A history of South African (SA) Psychology

Nicholas, Lionel

doi:10.11144/javeriana.upsy13-5.hsap

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This article is not about pitting Western science against African folk traditions. On the contrary, it seeks harmonization and inclusion (Makhubela, 2016, p. 3). The hegemony of Euro-Western paradigms can, and should be challenged through efforts such as “Unsettling the Hegemony of ‘Western’ Thinking” (Kerr, 2022, p. 1).…”

Section: Euro-western Paradigms and Their Hegemonymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dominance of Euro-Western thinking faces challenges and needs to recognize alternative voices in the global discourses. Although Makhubela (2016) claims that “Western knowledge is neither monolithic, nor the sole property and prerogative of the West. Africa has significantly contributed to its creation and should admissibly make foundational claims on it” (p. 1), he does not provide evidence to support this claim.…”

Section: Euro-western Paradigms and Their Hegemonymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Botho/Ubuntu paradigm as cognitive justice in psychology

Sefotho,

Letseka

2024

School Psychology International

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The concept of Botho/ Ubuntu emerges as a balancing paradigm poised to drive cognitive justice in psychological discourses. A paradigm is a universally recognized scientific model that represents a worldview of the nature of the world. There are enduring concerns about the privileging of Western European paradigms, ontologies, epistemologies, and axiologies over their African counterparts. In this article, we present the Botho/ Ubuntu paradigm as a strong contender for the promotion, and humanization of epistemologies in psychology. The 59th annual conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) in Washington, DC in 2015, whose theme was “ Ubuntu! Imagining a Humanist Education Globally,” as well as the World Council of Comparative Education Societies’ (WCCES) recent book, Comparative Education for Global Citizenship, Peace and Shared Living through Ubuntu, are examples through which Ubuntu began to emerge as a paradigm poised to deliver cognitive and epistemic justice in the area such as psychology. We use Critical African Psychology as a lens through which we interrogate cognitive injustice. We conclude by demonstrating that Botho/Ubuntu paradigm might serve as a driver of cognitive justice in psychology and makes inroads into major discourses driven by African scholars.

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Section: Euro-western Paradigms and Their Hegemonymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Euro-western Paradigms and Their Hegemonymentioning

confidence: 99%

Botho/Ubuntu paradigm as cognitive justice in psychology

Sefotho,

Letseka

2024

School Psychology International

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“…The first formal psychology department in South Africa began in 1917 at Stellenbosch University, located in the Cape (Nicholas, 2014). It was only much later, in 1948, that the South African Psychological Association (SAPA) was founded, marking the start of organized psychology in the country, only a few months after the right-wing National Party came into power.…”

Section: Psychology Sexuality and Apartheid: A Brief Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fall of apartheid also triggered a biographical impulse within the profession, with various (fairly uncontested) histories being narrated. Unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly, LGBTI+ issues are missing in almost all these “standard” histories, overviews, and reflections of South African psychology (Cooper, 2014a, 2014b; Cooper & Nicholas, 2012; Duncan, van Niekerk, de la Rey, & Seedat, 2001; Nicholas, 1990, 2013, 2014; Nicholas & Cooper, 1990; Seedat & Lazarus, 2011; Suffla & Seedat, 2004). For example, Van Ommen and Painter’s (2008) edited book, a formative postapartheid attempt at historicizing psychology in South Africa, omits any mention of LGBTI+ issues altogether.…”

Section: Toward a Postapartheid Psychologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Queering the history of South African psychology: From apartheid to LGBTI+ affirmative practices.

Pillay¹,

Nel

Chris

et al. 2019

American Psychologist

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This article constructs a brief history of how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) issues have intersected with South African psychology at key sociopolitical moments, filling a gap in current histories. Organized psychology-a primary focus of this analysis-since its first formations in 1948, mostly colluded with apartheid governments by othering queerness as psychopathology or social deviance. The National Party, both homophobic and racist, ruled the country from 1948 until the first democratic elections in 1994. The acceleration of antiapartheid struggles in the 1980s saw progressive psychologists develop more critical forms of theory and practice. However, LGBTIϩ issues remained overshadowed by the primary struggle for racial equality and democracy. Psychology's chameleon-like adaptation to evolving eras resulted in a unified organization when apartheid ended: the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA). Democratic South Africa's Constitution took the bold step of protecting sexuality as a fundamental human right, galvanizing a fresh wave of LGBTIϩ scholarship post-1994. However, LGBTIϩ people still suffered prejudice, discrimination, and violence. Additionally, psychology training continued to ignore sexual orientation and gender-affirmative health care in curricula. PsySSA therefore joined the International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPsyNet) in 2007, catalyzing the PsySSA African LGBTIϩ Human Rights Project in 2012 and two pioneering publications: a position statement on affirmative practice in 2013, and practice guidelines for psychology professionals working with sexually and gender-diverse people in 2017. This article traces a neglected history of South African psychology, examining the political, social, and institutional factors that eventually enabled the development of LGBTIϩ affirmative psychologies. Public Significance StatementThis article traces the impact and history of apartheid on LGBTIϩ rights and research in South African psychology, and focuses on how postapartheid, organized psychology made it possible for the eventual development of Africa's first practice guidelines for psychology professionals working with sexually and gender-diverse people.

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“…The social work curricula adopted by training institutions represented the imposition of a distorted world view which did not correspond with the realities of the diversity of the African context. In 1929 the Carnegie Commission of Enquiry conducted an investigation into the poor white problem, which represented the first scientific and interdisciplinary approach to the study of social problems in South Africa (Nicholas, 2010). However, the unique problems of the majority black populations were not considered and the ways employed to help poor people were specifically focused on minority white needs.…”

Section: The Historical Roots Of Social Work In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%