Abstract
Although there is no universal consensus on a specific definition of community intervention, scholars have provided concepts for distinguishing among them and assessing both their nature and intent. Two such prevalent distinctions are those of community-placed versus community-based interventions and those that reflect specific targets versus those that strive for local empowerment of individuals to make choices about how and where to attempt to improve their lives. The community-placed–community-based distinction differentiates interventions placed in the community, such as a storefront clinic or health service, from those based on community concerns and collaborative efforts to alter aspects of the community itself. The targeted–empowerment distinction differentiates interventions targeting a predetermined goal, such as reducing school bullying, from those designed to empower community organizations or groups to develop processes to achieve self-determined goals. Such contrasts reflect false dichotomies in the abstract, yet represent meaningful differences with respect to the power to control and direct the intervention, research design, and decisions about outcome variables. The overarching message of these varied frames is not only to direct attention to the complexity of conceptualizing and conducting community interventions, it is also to emphasize the importance of articulating underlying ways of thinking and directing how such interventions are carried out. In this chapter, we review community interventions in terms of their definitions; principles; applications; methods; research evidence; and accomplishments, limitations, and future directions. In doing so, we embrace an ecological perspective developed over several decades in community psychology that provides a context for understanding and evaluating community interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)