It is important to make this distinction. Psychological
empowerment can be defined as a feeling
of greater control over their own lives which
individuals experience following active membership
in groups or organizations, and may occur
without participation in collective political action.
Community empowerment includes a raised level
of psychological empowerment among its members,
a political action component in which
members have actively participated, and the
achievement of some redistribution of resources
or decision making favorable to the community or
group in question. An increase in a sense of
psychological empowerment does not need to be
at the expense of others. However, by the above
definition