Critiques against

1
Critiques against
Traditional Psychology
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Group Presenters

• Origin Alison Crosbie
• Instrument of Oppression Lynne Brand
• Psychology as a Science Sonya Hunt
• Models Bonisile Ntlemeza
• Summary Conrad Zigmont

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Introduction

• Origin
• Instrument of Oppression
• Psychology as a Science
• Models
• Summary

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Origins of Mainstream Psychology

• Europe 1800s
• Individual exalted
• Positions of Power
• Class and Race

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Establishment in Europe

• Multicultural contexts
• Language barriers
• Collectivism over individualism

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The Individual Exalted

• Freud
• Maslow
• Rogers

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Men in Positions of Power

• Exclusion of Women
• Positions of Power
• Careers and the Academic World

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The Middle-Class Man

• Focus on Middle-class man
• Diversity of People
• Middle class brackets
• Lower income groups

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Role in Oppression

• Main instument in oppression
• Theories, Knowledge Praxis
• Eurocentric Ethos
• Reductionism
• Animal Levels

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Theories for Oppression

• Models
• Inferiority Model
• Genetic Deficiency
• Cultural Deprivation

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Inferiority Model

• Black people lower on hierarchal list
• Primitive
• Inherently pathological
• i.e. Same level as animal

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Genetic Deficiency Model

• Genetic inferiority
• Difference attributed to biology
• Thus only right to oppress black people

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Cultural Deprivation Model

• Not hereditary
• Environmental
• Cultural Enrichment
• Eurocentric norms

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Traditional Psychology

• WELLNESS

Dehumanization Waste of Human potential Mental
Health Problems
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Biases of Mainstream Psychology

• Euro centrism
• Research
• Test language
• Services
• Training

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Psychology as a Science

• Positivistic perspective and influence
• Pure v Applied science
• Participants of Research projects
• Range of human behaviour
• Professionals

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Traditional vs Community

• Medical Model
• vs
• Social Action Model

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Traditional vs Community

• Medical
• Curative
• Symptom Orientated
• Predominantly inaccessible- urban
• Adaptation - ?Victim blame?

• Social Action
• Preventative
• Accessible to majority
• Structural inequalities

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Critique

• Individual Focus
• Intra-psychic processes
• Internal locus of control vs External forces
• Collectivistic Cultures

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Critique

• Based on the Medical model
• Symptom orientated
• Treatment, Curative and Rehabilitive

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Critique

• Focus on negative
• Pathology
• Culture Deaf
• Eurocentric
• Euro-American cultural values

22
Critique

• Perpetuated Racism
• - Aid to apartheid system
• - Eurocentric values as superior

23
Critique

• Inaccessable
• - Mental Health
• Positivistic Outlook
• - Objective Reality

24
Critique

• Easy Way Out
• - Accountable, Testable
• Alienation
• Ignore Context