Douglas D Perkins - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Doug Perkins grew up outside Washington, DC, in Prince George’s County, MD, and after graduating from Swarthmore College in 1980, he worked as a psychiatric counselor-trainee at Devereux Foundation’s Career House in Devon, PA. For his 1985 Master’s thesis in Community Psychology at NYU, he conducted an evaluation of an Interpersonal Problem-Solving primary prevention program in Westchester County elementary schools. His doctoral project, which won the 1991 Society for Community Research & Action Best Dissertation Award, was a multi-method study of citizen participation in block associations in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City. While completing his Ph.D., he taught undergraduate community psychology at NYU (1984), was Associate Research Director at Citizens Committee for New York City (1985-86) and taught Criminal Justice at Temple University (1986-89) while he directed an NIMH-funded study of crime, fear, and mental health in 50 Baltimore city neighborhoods. His first tenure-track job was in Environment & Behavior and Family & Consumer Studies at the University of Utah (1989-2000). He then moved to Vanderbilt University to become the founding Director of the Ph.D. Program in Community Research & Action (2001-2003) and founding Director of Graduate Studies (2000-2004, 2014-present) and of Undergraduate Honors (2016-present) for the Department of Human and Organizational Development at Peabody College, where he remains. He is a Fellow of the Society for Community Research & Action and has been SCRA liaison to the Community Development Society, the Environmental Design Research Association, and the Urban Affairs Association.
Perkins founded and directed the interdisciplinary Center for Community Studies (CCS) at Vanderbilt from 2004-2008, coordinated its International Communities Work Group, and was a member of the Healthy Communities, Organizational Change, Urban Neighborhoods, and Religion, Spirituality, and Community Work Groups. The CCS was inspired in part by the late JR Newbrough’s former center of the same name (and developed similar partnerships with public and nonprofit agencies throughout Nashville), by James G. Kelly’s proposal for a “Woods Hole” of Community Action-Research Centers (and CCS was a magnet for visiting scholars from Australia, Italy, China, South Africa, and throughout the U.S.), by research on the development and use of organized power in community [see network_proposal], and by the Monterey Declaration of Critical Community Psychology. The Center was launched at the 2004 Interdisciplinary Community Research Working Conference, cosponsored by Vanderbilt University and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, held at Peabody College, and published as a special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology on Community-based Interdisciplinary Research. Perkins stepped down as CCS Director in 2008 in order to develop field schools and other international collaborations and the Center closed in 2011.
After his first sabbatical in Australia in 1998 and keynoting international conferences in Tazmania that year and in Padova, Italy, in 2003 and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2006, much of Perkins’ research and teaching has become internationally focused with visiting professorships in Padova, Italy (2006, 2009, 2013 & 2016), Magdeburg, Germany (2004), and Nanjing, Yangzhou & Shanghai, China (2013) and again at East China Normal University in Shanghai in 2017. He directed Peabody College’s Fieldschool in Intercultural Education and Research in Guangxi, China, in 2007 and in Cape Town, South Africa in 2012.
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Papers by Douglas D Perkins
Neighborhood Revitalization, Crime and Fear
Neighborhood Revitalization and Disorder in Salt Lake City, Utah, 1993-2000
ICPSR Data Holdings, 2000
Neighborhood Revitalization: An Intervention Evaluation
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
An ecological framework for predicting citizen participation in grassroots community organization... more An ecological framework for predicting citizen participation in grassroots community organizations and predicting community disorder problems (such as crime and fear) was developed and tested. The framework, which is called an ecological framework for sustainable community learning and development, delineates the relevant economic, political, social, and physical environment factors and makes distinctions between stable and transient predictors. The framework's relevance to the following items was discussed: community development (social capital); community psychology; the relationship between environment and behavior; and ecological research methods. The framework was then used as a backdrop for discUssing two examples of sustainable development in the United States. The first example was a participatory action research process called the Block Booster Project. The second example was a service learning project designed to redevelop a blighted area. (The bibliography lists 40 references. An appendix contains lists of the following items: 4 service learning resources on the Internet; 23 sample questions for student journals or reflection discussions; 9 general learning principles; and 10 questions to address when starting and teaching a service learning course.) (MN) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Testing a measure of organizational learning capacity and readiness for transformational change in human services
Journal of Prevention Intervention in the Community, 2011
Transformative organizational change requires organizational learning capacity, which we define i... more Transformative organizational change requires organizational learning capacity, which we define in terms of (1) internal and (2) external organizational systems alignment, and promoting a culture of learning, including (3) an emphasis on exploration and information, (4) open communication, (5) staff empowerment, and (6) support for professional development. We shortened and adapted Watkins and Marsick's Dimensions of Learning Organizations Questionnaire into a new 16-item Organizational Learning Capacity Scale (OLCS) geared more toward nonprofit organizations. The OLCS and its subscales measuring each of the above 6 dimensions are unusually reliable for their brevity. ANOVAs for the OLCS and subscales clearly and consistently confirmed extensive participant observations and other qualitative data from four nonprofit human service organizations and one local human service funding organization.
