PSY 101.

01

WEEK 2.2
Whiteness of Psychology
Understanding the human mind and behavior is a
fascinating journey into the depths of consciousness
and perception.
Whiteness of Psychology
• It’s important to recognize that theorists from the last century rarely
considered the importance of ethnic and cultural differences.
• We will see that it is not meaningful to generalize to all people from, for
example, ideas that one theorist based on clinical observations of neurotic
European women, or that another theorist based on tests given to
American male college students.
• Therefore, when we discuss research conducted on these theories, and
describe their use for real-world problems of diagnosis and therapy, we’ll
also try to show the influence of age, gender, race, ethnic and national
origin, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation
Whiteness of Psychology
•The theorists we cover offer diverse views of the nature of the human. Despite their
disagreements, however, they all share certain defining characteristics in common.
•All are White, of European or American heritage, and almost all are men. There
was nothing unusual about that, given the period during which most of these theorists
were developing their ideas.
•At the time, nearly all of the great advances in the arts, philosophy, literature, and the
sciences, including the development of the scientific methods, were propounded and
promoted by White men of European or American background.
•In most fields, educational and professional opportunities for women and people of
ethnic minority groups were severely limited.
 Most people are not WEIRD
(Henrich, J. Heine & Norenzayan)
American undergraduates are 4,000 times more likely
to be represented in psychological experiments.
• Western
• Educated
• Industrialized
• Rich
• Democratic

A 2008 survey of the top psychology journals found that 96% of subjects were from Western
industrialized countries — which house just 12% of the world’s population. Then our studies
claim that these findings can be applied to a person living in the East or South.
Is it easier to get a job if you're
Adam or Mohamed?
 Why we need to study culture?
• Somalia; what does the word depression mean?
• Evil eye (nazar)
• Voice hearing
• Is it OK to co-sleep with your children?
Why we need to study culture?

Condition Americans Japanese

Alone Showed disgust Showed disgust
With Experimenter Showed disgust Smiled
Crazy Like Us: The Globalization
of the Western Mind
• As Americanized ways of treating mental illnesses are introduced it
is in fact spreading the diseases.
• In post-tsunami Sri Lanka, Watters reports on the Western trauma
counselors who, in their rush to help, inadvertently trampled local
expressions of grief, suffering, and healing.
• A multi-million-dollar campaign by one of the world's biggest drug
companies to change the Japanese experience of depression -
literally marketing the disease along with the drug.
Marketing of Depression in Japan
• JAPAN • USA
• Rain • Sadness
• Dark • Loneliness
• Worries • Down
• Grey • Unhappy
• Suicide • Moody
• Solitud • Low
• Exams • Gloom
• Depressing • Failure
 THE RESPONSE;
Decolonising Psychology?
• Decolonising is often understood as the process in which we rethink,
reframe and reconstruct the discipline and research that preserve the
Europe-centred lens
• A decolonial turn for psychology would mean moving away from the
assumption that the individual is the central unit of analysis in ways
that overlook people's social, economic and political contexts
• Freeing of minds from colonial ideology
 The movement to
decolonize psychology
The movement to decolonize psychology is led by interdisciplinary
scholars demanding a move away from its colonial roots, especially
in the East and South.

Asks vital questions:

Who decides what psychology should study?

Does psychology speak of people, about people, or does it try to

speak for them?
 The movement to decolonize
psychology
• Think about the following questions:
• Who is telling the story of personality?
• Who has the power to construct and disseminate knowledge about
psychology and personality theories?
• Whose voices are being included in that story?
Decolonization of
Psychology
Decolonization of psychology is a critical examination of
examination of the traditional theories and practices
practices rooted in colonial ideologies. It seeks to
challenge Eurocentric perspectives and embrace diverse
diverse cultural and indigenous knowledge systems to
systems to address mental health and well-being.
 Decolonizing Methodologies in Psychology

