Influencing Social Policy. Applied Psychology Serving the Public Interest

Description

Influencing Social Policy synthesizes current knowledge about how psychologists influence social policy to serve the public interest. The volume builds upon interviews with79 applied psychologists about their experiences in the policy domain, with special focus on the work of applied developmental psychologists, applied social psychologists, andcommunity psychologists. Additional foundations of the volume include a review of social science scholarship across a wide range of disciplines, and author Kenneth Maton's30 years of teaching on the topic, including frequent interactions with Washington, DC, policy experts.

Together, these sources provide in-depth information about how applied psychologists influence social policy, the factors that contribute to their success, the challenges theyface, and the approaches used to address those challenges. The policy influences described span all three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The policycontent areas are diverse, including the death penalty prohibition for adolescents, early childhood education, gay marriage, gender discrimination in the workplace, health and mental health care reform, homelessness, home visiting programs, sexually abused child witness treatment, status offender diversion from the juvenile justice system, substanceabuse prevention, and many others.

Influencing Social Policy is a must-have resource for graduate students and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines with interests in influencing social policy, includingpsychology, education, public health, social work, policy studies, anthropology, and sociology. 

Table of contents

Series Foreword by Nicole E. Allen and Bradley Olson
Foreword by Murray Levine
Preface
Chapter 1: Psychologists in the Social Policy Arena
Chapter 2: Psychologists in the Policy Arena: Policy Process, Use of Research, Vantage Points, Methods, and Skills
Chapter 3: University Faculty in the Policy Arena
Chapter 4: Psychologists Working in Intermediary Organizations
Chapter 5: Psychologists Working as Policy Insiders
Chapter 6: Policy-Relevant Research: Characteristics and Pathways to Policy Influence
Chapter 7: Policy Journeys: Multiple Involvements, Distinctive Aspects, and Influences
Chapter 8: Policy Failures and Defeats, Barriers and Challenges, and Lessons Learned
Chapter 9: Conclusions and Future Directions
Appendix A Interviewees by Subfield
Appendix B Alphabetical List of Interviewees
Appendix C Interview Protocol
Appendix D Policy Characteristics, Interdisciplinary Involvements, Leadership Positions, and International Focus of Interviewees
Glossary
References
About the Author
Index