Crime, New housing, and housing incivilities in a first‐ring suburb: Multilevel relationships across time
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 10511482 2004 9521504, Mar 31, 2010
ABSTRACT
Psychosocial Intervention, 2011
Journal of Community Applied Social Psychology, Nov 1, 2007
The mass devastation and suffering left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast bro... more The mass devastation and suffering left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast brought the intersection of media and community into sharp focus. The news media played a pivotal role in almost every aspect of the disaster and its aftermath, and was harshly criticized for its depiction of minorities and for sensationalizing a human and environmental disaster. The literature suggests that media often represents minorities in a negative light, ultimately reinforcing existing social inequalities. This paper examines the portrayal of minority groups in the media during and after the storm. Data were coded from news media broadcasts to determine the nature of minority representation. Interviews were conducted with individuals from New Orleans who survived the disaster to understand issues related to media trust, the accuracy of media reports and perception of the media's portrayal of minorities. The results indicate that minorities are disproportionately shown in a passive or 'victim' role and are rarely shown in positions of expertize. Further, storm survivors indicated a misrepresentation of minorities in media coverage of the disaster, as well as reporting low levels of media trust and accuracy. The broader implications of these findings in relation to media reinforcement of social inequities and media responsibility are discussed.
This paper provides an examination of the foreclosure crisis from the perspective of community-ba... more This paper provides an examination of the foreclosure crisis from the perspective of community-based organizations (CBOs), aspiring low-income homeowners, and very low-income households. It looks backward to examine the long-term success of low-income homeowners who purchased a home from a CBO, comparing foreclosure outcomes with a random community sample. It also explores two current populations—aspiring homeowners and very low-income renters—to understand how neighborhood foreclosures affect psychological and social processes and overall neighborhood confidence. Results indicated that CBO home purchasers were less likely to experience a foreclosure and more likely to still be living in their home. Results of analyses of aspiring homeowners found that sense of community was the strongest predictor of neighborhood confidence. However, perceptions that neighborhood crime and foreclosures were worsening negatively predicted sense of community. Therefore, sense of community was shown t...
Environment and Behavior
Neighborhood revitalization efforts include building new subdivisions in declining neighborhoods,... more Neighborhood revitalization efforts include building new subdivisions in declining neighborhoods, but few studies have asked the incoming residents about the success of such new housing efforts. We examined neighborhood confidence and place attachment among residents of such a new housing subdivision (n = 56) and compared them to newcomers (n = 99) and old-timers (n = 271) in the surrounding neighborhood. The new subdivision attracted comparatively wealthy, married, home owning residents. Compared with residents in the surrounding neighborhood, new subdivision residents had more neighborhood confidence, especially those who perceived few incivilities and satisfactory neighborhood services. Subdivision newcomers had higher place attachments than newcomers to the surrounding neighborhood and as high attachments as old-timers in the surrounding neighborhood. Although largely attracted by affordable housing, new subdivision residents may become important neighborhood contributors, given...
