to practice as a community psychologist. My practice is imperfect, infused with all the tensions of having a values based view of community psych (including being critical, which exists in tension with other values that are just as important to me) and tries to make space for 'doing better' rather than rest in a state in
inaction waiting for what is considered critically worthwhile. I was at a
workshop a few months ago where the speaker said, in response to the way community interventions often fail to address material distress (one of our major concerns), 'don't let the great become the enemy of the good'. I think I would like to see a more participative space open up that lets us talk about that idea.
My point of view is probably some strange hybrid of my Aotearoa/New Zealand roots and how I've been influenced by being in the UK for a pretty long time! But I think I would welcome some discussion on where that concept of critical fits with us!
Rebekah
___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
--
Academic Excellence at the Heart of Scotland.
The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159.
___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
Napier University is the best modern university in Scotland* and number one in Scotland for graduate employability** (*Guardian University Guide 2009) (**HESA 2008)
This message is intended for the addressee(s) only and should not be read, copied or disclosed to anyone else outwith the University without the permission of the sender.
It is your responsibility to ensure that this message and any attachments are scanned for viruses or other defects. Napier University does not accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from this email or any attachment, or for errors or omissions arising after it was sent. Email is not a secure medium. Email entering the University's system is subject to routine monitoring and filtering by the University.
Napier University is a registered Scottish charity. Registration number SC018373
___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
--
Academic Excellence at the Heart of Scotland.
The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland,
number SC 011159.
___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
Napier University is the best modern university in Scotland* and number one in Scotland for graduate employability**
(*Guardian University Guide 2009)
(**HESA 2008)
This message is intended for the addressee(s) only and should not be read, copied or disclosed to anyone else outwith the University without the permission of the sender.
It is your responsibility to ensure that this message and any attachments are scanned for viruses or other defects. Napier University does not accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from this email or any attachment, or for errors or omissions arising after it was sent. Email is not a secure medium. Email entering the University's system is subject to routine monitoring and filtering by the University.
Napier University is a registered Scottish charity. Registration number SC018373
___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=COMMUNITYPSYCHUK
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderators: Rebekah Pratt ([log in to unmask]) or Grant Jeffrey ([log in to unmask])
|