There are numerous people on this list (Penny
Priest speak up) who can respond to Mark's suggestion that we look for examples
of community work rather than community psychology. Tho this is riven with
problems (e.g, in my village I have been in several sub-communities in the past
20 years and at least 50 people don't count me as a local because my family name
isn't in Richard Gough's History of Myddle, pub 1701) but here's a simple
example:
Apart from involvement in the PTA, Primary School
Governors etc (now there's an education) Isabel and I have contributed time,
money, toys, form-filling and committee skills to the Pre-school for a
long time. Being called Dr has helped when confronted with Govt bureaucrats -
even Offsted backed off while Isabel was first Chair then secretary. The outcome
has been a safe place for local kids to play (with Govt targets all kept in the
bin), a chance for local parents to meet each other and swap skills (logs for
plumbing was a good example), for parents to get drunk together at "Race night"
etc. Single parents have been able to get P/T jobs (Engels wouldn't approve),
stay home, shag the neighbour (Foucault would like this - see Care of the Self)
and, if all else fails, pleasure themselves during daylight hours (David Cooper
would approve - he said the ONLY time we escaped the impact of Capitalism was
during orgasm - see The Language of Madness).
So, it's a small example - but you must THINK SMALL
- nonsense about overthrowing the system is just distraction.
Craig
___________________________________
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/lists/COMMUNITYPSYCHUK.HTML
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderator Rebekah Pratt on [log in to unmask] or Grant Jeffrey on [log in to unmask]
