“Hybrid psychology agent”: Overcoming the about/for dichotomy from praxis

Abstract

I draw on my experience in community development with “othered” groups to present the idea of the “hybrid psychology agent.” This, I contend, is a key figure in overcoming the dichotomies alleged by Indigenous psychologists and confronted by Held (2020). On the one hand, the concept is rooted in hands-on work in multicultural settings. It is also supported by Cultural-Historical research through projects such as Service Learning that connect higher education students with disenfranchised Roma children. On the other hand, the concept follows a critical theory framework where, as implied by Held, a paradigm shift in science is needed. The issue at point is not whether folk Indigenous knowledge should replace so-called objective knowledge, but how the latter should embrace the experience of a more diverse psychological object and subject, mainly through the participation of “othered” people as psychology scientists and practitioners.

Theoretical proposal for the relationship between epistemology and ethics in psychology

“…Along an argumentative theoretical–methodological line similar to the previous ones, Macías-Gómez-Estern (2020) presents the concept of the “hybrid psychological agent.” The concept is directed at the development of a psychology with the Other taking into consideration the psychological diversity of the people who participate in psychological research and interventions. The psychology that is the result of this process would be able to include the Other in both research and practice.…”