Abstract

CARVALLO MESSA, Verónica  and  SERRANO-GARCIA, Irma. ¿Deben participar los psicólogos y psicólogas en política pública?: una mirada desde la psicología social-comunitaria. Psicol. Am. Lat. [online]. 2008, n.12, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1870-350X.

Social-community psychology was born in Puerto Rico in the 70’s. Public policy (PP) ranks among its intervention levels. Little has been studied regarding the Psychologists (Ps) participation in this level. The present study was carried out to explore the opinion of Ps from all specialty areas regarding the participation of the field in PP processes, barriers that hinder such participation, the factors that promote it and their recommendations. Most of the Ps surveyed thought that there should be participation in PP because Ps should be agents for social change. Apathy and the type of education received were mentioned among the existing barriers. Ps recommended the inclusion of PP courses in psychology university curricula and to incorporate Ps into legislative work. We mention activities that social-community psychologist may carry out to promote colleague intervention in PP.

Keywords : Social-community psychology; Public policy.