Crit Psych intro

Question 1

Key focus of Crit Psyc

Answer 1

1. to analyse power in society and how it effects out psyc wellbeing as individual, group and society
   - critiques the discipline and the society
   - concerned with social change and justice

Question 2

Ontological concerns (3)

Answer 2

That mainstream is:

1. Mechanistic - neglects subjectivity and agency of people
2. Individualism- it separates society and individual when they are interlinked
3. Psychology is a natural science- psyc has elements of human science and concepts are constructed

Question 3

Epistemological concerns (3)

Answer 3

1. that there is no relationship between ontology and epistemology- they are actually intertwined
2. Empirical methodology- use hypotheses- neglects human scientific perspective
3. objective observations and measurements- lacks interpretation of data

Question 4

Ethical-political concerns (4)

Answer 4

1. Focus on control and adaption- neglects human’s emancipatory potential
2. humans act like machines- humans are meaning making agents
3. separation of knowledge and action- praxis over theory
4. value-neutral research - neglects psyc’s involvement in maintaining capitalism, patriarchy, colonisation.

Question 5

key themes in critical psyc

Answer 5

1. power
2. ideology
3. knowledge and subjectivity
4. imperialism
5. self-identity
6. politics

Question 6

Theoretical roots

Answer 6

1. Marxism
2. Feminism
3. Social constructionism
4. Postcolonial Theory
5. Liberation psychology
6. indigenous psychology

Question 7

Relevance debate

Answer 7

• began in the 1980s
• psychologists accused of:
  1. ignoring socio-political context
  2. supporting apartheid ideology
  3. ignoring working class issues, race issues etc
• psych needs to produce knowledge that not only reflects socio-political concerns but also contributes to over coming sources of inequality