Psychologists as Agents of Change: Getting Ready to Make a Difference

Abstract

Whereas in the previous section we discussed the role of psychologists as helpers in specific settings, in this section we consider the role of psychologists as change agents in their own workplace, in voluntary organizations and other community settings. The focus here is not so much on the professional role of psychologists, but rather on their role as citizens who wish to promote change. The critical psychologist cannot promote change on his or her own — support from peers and partners is crucial. Therefore, we need to concentrate on what can be done in different settings to bring them more in line with the philosophy of critical psychology. We offer here some suggestions for assuming the role of internal-change agent. In the next two chapters, we discuss strategies for acting on larger societal structures.