Course content

The teaching contains central concepts, issues and work methods in community psychology. This includes change processes at the community level, locally based intervention methods, and methods for evaluation of implemented actions. Community psychology perspectives for improving mental health and mental health problems amongst adolescents at school are focused. Further focus is on community psychology methods for working with marginalised groups. Framework conditions important for operational planning of community psychology interventions will be reviewed. Relevant topics are as follows: Empowerment, coping and social support; the relationship between power, politics and psychology; sense of community; system approaches in change processes at the community level; use of local community resources when working with health problems among individuals and groups; user-directed involvement in change processes; contextual understanding of psychological and mental health problems; community level political and administrative structure and functioning; and evaluation methodology.

Learning outcome

Knowledge: The student obtains: • An advanced understanding of relevant concepts, issues and work methods in community psychology. • An advanced understanding of system perspectives and of how social and environmental factors are associated with individual behaviour as well as with behaviour in groups, local communities and organisations. • An understanding of how to examine social and institutional framework conditions influence individuals, groups and organisations. • Knowledge about and understanding of how to structure and document effective solutions on socio-political problems such as delinquency, homelessness, health promotion and accident prevention, unemployment, etc. • A thorough understanding of the characteristics of a community psychology approach and how such an approach differs from the public health perspective. • Knowledge about local community practices and about how to conduct interventions at the local community level. • Knowledge about how local municipalities in Norway work as administrative and political units. Skill attainment: The student obtains: • Experience with community psychology approaches and relevant theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence can be applied to analyse, understand and solve mental health difficulties. • Experience with community psychology approaches and relevant theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence can be applied to analyse, understand and solve problems in school and amongst adolescents. • Experience with how to formulate relevant research objectives and with how to write a term paper. • Experience with searching in international research databases. • Experience with an independent written as well as an oral presentation of theory, empirical findings, and community psychology work methods. General competence: The student obtains: • An advanced and critical understanding of the socio political environment and especially about the relation between psychology and political science. • An advanced and critical understanding og how to conduct innovative and alternative interventions. • Knowledge necessary to apply community psychology principles and knowledge to answer current problems.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, workshops and supervision.

Compulsory assignments

• Oral presentation

Credit reductions