Applying First-World Psychological Models and Techniques in a Third-World Context

Abstract

Aspects of the indigenous healing system in contemporary South African society Anthropological research in recent years has clearly shown that health service programmes of technologically advanced societies cannot simply be transplanted to developing societies without taking specific cultural factors into account (Loudon, 1976; Kleinman, 1980; Jansen, 1982). The extensive practice of traditional healing in South Africa has long been established and appears to be gaining momentum (Holdstock, 1979). The different needs of First- and Third-world peoples within South Africa, as manifested in the existence of cultural-specific mental health care and educational systems, are indeed compelling reasons for examining the situation.

School Psychology Practices in East and Southern Africa: Special Educators' Perspectives

“…Even those that do provide multicultural orientations cannot place their African students in settings similar to those in which they will eventually practice. Similar sentiments have been expressed in a number of previous related studies (Brownell et al, 1987;Guillemard, 1992;Rogers et al, 1992;Sloan, 1990). Azuma (1984) identified five progressive stages in the development of psychological practice in non-Western cultures: pioneer, introductory, translation and modeling, indigenization, and integration.…”

“…Thus, the levels of education attained by school psychologists in the surveyed countries were generally higher than those of school psychologists in comparable countries. However, formal qualifications are neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for professional acceptance and leadership in the African context (Brownell et al, 1987;Mpofu, 1994). Most special education personnel in the East and Southern African countries surveyed work in schools and are more likely than school psychologists to receive referrals for special education services.…”

“…Surveys on school psychology practices in South Africa (e.g., Brownell, de Jager, & Madlala, 1987;Donald, 1989); Nigeria (e.g., Ezelio, 1992;Jimoh, 1986); and Sudan (e.g., Ahmed, 1984) are among the few exceptions. Cross-national surveys on consumer views of school psychology practices could not be located.…”

Educational and Psychological Testing in Zimbabwean Schools: Past, Present and Future

“…A person with "hunhu" is expected to have both "chimiro" and "musoro" and to be socially and intellectually capable. Scales that measure these key personality constructs in African settings are practically nonexistent, a situation that reflects the low level of adoption of African epistemology by education and psychology departments in Africa and internationally (Brownell, de Jager, & Madlala, 1987;Mpofu, Zindi, Oakland, & Peresuh, 1997). With few exceptions (e. g., Mpofu, 1994e), the limited research on personality testing in Zimbabwe has focused on the cross-cultural transportability of Western personality scales to Zimbabwean students (e. g., Wilson & Doolabh, 1992;Wilson & Panditji, 1991).…”

The Educational Psychologist and School Organization Development in the Reconstruction of Education in South Africa: Issues and Challenges

“…School systems consultation as one of various alternatives to the traditional medical model of service delivery is proposed. Brownell, de Jager and Madlala (1987) challenge psychological service delivery in South Africa to take cognisance of the holistic nature of the African worldview and assert, as do Donald and Hlongwane (1989), that the integration of traditional African healing and Western healing approaches is a way of optimizing the service. De Jong and van der Hoorn (1993) emphasize the systemic nature of the transformative potential of educational psychology in facilitating democracy in South Africa.…”