UNIT 2 - AFRICAN PSYCHOLOGY Flashcards
What are the two main divisions of African psychology?
Old psychological learning and practices in indigenous societies, and modern psychological learning and practices infused with Western approaches
What is the primary goal of most scholars of African psychology?
To define the concept of African psychology objectively, limiting the influence of Western psychology to reflect the uniqueness and complexities of African realities.
Why do scholars advocate for limiting Western influence in defining African psychology?
To ensure the definition reflects the unique realities and complexities of African experiences, rather than being a Western interpretation.
How does the first definition describe African psychology in relation to African people’s experiences?
It views life through an African lens and recognizes indigenous knowledge.
What key ideas are highlighted in the first definition of African psychology?
It sees African psychology as a way to address the diaspora’s problems, shaped by history, and based on traditional African problem-solving. It also stresses the importance of cultural roots and how they influence thinking, feeling, and behavior.
How do Obasi and Smith (2009) define African psychology?
It’s the active expression of shared African principles, values, and traditions, focusing psychological study and practice on African reality, culture, and ways of knowing.
What does Oppong (2022) say about African psychology in this definition?
African psychology is “preoccupied with creating psychological knowledge that is situated in culture, history and material concerns of contemporary ways of living in Africa.”
What is the social mission of African psychology according to Obasi and Smith?
It rejects the Western doctrine of materialism and embraces the possibilities associated with a spirit-based ontological system.
What is Jamison’s (2008) definition of African psychology?
A field of study interested in investigating and understanding the key psychological costs of being African and black in America.
What is the limitation of Jamison’s definition?
It focuses on the experience of African Americans and doesn’t account for the continental experiences of African people.
Why is Jamison’s definition considered limited?
African psychology is more than just studying blacks in America; it’s a way of life that cuts across all Africans, encompassing the psychology of Africans in Africa and the diaspora.
What does Nwoye (2015) include in his definition of African psychology?
The past and present people and cultures and experiences of life in Africa, with priority given to their individual and collective experiences; joys and losses; hopes and impediments; frustrations and challenges; needs and preferences; and attitudes to place, life, and land, death and the after-life, marriage and family, war and peace, spirituality and the supernatural order, morality and ethics, and African cultural institutions and practices.
What does Nwoye’s definition emphasize?
Ordinary and everyday experiences of African people, informed by life before and after colonization. It also captures people’s resilience, healing, well-being through interdependence, defining a future, and finding meaning through ancient African traditions and customs, including spirituality and the supernatural.
