2023/06/05 by Liesette Brunson, François Lauzier‐Jobin, Bradley D. Olson +2
Decision Sciences · Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Community Health and Development #Complex Systems and Decision Making #Critical Realism in Sociology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/jcop.23054
crossref issued 2023/06/05 · crossref published 2023/06/05 · crossref published-online 2023/06/05 · openalex publication_date 2023/06/05 · crossref created 2023/06/07 · crossref published-print 2025/01/01 · crossref deposited 2025/01/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
This article explores some of the possible links between community psychology and critical realism, a relatively new approach to the philosophy of science that has received little attention from community psychologists. Critical realism is presented in relation to seven key insights that can be linked to fundamental tenets of the ecological approach in community psychology. These insights are: (1) A complex reality exists independently of our ideas about it, and this reality is knowable, although imperfectly. (2) Reality is composed of a complex and stratified hierarchy of open systems. (3) Causality is best understood in terms of causal processes that may or may not be directly observable or generalizable; these processes involve complex interactions among generative mechanisms and contextual conditions. (4) Theory and theorizing about causal processes are central to both scientific explanation and practical action. (5) Theory exists at multiple levels of abstraction, ranging from models to metatheory. (6) A diversity of methods can provide evidence in the search for causal processes operating in context. (7) As social scientists, we have an obligation to use social science knowledge to promote human flourishing. Although these insights may be familiar to many community psychologists who adopt an ecological approach to their work, we suggest that clearly articulating these principles can provide more solid foundations for inquiry in the field. We conclude the article by highlighting how critical realism may help to bridge the research-practice gap in community psychology and similar social sciences.