Guiding psychologists through inner and outer worlds: reflections from an academic Levinsonian psychobiography of Joe Slovo

Abstract

Psychobiography has become valuable within the context of professional psychology training. A recent psychobiography purposively sampled Joe Slovo to uncover, reconstruct and illustrate significant trajectories of his development. Slovo’s (1926–1995) lifelong dedication to the struggle against Apartheid has been widely acknowledged, and he held longstanding leadership positions in various South African liberation movements. Levinson’s theory of lifespan development served as the study’s psychological lens. Alexander’s approaches to data identification and extraction were used, followed by a psycho-historical matrix for data categorisation based on the life cycle theory and significant historical periods throughout Slovo’s life. To fully embrace the Levinsonian understanding that an individual cannot be separated from their social world, consideration was given to significant historical and sociocultural forces and events during the data analysis. Therefore, this study’s findings extend beyond Slovo’s individual development to illuminate the complex ways external forces, such as family dynamics, historical events, political movements, community concerns and cultural and language considerations, influence developmental trajectories, life structures and tasks. The authors reflect on the value of sociocultural and contextual sensitivity in psychobiography to help trainee psychologists venture beyond the subject’s inner psychological life, including understanding their outer worlds.

Keywords:

• Joe slovo
• psychobiography
• levinson
• lifespan development
• sociocultural considerations
• psychology training
• South Africa

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes

1 Short for ‘uMkhonto we Sizwe’ (translated as Spear of the Nation), also known as MK, was the armed wing of the ANC and other liberation movements (Boddy-Evans, 2018; Ellis, 2011; Thompson & Berat, 2014).

2 This can be defined as a vision for one’s life and a vague sense of oneself in the adult world, which will serve as a guiding and motivating force for future development (Levinson, 1978).

3 Prohibited Africans from purchasing or leasing land outside reserved areas from people who were not Africans (Thompson & Berat, 2014).

4 For example, the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949) and the Immorality Act (1950) prohibited rendered marriage and sexual relations across racial groups, and the Group Areas Act (1950) limited where different population groups were allowed to own property, reside and work (Thompson & Berat, 2014).

5 One of the key instruments used by the Apartheid government to neutralise political dissent.

6 Slovo was never involved in his life; the two only met twice in Michael’s adult life (Slovo, 1997a).

7 An agreement between the South African government and Mozambique that each country would withdraw all support and accommodation of the other country’s opposition movement, resulting in the expulsion of ANC members from Mozambique (“The Nkomati Talks”, 1984).