Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology最新文献

Recognized as a prominent social phenomenon in the aftermath of homicide and death after police contact (DAPC), the social construction of blame (SCB) underscores how race and class are the primary forces that shape the experience of loss for families, but also designates blame on the victim. In this sense, victimhood is socially constructed, leading to instances where blame is apportioned to victims for their demise, at times, not stemming from their actions but instead rooted in the perceived moral value of the deceased individual. Drawing from this work, the current qualitative study seeks to understand the effect of DAPC has on neighbourhoods and the perspectives of residents who live in and near the communities where DAPC occurs. Using data collected from 41 young adults from various ethnic-racial backgrounds and numerous parts of Minnesota—including the Minneapolis metropolitan area and adjacent suburbs, participants shared their understanding of the factors contributing to the SCB in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. Findings revealed two factors that contributed to the social construction of blame: (1) Attributions of Cause (e.g., race-coding) and (2) Designations of Blame as identified by the participants. This research underscores the intricate connection of societal factors, like race and place in shaping the construction of blame and victimhood after tragedies like George Floyd's death.

Youth of colour, especially from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, are at higher risk for experiencing mental and physical health challenges due to poverty and racism; however, they are less likely to seek and engage in formal mental health services and medical care due to stigma, time constraints, financial burdens, and cultural mistrust for the medical field more broadly. This commentary will describe how participation in sport for youth of colour from low SES backgrounds has benefits that extend across the Eight Dimensions of Wellness Model, illustrating the power of sport as a tool for prevention and support. The authors conclude with a call to action to mobilize government officials, healthcare providers, educators and coaches to encourage sport participation as a tool to improve individual wellness for today's youth of colour and uplift communities. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

This study investigates the identity processes among second-generation Afghans living in Iran and evaluate the relevance of the social identity model of social change (SIMIC) to understand their unique experiences. We conducted 23 in-depth interviews and analysed the data using grounded theory method. The findings showthat Afghan youths' efforts towards integration often fail due to unfavourable responses from the host society, compounded by the perceived discriminatory environment. In addition, in line with SIMIC, the results show that participants lacks socio-psychological resources linked to previous group membership and this leads to poorer mental health. Finally, we explore the engagement in de-labelling, the formation of purposeful social bonds, and the development of a cosmopolitan identity among our participants as the main identity-oriented mechanisms to navigate the challenges of being rejected by both one's and the host community.

Urban environment design profoundly influences citizens' health and well-being. Despite the aim of urban regeneration initiatives to enhance community well-being and social connections, they often struggle to ensure a balance of power among stakeholders, effectively involve citizens, and accurately assess subjective urban experiences. New methodological approaches in community-based participatory research (CBPR) are advocated to facilitate interactions among social actors and overcome the digital versus real dichotomy. This article introduces the Experiential Environmental Impact Assessment (exp-EIA) method as a novel research and intervention tool to address these challenges. Grounded in psychology, exp-EIA aims to integrate emotional, cognitive, and community identity dimensions to capture the nuanced experiences of urban environments. Through digital data collection and visualization tools, exp-EIA could facilitate participatory decision-making processes across various stages of urban regeneration projects. Furthermore, its adaptability enables significant integration with existing participatory methods, fostering inclusive engagement and innovative design solutions. The theoretical framework of exp-EIA, its application in CBPR, and its potential to bridge the gap between technological innovation and citizen engagement in urban regeneration processes are discussed. A blended case study conducted in the metropolitan area of Milan (Italy) is presented, highlighting a promising pathway towards more inclusive and effective approaches to community revitalization.

As many individuals with Long Covid are left without formal support, they have turned to online support groups for help. In a pre-registered study, interviews were carried out with 21 adults with Long Covid to explore experiences of using online support groups, to understand whether participants felt these experiences influenced their health and wellbeing, and to identify whether group members developed a shared social identity. The reported benefits varied by the nature and size of the online support group: participants reported that smaller groups enabled a sense of community; occupation groups provided work-specific support; and larger groups helped with symptom management. Interviewees reported that support groups validated members' experiences, made them feel less alone, and enhanced self-efficacy by providing and offering support and enabling participants to learn new skills. However, negative outcomes were also reported, such as increased fear and reduced wellbeing. Shared identities developed based on mutual Long Covid experiences, shared values towards illness management, and pre-existing identities. Reported experiences also varied between online support group size (large vs small); type (e.g., advocacy-focused, yoga-based, local or international); and platform (video- vs text-based) and throughout the illness. Whilst this study recognises the necessity of medical treatment for Long Covid, we also recommended that individuals with Long Covid explore different support groups to find the most suitable group for them in terms of preferred group features, values towards illness management and enablement of social identities.

