Psicología Comunitaria e Integralidad: Una Alianza Necesaria para la Formación, la Producción de Conocimientos y la Acción Transformadora

Abstract

The available literature presents the need to improve the training of community psychologists in order to understand and take action on the complexity of current social settings. However, there are knowledge gaps regarding how to train community social psychology (CSP) practitioners. This article postulates that integrality, as a political-strategic orientation of the Universidad de la Republica in Uruguay, creates suitable conditions to meet these requirements. Based on the notion of integral training spaces (EFI- espacios de formacion integral) as pedagogical devices aimed at implementing this approach and examining a specific case (EFI In-Ter-Accion Colectiva), the authors reflect on the components of these spaces and the dynamics that they acquire. It is proposed that complex pedagogical devices are needed, which must consider multiple dimensions of the training process: the theory-practice articulation, interdisciplinarity, knowledge co-production, the articulation of research in the intervention processes, and a consistent pedagogical proposal. It is concluded that it is necessary to address the increasing commodification of university education nowadays, acknowledging that the requirements of CSP training are situated in specific institutional contexts that condition the discipline.