Community Practitioner

In 2010, a group of intrepid community psychology practitioners and practice supporters collaborated to create an outlet for practice related scholarship and experience that did not exist at the time. This outlet was and is the Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice (GJCPP), and it broke traditional publishing norms almost more than it conformed to them. Yes, there were peer reviewed articles; yes, there was an editorial team that ran the publication. However, one of the primary goals of the Journal, in addition to being an outlet for work that tended to be rejected in other venues for a lack of so-called “rigor,” was for the work and valuable insights published to be accessible to anyone, especially those without access to academic libraries. As such, the GJCPP was at the forefront of the open access movement, and made sure that anyone anywhere could access the content just by visiting gjcpp.org; the infrastructure was also built so that those who accessed the web in a language other than English could read the articles in their language. Over the last 12 years, the GJCPP has published in multiple languages, shared content other than peer reviewed articles like videos and radio programs, and evolved to emphasize the need to decolonize research and practice as well as to be a platform for essential anti-racist work.

In 2021, the Journal cultivated 1,873 followers of Facebook, and increased subscriptions by 7%. It drew approximately 74,300 page views and over 44,700 users globally. Between January 2021 and October 2022, the Global Journal has published six issues to promote Community psychology practice and address social justice. Two of these were special issues dedicated to anti-racist practice.

• Issue 1 examined how strongly culture and values influence everyday lives. This issue looked at culture from a number of ecological levels and provided some interesting ideas about the impact of culture and the negative effects when culture and values do not coincide. (Press date 1/21/2021)

• Issue 2: Special Issue: Anti-Racist Praxis, Part 1 was devoted to advancing anti-racism in CP practice as eloquently stated by the guest editors: “The jaws of colonial power – as well as colonialism and coloniality that manifest as anti-Black racism, nativism, and intersecting forms of oppression implicated in racialized violence – must be distrupted and dismantled!” (Press date 6/1/2021)

• Issue 3: Special Issue: Anti-Racist Praxis, Part 2. The guest editors curated this issue with “articles [that] represent a call for a participatory, action oriented and decolonial liberatory standpoint rather than a bystander or deficit approach.” (Press date 10/20/2021)

• Issue 4: This issue is an eclectic mix of research, trends, and approaches to practice that remind readers that CP practice is not just one practice, but many, and they are connected through the values we choose to prioritize. (Press date 12/20/21)

• Issue 5: Special Issue: Decolonizing CP Practice. The issue creates space to radicalize approaches to psychology and embody decoloniality, challenging community psychologists to understand that what we are doing is not working. (Press date 5/26/22)

• Issue 6: Special Issue: Transnational Dialogues in Community Psychology: Fostering solidarities at the intersections of class, gender, race, and territory.  (Press date 8/22/22)

At the end of 2022, the Journal will publish another special issue about redefining community psychology practice and a “regular” issue with more innovative, important practice work. Community psychology practice lives in a world of social justice and the GJCPP has been proud to offer a platform for the voices of those who are living, breathing, and laboring to make the world the hopeful place it could be. The Journal has seen four editors as it has grown and transformed into the entity it is today. The most recent editorial transition has been from Nicole Freund, at Wichita State University’s Community Engagement Institute, to Olya Glantsman of DePaul University. 

The evolution of operations is a current priority so the efficiency of what is a 100% volunteer operation can be optimized to provide a better experience for authors, reviewers, and editorial contributors. The priorities will always remain: lifting the voices of practitioners and serving as a free resource for those who do not have the opportunity to access academic research repositories. Of course, the Journal would not exist or be able to provide the platform for social justice action without the financial support of SCRA, and we are incredibly grateful for that support. Additionally, we could not operate without the tireless support of our volunteer reviewers, who offer their time and expertise to make all our products better. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, please fill out the GJCPP Reviewer Volunteer Form [Embed link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6VYhmhxYa5wutvpZEubys0kKkYEhIHG-qL7Jz-10hJF8j7w/viewform?usp=sf_link]

As always, please feel free to reach out with questions or ideas: editor@gjcpp.org