Within the field of psychology, community psychology specifically challenges traditional ways of thinking by considering people as embedded in ecological systems. It also recognizes that the links between persons and settings may be as important as either factor alone. Many of the important writings in this field have been presented in the American Journal of Community Psychology, as such, theintellectual history of community psychology has been presented in this journal.

During the past quarter century, community psychologists have worked to make relevant contributions to human welfare in community settings and to effect social change. Working with and in schools, neighborhood organizations, religious institutions, social programs, and government agencies, the community psychologist has come to understand how social settings and social policy influence behavior and foster change that promotes individual health and well-being. Using a social ecological paradigm as their guiding framework, they focus on the interactions between persons and their environments, cultural diversity, and local empowerment for understanding organizational, community, and social change.

Community psychologists have relied on multiple methods of obtaining data but more often, they have had to develop new methodologies or adapt existing ones. These innovative methods have been recorded in the American Journal of Community Psychology throughout the years of its history and have changed the way that researchers in the field have gathered data. Some of the areas covered in this volume include:

- intervention;
- prevention research;
- ecological assessment; and
- culturally anchored research. This volume will be of interest to community, developmental, social and clinical psychologists, public health and behavioral medicine researchers, cultural intervention researchers, and community mental health and health workers.

During the past quarter century, community psychologists have worked to make relevant contributions to human welfare in community settings and to effect social change. Working with and in schools, neighborhood organizations, religious institutions, social programs, and government agencies, the community psychologist has come to understand how social settings and social policy influence behavior and foster change that promotes individual health and well-being. Using a social ecological paradigm as their guiding framework, they focus on the interactions between persons and their environments, cultural diversity, and local empowerment for understanding organizational, community, and social change.

Community psychologists have relied on multiple methods of obtaining data but more often, they have had to develop new methodologies or adapt existing ones. These innovative methods have been recorded in the American Journal of Community Psychology throughout the years of its history and have changed the way that researchers in the field have gathered data.

This work contains original research from the first 25 years of the American Journal of Community Psychology, selected to reflect community psychology's rich tradition of theory, empirical research, action, and innovative methods. This volume will be of interest to community mental health workers, social science and social work researchers, health care professionals, policymakers, and educators in the fields of community and preventative psychology.