Psychology in South Africa Belongs to the Colonial Era. Arrogance or Ignorance?

Abstract

Psychology grew out of the European and North American soil, which, according to several African authors, is impoverished in soul and poor in spirit. It is to such psychology that we in South Africa bow our heads. In doing so we do ourselves a disservice, for there is in sub-Sahara Africa a psychological dimension which has a great deal to offer the rest of the world. Southern Africa's psychological potential is especially apparent with respect to the holistic principle — the importance of the majority of her people attach to the physical, spiritual and interpersonal dimensions of being. In contrast to Africa's holistic approach the framework of ‘bigoted rationalism and fanatic adherence to outer physical reality’, characteristic of western society, has created a dehumanized psychology, particularly apparent in South Africa. Not only is there no understanding or need to understand and know about the psychological principles underlying life in Africa, but psychology seems to be oblivious to the immense human drama being enacted within the borders of our country. The psychological profession fails to facilitate communication between the races and develop the empathic ability of white people. In the light of the present political climate, an interesting feature of South African psychology is the fact that Afrikaans speaking departments at universities are generally adhering closer to the ‘more’ human ‘Rogerian’ than the ‘less’ human ‘Skinnerian’ approach to therapy. Yet Rogers' concern for the dignity and worth of each individual is not implemented in the larger social context. Most of the English medium departments, adhering to a politically more liberal policy which claims to acknowledge the human rights of all citizens, paradoxically pay very little attention to the Rogerian approach.