Psychology, Poverty, and the End of Social Exclusion

Laura Smith argues that if there is any segment of society that should be concerned with the impact of classism and poverty, it is those within the “helping professions”—people who have built their careers around understanding and facilitating human emotional well-being. In this groundbreaking book, Smith charts the ebbs and flows of psychology’s consideration of poor clients, and then points to promising new approaches to serving poor communities that go beyond remediation, sympathy, and charity. Including the author’s own experiences as a psychologist in a poor community, this inspiring book:

• Shows practitioners and educators how to implement considerations of social class and poverty within mental health theory and practice.
• Addresses poverty from a true social class perspective, beginning with questions of power and oppression in health settings.
• Presents a view of poverty that emerges from the words of the poor through their participation in interviews and qualitative research.
• Offers a message of hope that poor clients and psychologists can reinvent their relationship through working together in ways that are liberating for all parties.

Laura Smith is an assistant professor in the department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University.

“This groundbreaking book . . . should be required reading for anyone interested in economic and social justice.”
—Heather Bullock, University of California, Santa Cruz

“Whether you are a psychologist, a social worker, a counselor, a nurse, a psychiatrist, a teacher, or a community organizer, you will gain insights about the lives of the people you work with.”
—From the Foreword by Isaac Prilleltensky, Dean, School of Education, University of Miami, Florida