Some basic questions about (a) decolonizing Africa(n)-centred psychology considered

Abstract

Conceptual disagreement remains rife with regard to African psychology with some scholars mistakenly equating it to, for example, ethnotheorizing and traditional healing, while others confound African psychology with Africanization and racialization. Using writing as inquiry, this article aims to clear up some of the conceptual confusion on African psychology while engaging with the issue of a decolonizing African psychology. Accordingly, questions such as ‘What is the main dispute between Africa(n)-centred psychology and Euro-American-centric psychology in Africa?’; ‘Does Africa(n)-centred psychology not homogenize Africans?’; ‘What can be gained from imbricating decolonizing perspectives and feminist Africa(n)-centred psychology?’; and ‘What would a decolonizing Africa(n)-centred community psychology look like?’ are pertinent in the clarification of the conceptual confusion. Arising from an inventive dialogical and collaborative method, the aim of this article is not only to illuminate some basic misunderstandings on (a) decolonizing African psychology but also to generate further dialogue on how to work towards African psychology as situated decolonizing practice and knowledge.

Decolonizing African Studies

“…African Studies refers to transdisciplinary knowledge production concerning Africa or Africans. This includes scholarship in, by, with, for, of, on, and from Africa and Africans (Ratele et al 2018). This inclusive definition centres Africa and African people, processes, and phenomena not to exceptionalize studies concerning Africa, but rather to contextualize and specify that knowledge.…”

Conceptualising personhood, agency, and morality for African psychology

“…Accordingly, Ratele (2017a) maintains that there cannot be one psychology in Africa, but rather four African psychologies , namely: Psychology in Africa (i.e., universal psychology); Cultural African psychology (culturally, metaphysically, or spiritually inclined Africa(n)-centred psychology); Critical African psychology (materially, politically, or critically focused African psychology); and Psychological African Studies (psychological perspectives on Africa as an object of study). In line with the manifold conceptions of African psychology, Ratele et al (2018) have offered what appears to be an all-inclusive definition of African psychology to, as they put it, “clear up some of the conceptual confusions on African psychology” (p. 331). They define African psychology as psychology in Africa, of Africa, for Africa, from Africa, on Africans, by Africans, and for Africans.…”

Championing the resilience of sub-Saharan adolescents: pointers for psychologists

“…In both instances, it would appear that contextual determinants have contributed to the prominence of these figures. Attention to how contextual specifics shape resilience processes is important in order to avoid repetition of the colonial and Apartheid offence of homogenizing Africans (Ratele, Cornell, Dlamini, Helman, Malherbe, & Titi, 2018), and by association, their resilience.…”