Reframing Perspectives
Redefining research methodologies to incorporate diverse cultural
perspectives within psychological studies, ensuring that the colonial lens is not
lens is not the sole framework for analysis.
Community Collaboration
Engaging with indigenous communities to develop research methods that are
methods that are respectful, inclusive, and representative of diverse
worldviews.
Evaluating Power Dynamics
Addressing power imbalances and centering the voices of marginalized groups
in the research process
 WHEN PSYCHOLOGY SPEAKS FOR
YOU WITHOUT YOU
‘’I did my undergraduate degree in India on psychology. My
syllabus was largely frozen, unchanged since colonial times, and
the psychology we studied was all by British authors. It occurred to
me that there was a disconnection between what I was reading in
textbooks and what I was experiencing in India.
I could see the disconnection in rituals or at bus stops while I was
driving around. There were multiple layers of cultural meanings
and practices around me, but it was forbidden to ask questions
about these cultural meanings in the classroom. It was not
considered scientific to ask how sociality or culture or religiousity
were critical to an understanding of Indian psychology, for
instance.’’
 western-centric views
• Such western-centric views affect our work. When we do not acknowledge
different roots of psychological science or different perspectives of
understanding the human psyche, we risk imposing colonial viewpoints on
our discipline.
• We are trained in very few modalities that are not culturally sensitive.
• These practices are used with clients from different cultural backgrounds
without examining cultural sensitivity.
• We risk doing harm when we do not account for culture or history.
WHAT IS ‘’SELF’’?
In East In West
The self is always thought Self is based on the
about as embedded within individual as self-contained,
the family, the community, as atomic—a self which
and the neighborhood. fashions itself as separate
from the other. This concept
does not exist in many
contexts, which focus on the
connection of self to the
world, a relational concept.
In Psychology
Decides what good emotional
and social self looks like, and
then sets the standards for
what constitutes a good
education, life, health, and
mental health. It decides all
our psychiatric diagnoses.
These are embedded in
specific local cultural
practices and then exported
to the rest of the world.
Decolonizing mental health diagnosis
and treatment
Redefining Mental Health
Decolonization in psychology
involves challenging and
redefining traditional Western
concepts of mental health,
addressing cultural biases and
incorporating diverse
perspectives.
Community Participation
Cultural Competence
Emphasizing the importance of
importance of cultural
competence in psychological
psychological diagnosis and
treatment, acknowledging and
and respecting diverse cultural
cultural beliefs and practices.
practices.

Engaging communities in mental health initiatives, ensuring that

interventions are culturally relevant and empowering for individuals from
individuals from all backgrounds.
Promoting Cultural Humility and Sensitivity
Sensitivity in Psychology

Promoting cultural humility involves developing an

understanding of diverse cultural beliefs, values, and
practices to provide more effective and respectful
psychological care.
 Addressing Power Imbalances in Therapeutic
Relationships
Challenges in Traditional Models
In the context of the decolonization of
psychology, it's essential to recognize the
power dynamics that have historically
marginalized certain groups in therapeutic
settings. This includes acknowledging the
impact of colonialism and systemic
oppression on the mental health of
individuals from underrepresented
communities.
Inclusive Therapeutic Approaches
Implementing inclusive therapeutic
approaches involves actively challenging
power imbalances, centering diverse
perspectives, and creating an environment
that fosters empowerment and healing. By
prioritizing cultural humility and actively
engaging in critical self-reflection, therapists
can work towards dismantling oppressive
structures within the field of psychology.
today

The influence of cultural forces on human mind is gaining

recognition in the field of psychology.
A specialized area known as cross-cultural psychology has
facilitated extensive research that supports the conclusion
that personality/mental Health/mind is shaped by both
genetic and environmental influences.
 What did we learn today?
• There was a critical discussion about the historical bias in Psychology research, with a
focus on the predominance of middle-class, old, White, male researchers and American
research participants.
• The importance of recognising the perspectives of marginalised or oppressed groups and
acknowledging one's own biases for a more honest form of objectivity was discussed.
• We learned that psychology exists beyond the perspectives of the dominant groups and
has been studied in diverse settings, although it may be less documented and harder to
access in English.
 Next in Week 3
• Emotions
• Where are your emotions in your body?
• How the domestication of fire facilitated emotions?
• Theories of Emotion
• Emotion processing
• Universal emotions
• Emotional blindness or richness

• Motivation
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Main motivations
• Eating disorders
• Marshmallow test
THANK YOU, ANY QUESTIONS?
SAFA KEMAL KAPTAN
safa.kaptan@bogazici.edu.tr
safa.kap tan@ m anchester.ac.uk

SELMA HEKIM
hekimsel@gmail.com