An analysis of mutual assistance

TLDR

Mutual assistance organizations augment community resources, embody empowerment values, and provide a necessary collective action avenue for individuals affected by oppressive social conditions. The study argues that community psychology should engage with the mutual assistance movement to deepen understanding of social support and the conditions that foster individual change. The authors conclude that embracing mutual assistance aligns with community psychology’s vision and warrants its adoption.

Abstract

Conclusion Why should community psychology be interested in mutual assistance? Mutual assistance organizations represent not an alternative to professional care by an addition to resources in the community of a kind that makes for a more competent community (Iscoe, 1974). Mutual assistance also reflects the values of empowerment that many community psychologists accept as primary (Rappaport, 1981). For those persons who suffer with conditions that may be attributed to oppressive social environments, there is no alternative to collective political and social action to produce change. The developing mutual assistance movement provides an unparalleled opportunity to enhance our understanding of the meaning and significance of social support and the conditions under which people change. Those of us in the field have every reason to embrace this movement for it is truly in keeping with the vision of community psychology.