Disorder: Observational and Perceptual Measures
Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2014
Drug Use Among Immigrant and Non-immigrant Adolescents: Immigrant Paradox, Family and Peer Influences
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 2015
ABSTRACT The present study compared immigrant and Italian native adolescents with regard to drug ... more ABSTRACT The present study compared immigrant and Italian native adolescents with regard to drug use. Additionally, we analysed the role of family and peer risk and protective factors for drug use. Participants included 2533 Italian native and immigrant adolescents (mean age = 17.19, SD = 1.6; 66.7% male). Results showed that immigrant adolescents reported lower levels of marijuana and pharmaceutical drug abuse than non-immigrant adolescents. These results confirm the so-called immigrant paradox phenomenon: the counterintuitive finding that although immigrants often live under challenging conditions and reported lower economic affluence compared with nationals, some health outcomes have not always corresponded to their relative disadvantage. Immigrant adolescents also reported higher level of parental control and lower levels of affiliation with deviant peers, but lower levels of child disclosure, parental solicitation and parental knowledge. Socio-economic status and parental monitoring showed equivalent effects on drug use for immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents. Results have implications for preventive interventions for immigrant adolescents and families, including the need to develop programmes that leverage the benefits of the immigrant paradox for immigrant communities. Future research should analyse the processes that lead to lower levels of drug use in immigrant adolescents and investigate the influence of friendship networks on immigrant adolescent drug use behaviour. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychosocial Intervention, 2011
Psychosocial Intervention, 2011
The present study examined the link between perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, cultur... more The present study examined the link between perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, cultural identity and social support at school reported by immigrant adolescents. Participants were 214 mostly male, immigrant adolescents in grades 9 through 13 of high schools in two small cities in northern Italy. Results showed that discrimination has a significant detrimental effect on psychological well-being of foreign-born adolescents. Additionally, the current study outlined that the only protective factor for depressive symptoms, among the analyzed variables concerning cultural identity and school social support, was social support from teachers. None of the analyzed moderators buffered the relationship between discrimination and depressive symptoms reported by immigrant adolescents. These results have implications for preventive interventions for immigrant adolescents and suggest a protective role for teachers. Future research should detect strategies to reduce discrimination and prejudice toward immigrant adolescents and detect factors that may buffer detrimental effects of discrimination on psychological well-being.
Disruptions in Place Attachment
Place Attachment, 1992
(1992) Brown, Perkins. Place attachment. ... Examines disruptions in place attachment in terms of... more (1992) Brown, Perkins. Place attachment. ... Examines disruptions in place attachment in terms of (1) the development of secure attachments, (2) the stressful period of disruption, and (3) the postdisruption phase of coping with loss and... ...
Place Attachment in Adolescence
Encyclopedia of Adolescence, 2011
Research, Teaching, and Service in Applied, Multidisciplinary Academic Programs and in Community Organizations
Journal of Prevention & Intervention in The Community, 2000
The present paper describes a possible career path to research, teaching, and service in interdis... more The present paper describes a possible career path to research, teaching, and service in interdisciplinary academic departments (e.g., criminal justice and family and social policy/human and community development). Such employment has become an increasingly viable and interesting career route, given the increase in multidis-ciplinary applied social science programs and the limited availability of academic jobs in psychology departments, especially for non-clinical and non-experimental psychologists. Professional consultations to local government (e.g., housing, planning, and police departments) and nonprofit organizations (community voluntary associations and lobby/technical assistance organizations) are also common in this career path.
Urban Affairs Review, 1995
Neighborhood Revitalization, Crime and Fear
Neighborhood Revitalization and Disorder in Salt Lake City, Utah, 1993-2000
ICPSR Data Holdings, 2000
Neighborhood Revitalization: An Intervention Evaluation
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
An ecological framework for predicting citizen participation in grassroots community organization... more An ecological framework for predicting citizen participation in grassroots community organizations and predicting community disorder problems (such as crime and fear) was developed and tested. The framework, which is called an ecological framework for sustainable community learning and development, delineates the relevant economic, political, social, and physical environment factors and makes distinctions between stable and transient predictors. The framework's relevance to the following items was discussed: community development (social capital); community psychology; the relationship between environment and behavior; and ecological research methods. The framework was then used as a backdrop for discUssing two examples of sustainable development in the United States. The first example was a participatory action research process called the Block Booster Project. The second example was a service learning project designed to redevelop a blighted area. (The bibliography lists 40 references. An appendix contains lists of the following items: 4 service learning resources on the Internet; 23 sample questions for student journals or reflection discussions; 9 general learning principles; and 10 questions to address when starting and teaching a service learning course.) (MN) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Testing a measure of organizational learning capacity and readiness for transformational change in human services
Journal of Prevention Intervention in the Community, 2011
Transformative organizational change requires organizational learning capacity, which we define i... more Transformative organizational change requires organizational learning capacity, which we define in terms of (1) internal and (2) external organizational systems alignment, and promoting a culture of learning, including (3) an emphasis on exploration and information, (4) open communication, (5) staff empowerment, and (6) support for professional development. We shortened and adapted Watkins and Marsick's Dimensions of Learning Organizations Questionnaire into a new 16-item Organizational Learning Capacity Scale (OLCS) geared more toward nonprofit organizations. The OLCS and its subscales measuring each of the above 6 dimensions are unusually reliable for their brevity. ANOVAs for the OLCS and subscales clearly and consistently confirmed extensive participant observations and other qualitative data from four nonprofit human service organizations and one local human service funding organization.
