Summary Critical Psychology: The Basic Coordinates Notes
31 views 0 purchase
Course
Critical Social Psychology (PSYC3019A)
Institution
University Of The Witwatersrand (wits)
Book
Critical Psychology
This is a detailed summary of the introductory chapter to Critical Psychology. It has a detailed summary of the important concepts with relevant definitions and structured for ease in understanding. It is a reading part of the course PSYC3019A: Critical Social Psychology.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
▻ Discuss the idea of critical psychology as a critical orientation towards psychological
knowledge and practice that affects how we think about the theory, context and practice of
psychology.
▻ Provide examples of how psychology and power might be linked, of how psychology may itself
be political.
▻ Discuss what psychological imperialism might mean in a South African context.
▻ Elaborate on how psychology might operate as a powerful form of knowledge.
▻ Discuss how psychology works as a powerful way of depoliticing experience, of knowing one's
self, as a powerful form of subjectivity.
CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGY AS ORIENTATION RATHER THAN THEORY
• Critical psychology is not a singular entity but comprises various forms and perspectives, all
loosely connected to each other.
• It is an approach and orientation toward psychological knowledge, practice, and power
relations, rather than a specific theory or set of concepts.
• Critical psychology cannot be confined to one form of theory, practice, or context; it is diverse
and multiple in nature.
• The diverse concerns, theoretical perspectives, and socio-historical contexts where critical
psychology is applied make it difficult to provide a simple definition.
• It can be seen in different applications, such as critiquing psychotherapy or reformulating
community intervention.
• Just like the field of psychology itself, critical psychology is made up of diverse and varied
components, which may not necessarily resemble each other.
• Understanding critical psychology is best achieved by examining its agendas and functioning
across various theories and practices.
• Has some themes across different areas of study.
WHAT IS CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGY?
⇒ Challenges the foundations on which the discipline is built.
⇒ Psychology lacks understanding of social and historical conditions in which it emerged – and how
these shaped the entire discipline (concepts, methods, institutions, practices)
⇒ Psychology is built on ideas that were relevant during its emergence.
“Critical psychology is the study of forms of surveillance and self-regulation in everyday life and in the
ways in which psychological culture operates beyond the boundaries of academic and professional
practice” (Parker, 2007)
POWER AND PSYCHOLOGY
• The primary theme in critical psychology is the investigation of the relationship between
psychology and power.
• Critical psychology acknowledges that psychology itself is powerful and plays a role in
maintaining and extending existing power dynamics.
TJW NOTES
, • Psychology is seen as a political tool and an instrument of power, both potentially oppressive
and enabling for progressive politics.
• When referring to psychology as political, it encompasses relationships of control, authority,
and subordination rather than just governmental politics.
• Critical psychology emphasizes that psychology's involvement in politics is not arbitrary; it is
always profoundly political, even in everyday and mundane forms.
• Every aspect of psychology, whether as knowledge or practice, generates relationships of
power and is ideologically biased, marginalizing certain perspectives and colluding with
larger structures of power.
• Critical psychology recognizes that psychology is not a neutral science but intrinsically tied to
power dynamics, motivating efforts to critique and disrupt imbalances of power.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGY AND POWER?
⇒ How psychologists relate to their subjects.
⇒ The knowledge produced by psychology.
⇒ Psychology is not a neutral “science”.
⇒ There is no psychology that does not create or sustain a relationship of power.
Psychological knowledge, psychological expertise and practice always constitute a power relationship
of some sort or another.
PSYCHOLOGY AS IDEOLOGICAL
• Critical psychology emphasizes the political nature of psychology, while mainstream
practices and applications of psychology have historically downplayed this aspect.
• The avoidance of political questions and power-related issues in psychology points to the
ideological functioning of power.
• Ideology in this context refers to how meaning serves to create and sustain relations of
power and domination.
• The second theme in critical psychology is the awareness that psychology operates in
ideological ways that have been largely overlooked in traditional psychology.
• Psychology has omitted ideology as a significant area of study, and its own inherent political
nature remains unacknowledged.
• There are two possible ways of addressing the issue of ideology in psychology:
→ One is critical, focusing on questioning and challenging ideological aspects.
→ While the other is substantive, focusing on the content and beliefs of ideologies within
psychology.
• Critical psychology has two dimensions: the critical dimension and the substantive
dimension.
→ The critical dimension focuses on interrogating psychology as a particular politics of
knowledge, questioning its ideological aspects.
→ The substantive dimension examines the theoretical and formal constitution of the
subject of psychological theory and research, viewing psychology as a particular
politics of subjectivity.
• The third theme in critical psychology is the understanding of critical psychology as both a
politics of knowledge and a politics of subjectivity.
• It involves questioning the ideological nature of psychology while also considering how it
shapes and influences the understanding of human subjectivity.
⤷ We can critique it in terms of its status as a “science”.
⤷ As well as the practices that it uses upon individuals.
TJW NOTES
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller tiffanyjanewilton. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.57. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
