Research Area: History of Psychology

Abstract

Most internationally-minded psychologists are aware of the existence of the indigenisation movement in psychology. Starting in the 1970s, psychologists in different parts of the world began to argue that the psychology that was being imported into their countries from elsewhere was inappropriate for their needs and that it would have to be adapted to suit the local context. Although the movement is often characterised as one of African, Asian and Latin American psychologists reacting to 'Western psychology', European and Canadian psychologists were involved from the start and it was the dominance of American psychology in their countries to which they were opposed. The movement has now been around for over 40 years and many of its original pioneers (e.g. Rogelio Díaz-Guerrero, Virgilio Enriquez, Durganand Sinha) are no longer with us. It is therefore appropriate to attempt a history of a movement whose ideas and practices are often presented in a fragmentary form by people who write only about developments in their own countries. In examining the movement as an international phenomenon, it will be possible to ask questions like: Which countries are at the forefront of the movement and why? What is the status of indigenous psychology compared to more traditional psychology in these countries? Are there any differences in approach between these countries and/or within them? The paper will also examine some conceptual and practical problems that the movement faces and assess its prospects for the future.

Psychology and culture: exploring clinical psychology in Australia and the Malay Archipelago

“…The need for clinical psychologists in Malaysia is reported to be dire (Khan et al, 2012;L.O. Ng, 2012).…”

“…At the National University of Malaysia, psychology was linked with the social sciences (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 2013;Ward, 1987), and expanded rapidly. In 1979, only five years after psychology's introduction into the country, the university established Malaysia's first Department of Psychology (Khan, Verma, & Subba, 2012). This university also introduced a specialist programme in clinical psychology in the mid-1980s (L.O.…”