Reflections on Becoming a Community Psychologist

Abstract

This narrative traces the roots of my development as a community psychologist just as the field was beginning, and my emerging interests in the dynamics of negative self-fulfilling prophecies as a source of educational inequality. Critical personal influences included being the child of immigrant parents living as a Jewish minority in French Quebec, developmental opportunities provided by a unique summer camp setting, and obstacles encountered as a woman aspiring to an academic career. My graduate training in clinical and community psychology took place both at McGill University (1967–69) and Yale University (1968-1973). I was greatly influenced by two significant mentors, the late M. Sam Rabinovitch and Seymour B. Sarason, as well as their visionary clinical settings, the McGill-Children's Hospital Learning Centre and the Yale Psycho-Educational Clinic, respectively. From both mentors, I developed a passion for understanding and creating social settings that enhance human development. My fascination with classrooms and schools has never abated in a stimulating career devoted to community research and action.

Key Words:

• Marginality
• educational opportunity
• serendipity
• gender discrimination
• social settings
• development