This study investigates the experiences of young members of Alevi, Christian, and Jewish religious minorities in Turkey, a secular country with a Sunni Muslim majority. Data was collected through semi structured interviews with 29 participants aged from 17 to 24. A thematic analysis was employed to explore patterns of discrimination and exclusion in their everyday lives. The experiences of Jewish and Christian participants are characterized by ostracism, increased vulnerability to injury, and passing as a member of the majority. Alevi participants report being subjected to intense pressure to become assimilated into majority Sunni practices, as well as frequent exposure to harshly unfavourable stereotypes, and ongoing rejection of Alevi theology as a ‘true’ belief system. The discussion centres on the issue of misrecognition and, particularly, denial of identity, contextualizes the findings into broader dynamics of nation-state politics, and focuses attention on the agency of minorities and majorities. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research have also been presented. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

The UK's National Health Service has introduced Social Prescribing initiatives to tackle loneliness and ill-health, yet it lacks a theoretical foundation and evidence base for Social Prescribing's effectiveness. Recent research applies the Social Identity Approach to Health (SIAH) to explain Social Prescribing's health benefits, emphasising how social connection unlocks health-enhancing psychological mechanisms. This systematic review therefore aims to assess UK-based Social Prescribing programmes designed to boost social connection and alleviate loneliness, examining programme efficacy and the role of SIAH processes in health outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, a narrative synthesis of articles published from May 5, 2006 (when social prescribing was first introduced in the NHS), to April 8, 2024, was conducted, and their quality assessed using CONSORT-SPI (2018). Of these programmes, 10 employed a mixed-methods design, 8 qualitative and 1 quantitative service evaluation, totalling 3,298 participants. Results indicate that Social Prescribing's psychological value lies in quality rather than quantity of social connections, with meaningful connections fostering shared identity, perceived support and self-efficacy, the latter of which sustains social engagement post-programme. The SIAH was a useful tool for mapping mixed-methods findings onto a common theoretical framework to highlight these key proponents. Overall, this review underscores the importance of SIAH-informed Social Prescribing interventions in enhancing social connectedness, reducing loneliness, and promoting overall health. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Quality of life (QoL) has become an essential goal of contemporary healthcare and protective psychological resources. Individual life expectancy has increased with improved social progress, healthcare, nutrition and advanced health-related technologies. However, research often overlooks the significant impact of social change and generational effects on the QoL of the ageing population. As people age, optimising opportunities for health, participation and safety to improve QoL has become crucial for society, policymakers and researchers. This study utilised a cross-temporal meta-analysis to investigate changes in the QoL among older adults from 1999 to 2017. Fifty two studies (N = 34,844) that used the Brief Health Status Survey Scale (SF-36) were analysed. Direct and lagged correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between changes in the QoL of older adults and the macro social environment. The findings showed that QoL decreased by 7.94 points (d = −0.50) over the past 18 years. Economic status, social connectedness, and general threats were significant predictors of declining QoL among older adults. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

This article replicates and extends previous results indicating that system justification, in a pool of non-American samples, decreases at the extremes of the political continuum. Data came from 29 European countries enrolled in nine rounds of the European Social Survey from 2002 to 2018. Results indicated that right-wingers were more likely to support the existing social system than left-wingers. However, a significant and negative quadratic effect emerged indicating that system justification decreased among extremists in both left and right-leaning poles. Findings also revealed that the level of national populist voting moderated the relationship between political orientation and system justification so that the difference between extreme leftists and extreme rightists was further reduced when national populist voting was higher. Results seem to confirm that extremists can be critical of the existing social system and that this trend is affected by the level of the rise in populism in those countries. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Research has demonstrated that positive intergroup contact improves intergroup relations among children. However, empirical evidence about how positive and negative intergroup contact relates to intergroup outcomes at different ages is scant. By combining theories and empirical evidence in social and developmental psychology, this study aimed to examine positive and negative intergroup contact in a sample of N = 394, 9 and 12-year-old Italian children (females and males). We expected to find interactive effects of positive and negative intergroup contact on outgroup trust and behavioural intentions. Furthermore, for both types of contact, we predicted that associations with intergroup outcomes (outgroup trust, behavioural intentions) would be stronger among older than younger children. Results provided support for the interactive effects of positive and negative intergroup contact (bs ≥ .08, ps ≤ .08, interaction coefficients), but not for age-related differences. Negative intergroup contact facilitated the effects of positive intergroup contact and positive intergroup contact buffered the effects of negative intergroup contact. These findings suggest that intergroup relations in childhood can be improved by creating opportunities for positive intergroup contact in educational and social settings.