Crime, New housing, and housing incivilities in a first‐ring suburb: Multilevel relationships across time
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 10511482 2004 9521504, Mar 31, 2010
ABSTRACT
Psychosocial Intervention, 2011
Journal of Community Applied Social Psychology, Nov 1, 2007
The mass devastation and suffering left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast bro... more The mass devastation and suffering left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast brought the intersection of media and community into sharp focus. The news media played a pivotal role in almost every aspect of the disaster and its aftermath, and was harshly criticized for its depiction of minorities and for sensationalizing a human and environmental disaster. The literature suggests that media often represents minorities in a negative light, ultimately reinforcing existing social inequalities. This paper examines the portrayal of minority groups in the media during and after the storm. Data were coded from news media broadcasts to determine the nature of minority representation. Interviews were conducted with individuals from New Orleans who survived the disaster to understand issues related to media trust, the accuracy of media reports and perception of the media's portrayal of minorities. The results indicate that minorities are disproportionately shown in a passive or 'victim' role and are rarely shown in positions of expertize. Further, storm survivors indicated a misrepresentation of minorities in media coverage of the disaster, as well as reporting low levels of media trust and accuracy. The broader implications of these findings in relation to media reinforcement of social inequities and media responsibility are discussed.
This paper provides an examination of the foreclosure crisis from the perspective of community-ba... more This paper provides an examination of the foreclosure crisis from the perspective of community-based organizations (CBOs), aspiring low-income homeowners, and very low-income households. It looks backward to examine the long-term success of low-income homeowners who purchased a home from a CBO, comparing foreclosure outcomes with a random community sample. It also explores two current populations—aspiring homeowners and very low-income renters—to understand how neighborhood foreclosures affect psychological and social processes and overall neighborhood confidence. Results indicated that CBO home purchasers were less likely to experience a foreclosure and more likely to still be living in their home. Results of analyses of aspiring homeowners found that sense of community was the strongest predictor of neighborhood confidence. However, perceptions that neighborhood crime and foreclosures were worsening negatively predicted sense of community. Therefore, sense of community was shown t...
Environment and Behavior
Neighborhood revitalization efforts include building new subdivisions in declining neighborhoods,... more Neighborhood revitalization efforts include building new subdivisions in declining neighborhoods, but few studies have asked the incoming residents about the success of such new housing efforts. We examined neighborhood confidence and place attachment among residents of such a new housing subdivision (n = 56) and compared them to newcomers (n = 99) and old-timers (n = 271) in the surrounding neighborhood. The new subdivision attracted comparatively wealthy, married, home owning residents. Compared with residents in the surrounding neighborhood, new subdivision residents had more neighborhood confidence, especially those who perceived few incivilities and satisfactory neighborhood services. Subdivision newcomers had higher place attachments than newcomers to the surrounding neighborhood and as high attachments as old-timers in the surrounding neighborhood. Although largely attracted by affordable housing, new subdivision residents may become important neighborhood contributors, given...
Disorder: Observational and Perceptual Measures
Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2014
Drug Use Among Immigrant and Non-immigrant Adolescents: Immigrant Paradox, Family and Peer Influences
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 2015
ABSTRACT The present study compared immigrant and Italian native adolescents with regard to drug ... more ABSTRACT The present study compared immigrant and Italian native adolescents with regard to drug use. Additionally, we analysed the role of family and peer risk and protective factors for drug use. Participants included 2533 Italian native and immigrant adolescents (mean age = 17.19, SD = 1.6; 66.7% male). Results showed that immigrant adolescents reported lower levels of marijuana and pharmaceutical drug abuse than non-immigrant adolescents. These results confirm the so-called immigrant paradox phenomenon: the counterintuitive finding that although immigrants often live under challenging conditions and reported lower economic affluence compared with nationals, some health outcomes have not always corresponded to their relative disadvantage. Immigrant adolescents also reported higher level of parental control and lower levels of affiliation with deviant peers, but lower levels of child disclosure, parental solicitation and parental knowledge. Socio-economic status and parental monitoring showed equivalent effects on drug use for immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents. Results have implications for preventive interventions for immigrant adolescents and families, including the need to develop programmes that leverage the benefits of the immigrant paradox for immigrant communities. Future research should analyse the processes that lead to lower levels of drug use in immigrant adolescents and investigate the influence of friendship networks on immigrant adolescent drug use behaviour. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychosocial Intervention, 2011
Psychosocial Intervention, 2011
The present study examined the link between perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, cultur... more The present study examined the link between perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, cultural identity and social support at school reported by immigrant adolescents. Participants were 214 mostly male, immigrant adolescents in grades 9 through 13 of high schools in two small cities in northern Italy. Results showed that discrimination has a significant detrimental effect on psychological well-being of foreign-born adolescents. Additionally, the current study outlined that the only protective factor for depressive symptoms, among the analyzed variables concerning cultural identity and school social support, was social support from teachers. None of the analyzed moderators buffered the relationship between discrimination and depressive symptoms reported by immigrant adolescents. These results have implications for preventive interventions for immigrant adolescents and suggest a protective role for teachers. Future research should detect strategies to reduce discrimination and prejudice toward immigrant adolescents and detect factors that may buffer detrimental effects of discrimination on psychological well-being.
