Society for Community Research and Action

Society for Community Research and Action
Name	Society for Community Research and Action
Abbreviation	SCRA
Formation	1946
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Region served	International
Membership	Community psychologists, researchers, practitioners
Leader title	President

Society for Community Research and Action is an international learned society devoted to the development of community psychology, community research, and applied social action. Founded in the mid-20th century, the organization connects scholars, practitioners, and activists across academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to address social issues through participatory research, prevention science, and organizational change. Its work intersects with public health, social work, urban planning, and human rights networks.

History

The society was established in 1946 during a period of postwar institutional realignment that involved figures associated with American Psychological Association, Community Mental Health Movement, National Institute of Mental Health, and early community organizing efforts linked to Jane Addams-inspired settlement houses such as Hull House. Early leaders drew on frameworks from Kurt Lewin, John Dewey, Paulo Freire, and applied innovations emerging from World War II rehabilitation programs and Social Security Act-era welfare reforms. Over subsequent decades the society expanded through collaborations with universities such as University of Michigan, University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University and with international partners including World Health Organization, United Nations, and regional associations in Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s mission articulates commitments to advancing theory and practice in community research and action, promoting social justice, enhancing wellbeing, and fostering participatory methods. Objectives include capacity building with stakeholders from National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and community-based organizations; dissemination of evidence through academic societies like American Sociological Association and American Public Health Association; and advocacy linked to policy arenas such as the Civil Rights Movement, Americans with Disabilities Act, and neighborhood revitalization initiatives in cities like Detroit, Chicago, and New York City.

Membership and Structure

Membership spans faculty and students from institutions such as Yale University, University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University, and Harvard University, alongside practitioners from nonprofits like United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and municipal agencies in Los Angeles and Boston. Organizational governance features an elected board, standing committees, and topical divisions that mirror divisions in associations like American Educational Research Association and Society for Research in Child Development. Regional sections coordinate local conferences in locales including Toronto, London, Mexico City, and Nairobi.

Major Initiatives and Programs

Major programs include training institutes modeled on collaborative approaches used by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Satcher Health Leadership Institute, community-engaged research networks similar to Practice-Based Research Networks, prevention and intervention projects informed by work at Kaiser Permanente and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and policy translation efforts that liaise with entities such as Congressional Research Service and state agencies in California and Massachusetts. Initiatives have targeted substance abuse prevention influenced by studies from National Institute on Drug Abuse, disaster recovery aligned with lessons from Hurricane Katrina response, and youth development programs connected to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and school districts in Chicago Public Schools.

Publications and Research Contributions

The society sponsors flagship journals and edited volumes that advance community research methods, participatory action research, and applied interventions. Publications draw on traditions exemplified by works published through Oxford University Press, Routledge, and university presses at University of California Press and Princeton University Press. Research contributions have influenced models such as ecological systems approaches indebted to Urie Bronfenbrenner, empowerment theory related to Julian Rappaport, and implementation science dialogues connected to Implementation Science (journal). Collaborative reports and white papers have informed policy at World Health Organization, UNICEF, and Pan American Health Organization.

Awards and Recognition

The society bestows awards honoring contributions to scholarship, practice, and community partnership, echoing recognition patterns found in awards like the Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellowship, and discipline-specific honors from American Psychological Association divisions. Recipients have included researchers affiliated with University of Michigan School of Public Health, practitioners from Community Catalyst, and leaders whose trajectories intersect with movements such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter. Honorary lectures and lifetime achievement awards celebrated at annual conferences parallel ceremonies hosted by American Association for the Advancement of Science and Association for Psychological Science.

Category:Professional associations Category:Community psychology Category:Organizations established in 1946