The following from Gareth may lead to Community Psychology becoming a genuine and worthwhile science? I hope list members will positively respond to his idea rather than retain the stagnant 'societies are too complex and tricky to change' defeatist attitude such as Mark and Paul appear to be asserting. Our complexities arise from a few simple drives, needs and responses which such a project may demonstrate while providing a base for practical social change? Would also encourage Annie, Craig and other list members eager to progress and find solutions to stay with it and not be put off by negative or non-constructive responses, including none at all. Am a bit cheesed off at the moment having just had another encounter with a CBT therepist in our home and confirmation that the big boys of international business have now, after 8 years of trying, managed to take over my brother's cutting edge IT business leaving him and his family in poverty. Such is the freedom, working and values of our sick society.

----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Gareth Foote

To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 2:23 AM

Subject: A whimsy... mass community psychology observation?

What does the list think about setting up a mass community psychology observation project? I wonder if there are enough people on the list with the will to do this. Surely, there are plenty of individuals and collectives on the list with the skills and resources to develop and steer such a project. As a list membership, we cover a lot of the UK, certainly England, with overseas members also. I'm not going to claim to know how or what could be done in this regard, but recording something about the present from a community psychology perspective could have many uses. What measurements or observations to record I don't know. I'd be interested to explore how Richard Wilkinson's work could inform such a project.

Gareth