Disruptions in Place Attachment
Place Attachment, 1992
(1992) Brown, Perkins. Place attachment. ... Examines disruptions in place attachment in terms of... more (1992) Brown, Perkins. Place attachment. ... Examines disruptions in place attachment in terms of (1) the development of secure attachments, (2) the stressful period of disruption, and (3) the postdisruption phase of coping with loss and... ...
Place Attachment in Adolescence
Encyclopedia of Adolescence, 2011
Research, Teaching, and Service in Applied, Multidisciplinary Academic Programs and in Community Organizations
Journal of Prevention & Intervention in The Community, 2000
The present paper describes a possible career path to research, teaching, and service in interdis... more The present paper describes a possible career path to research, teaching, and service in interdisciplinary academic departments (e.g., criminal justice and family and social policy/human and community development). Such employment has become an increasingly viable and interesting career route, given the increase in multidis-ciplinary applied social science programs and the limited availability of academic jobs in psychology departments, especially for non-clinical and non-experimental psychologists. Professional consultations to local government (e.g., housing, planning, and police departments) and nonprofit organizations (community voluntary associations and lobby/technical assistance organizations) are also common in this career path.
Urban Affairs Review, 1995
City Futures Conference, 2009
Community organizing and participation are put in brief historical context. A comprehensive frame... more Community organizing and participation are put in brief historical context. A comprehensive framework for analyzing and promoting community development at multiple levels. At each level, sociocultural, political, economic, and physical environmental forms of capital are considered for their interdependencies and their influence on states of oppression, processes of liberation or empowerment, and the goal of individual, institutional, and community wellness. The framework provides a guide for transdisciplinary research questions and development. We have studied social capital and community civic participation in urban samples of migrants and longtime residents in both the United States and China. Studies 1, 2, and 3: Individual and streetblock-level observational and survey data from New York City, Baltimore, and Salt Lake City predicted residents' participation in block and neighborhood associations, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Income, home ownership, minority status, and residential stability were positively, but inconsistently, related to participation. Community-focused social cognitions (organizational efficacy, civic responsibility, community attachments) and social capital behaviors (neighboring, volunteer work through churches and other community organizations) were consistently and positively predictive of participation at both the individual and block levels. Some of these data have been published, but have never been analyzed comparing long-time residents vs. recent migrants (both foreign and domestic), which is the present focus. Studies 4: Using a nationally representative survey, we examine sense of community, neighboring behavior, and social capital in China, and their ability to predict local political participation. Rural, older and married residents and those with a primary or high school education and higher perceived socioeconomic status were more likely to participate. For urban residents, knowing one's neighbors is more important whereas in rural areas, neighboring behavior is more important, but both predict participation. Other measures of social capital do not generally predict political participation in China. Study 5: We use survey data from a convenience sample of migrant workers in seven cities across China to offer predictors of three types of community participation: 1) amount of contact with community organizations, 2) frequency of help sought from community organizations, and 3) the rate of more formal participation in Urban Resident Committee (URC) meetings. Results indicate that education, neighborhood social interaction, and organizational social capital predict all three types of community participation. Additional predictors include number of children currently residing in the household, duration of residence in the current city, trust in community members, place attachment, and occupational quality of life (for amount of contact with community organizations); number of children currently residing in the household and neighborhood social capital (for frequency of help sought from community organizations); and number of elderly kin living in the household and place attachment (for participation in URC meetings). Implications for labor and migration policy, community participation, and democratization in China are discussed.