Challenging the monoculturalism of psychology: Towards a more socially accountable pedagogy and practice

Abstract

In this paper I employ the notion of a “socially accountable psychology” (Davidson, 1998) to explore the whiteness of psychological epistemologies. I suggest that within a multicultural society psychology needs to develop an understanding of the ways that white systems of representation shape pedagogy and practice. In order to do this, I first outline the ways in which the discipline may be conceptualised as a cultural practice that is both informed by, and constitutive of, racialised practices in Australia. I then outline a constructionist approach to understanding psychical processes that values multiple, contextual understandings of knowledge production. I conclude by suggesting that we as white psychologists need to pay particular attention to the “politics of therapy”, and the privileges that we hold.

Acknowledgements

I would first like to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Kaurna people, the First Nations people upon whose land I live in Adelaide, South Australia. Thanks go to Danielle Every, Don Thompson and two anonymous reviewers for comments made on earlier drafts of this paper, to Martha Augoustinos for stimulating discussions on the topic area, and as always, to Greg Fell, for support and proof reading.

Notes

Having said this, I would suggest that this model of the subject as situated within liberal humanism limits all people who fall under its remit (see also Riggs, 2002).

And of course we need to question the very notion of “assistance”. If we are to conceptualise psychology as a culturally located way of understanding subjectivity, then it may well be of no use (or indeed a hindrance) to people who do not share the same world view. Thus the utility of psychology-as-assistance can be determined only in the context by the individual consumer.