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Community psychology

Examples of student dissertation work during the MA Community psychology

  • A piece of participatory action research using visual methods to explore the challenges experienced by the growing population of Brazilian women living in Brighton. This involves women charting their experiences through the use of photographs which are then explored to allow the development of an understanding of the difficulties faced by this group. This is being carried out with a view to providing evidence that can be used to generate positive social change for this group.
  • One of our students is using life history narratives to explore experiences of academic and social acculturation for international students. Using thematic analysis this work seeks to provide a report that can be used to inform policy and practice in terms of experiences of our international students.
  • One of our students is working with a local Health Action Group to carry out a participatory mapping exercise both with health professionals and local residents in a particular area of Brighton to explore areas that they feel are relevant to their personal wellbeing. This will facilitate an understanding of the way that residents define wellbeing and the areas of their community that they understand as crucial to maintaining their wellbeing. An examination of this relationship between community space and wellbeing will provide an innovative method through which to inform and improve local health provision.
  • Innovative and creative qualitative hermeneutic methodology to explore and improve the experiences of disadvantaged young people with regards to their participation in local community groups. The young people are co-researchers in a project that uses a variety of creative methods through which to embody and represent their experiences of being participants in the Sussex area.
  • One of our students is working with a local young persons’ LGBT mental wellbeing service in order to reflect on the way that the development of a community has impacted not only on their wellbeing but on their own personal identities. This work will be fed back into the wellbeing service with a view to improving and potentially developing new service initiatives.
  • A participatory action research to explore and improve safe spaces at university of Brighton campuses. Working with various student bodies, this project will incorporate not only the collation of student experiences of safety and wellbeing but will mobilize and make public the positive work done by a local student group who are involved in promoting student wellbeing throughout the university.