At Pacific Oaks College, we define community psychology as the branch of psychology that studies how individuals relate to their communities and the reciprocal effect that communities have on individuals.But the word community may not be as straightforward as you think.
Read on to discover how to identify five different types of communities, which can be useful when conducting research that has the potential to impact them.
What is a community?
Before we start exploring specific types of communities, let’s first define what a community is.
As we outline on our community psychology program page, those working in the field of community psychology don’t confine their concept of a community solely to specific neighborhoods or geographic areas.
Instead, a community is recognized as a distinctive social system that impacts and informs an individual’s life through various influences and organizational factors. It is as much an environment as it is a set of relationships or even a feeling.
Apart from being locational, a community can also be relational, meaning that members share a deep sense of community that does not depend on their whereabouts (i.e. churches, fans of a particular sports team, or the military).
What are the different types of communities?
Because traditional psychology examines people on a fairly individual level, community psychology seeks to understand them within the context of their communities.
Oftentimes, community psychologists will view their subjects with varying levels of analysis, the majority of which reference different types of communities.
Below are five levels of analysis used for research in community psychology and the corresponding types of communities that may be associated with each.
Individuals
As you may have guessed already, an individual is not a community but rather its subject and agent. In terms of its focus, this is the narrowest level for analysis. The main consideration for this level is examining how an individual interacts with his or her community and vice versa.
Microsystems
Just beyond the level of the individual are microsystems. Microsystems are the most intimate groups with which an individual participates, engages, and grows.
These groups may consist of the following:
- Families
- Friends
- Classmates and teachers
- Coworkers
- Activity or team members
As you can see, most microsystems refer to the places and people an individual visits and interacts with on a regular basis.
Organizations
Beyond the level of microsystems is organizations. This level is comprised of the institutions that often contain an individual’s microsystems. These institutions can, depending on their own processes, influence either microsystems or the individual through various linkages. Examples of these types of communities may include the following:
- Schools
- Workplaces
- Neighborhood associations
- Religious centers
Localities
For many of us, where we live is foundational to our sense of community. Locality, meaning the numerous spaces in which an individual resides, orients identity through the cultural, political, and economic events and activities that occur within them. Localities can be as small as neighborhood blocks or as large as entire towns, cities, and regions.
Macrosystems
Of all these levels of analysis, macrosystems are the broadest and, to a degree, the most intangible. Macrosystems encompass a wide range of behaviors and ideas characterizing community systems that are more universal in their scope, such as:
- Cultures
- Societies
- Governments
- Belief systems
- Social movements
Community psychologists must consider multiple levels of analysis when conducting research.
By understanding these five levels and their corresponding types of communities, a community psychologist can successfully discern how to serve their communities in the best possible ways.
Community Psychology degree programs
Pacific Oaks offers online and on-campus Community Psychology degrees. These programs prepare students with the skills to identify the needs of a community and design interventions that lead to positive and sustainable results.
Learn more about community psychology
Do you want to help communities thrive? Consider pursuing a B.A. in Community Psychology with Pacific Oaks College. Request more information by filling out the required information in the form below, or apply now through our application portal.
