Catalina Ramírez Vega

This article examines psychosocial reconstruction through the collective memory of the residents of Nueva Cinchona, Costa Rica, following the earthquake that occurred in 2009. Based on qualitative research and a group interview conducted sixteen years after the disaster, the study aims to understand the forms of psychosocial reconstruction developed through collective memory. It explores how the community has re-signified the material, territorial, emotional, and subjective implications resulting from displacement and community relocation. The analysis addresses the reconstruction of social bonds, the creation of new forms of identity, and the transformations in collective organizational dynamics that emerged after the disaster. It also presents the practices of memory and commemoration promoted by and for the community as part of collective processes of remembrance, identity re-signification, and community reconstruction in the aftermath of the disaster. Finally, it highlights the importance of community organization and political advocacy in post-disaster recovery processes, emphasizing the need to understand disasters from a psychosocial and community-based perspective that takes into account structural inequalities, collective participation, and the strengthening of social ties as fundamental elements of reconstruction.

This article presents the main findings of a qualitative review on Costa Rican scientific production in environmental psychology. The central objective was to identify the topics addressed and the contributing disciplines by analyzing research published in national journals between 2010 and 2022. The results reveal an incipient yet growing field, with a predominance of studies on the perception of insecurity, risk, and public space, contrasting with less attention to the natural environment, climate change, and mental health. Furthermore, a higher number of publications appears in architecture and engineering journals compared to psychology journals, suggesting a notable interest in design and construction regarding the space-individual relationship and associated psychological processes. These findings delineate promising areas for future research and reinforce lines of global impact such as sustainability.

This text opens number 20 of this new edition of the academic journal REVISTARQUIS, a monograph dedicated to the subject of environmental psychology. With this brief review, the invited editors make a short introduction to the content that supports the issue and argue the order of the various contributions to give the best reading to those who are interested in knowing this special monograph on environmental psychology.