STUDENT NO:27968057

NAME: SEGOKODI MPHO

NTRODUCTION

The history of South African psychology is proof of how unequal psychology has been over
the years until present day. Apartheid played a very pivotal role in shaping the psychological
system of South Africa. For many years the systems have been based on racial inequality and
gender inequality. South African psychology was designed to accommodate the white people
only and pay little to no attention to people of colour.

MAIN CONTENT
During the apartheid era, an era where the world witnessed one of if not the highest level of
inequality. This was an era where whites were viewed as the superior races and blacks were
seen as the inferior race. Everything was designed to suit the whites during this era.
Psychology was also forced to be relevant to the whites instead of all human beings.
Psychology during this era was no longer a science concerned with human behaviour but
rather ‘white’ behaviour. During this period psychology was structured to fit and adhere to
the policies of the apartheid regime.

During the apartheid era there was almost an exclusive focus on the psychological
experiences of ‘whites’ by the publications of that time Duncan, N., Stevens, G., & Bowman,
B. (2004). South African psychology and racism: historical determinants and future
prospects. In Hook, D (eds), Critical psychology (pp 360-389). Cape Town: Juta & Company
Ltd. Psychology gave little to no attention to the people of colour living in South Africa at the
time. During this period the training of black psychologists was not prioritised and this led to
a massive underrepresentation of black people in the profession of psychology.

During the apartheid era psychologists used racist methods of diagnosing mental illnesses.
Instead of diagnosing people according to their symptoms, psychologists diagnosed people
according to their ethnicity. Black people were diagnosed using racist language and
terminology. The mental health of black people was based on racist beliefs, language and
terminology. There was a belief that black people do not get mental illnesses such as
depression the symptoms of stress shown by black people could be attributed to ‘bantu
hysteria’ (a racial condition that black people were diagnosed with).

Even after the abandonment of apartheid psychology still limited its engagement with issues
of racism. We are almost three decades in democracy and still South African psychology has
not yet been fully decolonized. The academic curriculum has not fully been changed from the
previous apartheid curriculum. Psychology is being decolonized at a tortoise speed and is not
treated as an urgent matter. Most of the South African curriculum is still focused on
mainstream psychology. Psychology still pays little attention to racism matters and topics.

PSYCHOLOGY’S PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE IN SOUTH AFRICA

The type of knowledge produced by psychology in South Africa is Eurocentric, meaning it is

derived from the values and lived experiences of the White middle-class. Naidoo , A.V.
(1996). Challenging the hegemony of Eurocentric psychology. Journal of Community and
Health Sciences, 2(2), 9-16. It is what we can refer to as mainstream psychology. This type of
knowledge is irrelevant to many people living in South Africa because it is focused on a
single particular group (Whites), who are a minority in the country therefore it does not fit in
the lives and challenges faced by the majority of people living in South Africa.

Naidoo, A.V. (1996). Challenging the hegemony of Eurocentric psychology. Journal of

Community and Health Sciences, 2(2), 9-16.The types of knowledge produced by psychology
in South Africa are Western/Eurocentric, positivist-empirical and individualistic and are more
focused on the lived experience of white, middle class, educated and heterosexual European
men. Long, W. (2012). Rethinking “relevance”: South African psychology in context. History
of Psychology, 16(1), 19-35. This kind of knowledge give no attention to the lives and
experiences of poor, uneducated, gender counter-normative men and women of colour. The
reason behind the constant failure of psychology in South Africa is its irrelevance to the lives
of South Africans.

These are knowledges and theories that were developed under the apartheid government and
are based on racist beliefs and not factual reasons. These kinds of knowledge are based on the
values and interests white, middleclass, educated, heterosexual men Long, W. (2012).
Rethinking “relevance”: South African psychology in context. History of Psychology, 16(1),
19-35. These studies have shown a huge exclusion of both men and women of colour. The
use of western terminology and language such as English makes it difficult for an uneducated
person of colour to find any relevance of psychology in their lives. Psychology in South
Africa has shown no acknowledgement of the tradition and cultural beliefs of the people
living in South Africa.

One of the reasons why the people of colour living in South Africa have such little confidence
in South African psychology is because it carries values and beliefs that are foreign to them.
e.g. if an uneducated person of colour goes to a psychologist for a consultation, there is a high
chance that he/she will find a white middle-class psychologist, firstly that would cause a
language barrier, making it difficult for the patient to explain their problem/issues and also
making it difficult for the psychologist to understand the patient and suggest possible
solutions. The psychologist might also be foreign to the beliefs of the patient. If the patient
has a calling or a traditional gift it would be difficult for the psychologist to find
psychological diagnosis that are relevant to the patient’s situation.

The beliefs and values of people of colour are overlooked by psychology in South Africa.
Psychology cannot explain why a person with a calling experiences certain things like dreams
that are related to their everyday lives or visions. The only possible answer to this psychology
can provide in this situation is diagnosing the patient with schizophrenia. This is the only
possible psychological explanation relative to this matter. This is wat makes the use of
mainstream psychology irrelevant to the people of colour in South Africa.

WILGENHOF MATTER
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up
in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist
I might select” (John B Watson). This is what is happening with the situation of first years at
Wilgenhof residence. The first years from decades ago were trained into believing in the
ideologies of racism, violence and homophobia. Because they were brainwashed into
believing that what they are doing is right, they keep the practices of racism, violence and
homophobia alive by the continuous practice of inhumane initiation practices. For a human
being to find pleasure in such inhumane practices, it means the individual himself is in need
of professional mental help.

Psychology through its silence over social issues such as racism, violence and homophobia
has played a fair role in the continuation of such practices in South Africa. Psychology has
not done enough to scrape the apartheid ideologies and beliefs in South Africa. The use of the
Ku Klux Klan attire by the ‘disciplinary committee’ shows how racist ideologies are still
being carried in the residence. Govender, P. (2024, January 25). Inside Stellenbosch
University’shouseofhorrors.News24.https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/
insidestellenbosch-universitys-house-of-horrors-20240125. This shows that racist ideologies
and beliefs are still alive in the residence .
The continuation of these practices result in an increase of violence, homophobic and racist
cases in South Africa because these students will most likely carry these beliefs and
ideologies throughout their entire lives. These are some of the reasons why South Africa
always finds itself having to deal with so many issues of racism, violence and homophobia.
The use of Eurocentric psychology has also contributed in instilling the beliefs of white
superiority and homophobia because it is based on the experiences and research that has been
done on the lives of white, middle-class, heterosexual men, which sends the idea that the
lived experiences of these kinds of men are superior to those of other people from other
groups. This is what led to the homophobic and racist practices at the Wilgenhof residence.

The lack of psychological intervention will lead into the continuation of these practices. As
we have seen in the past, some of the former residents of Wilgenhof see nothing wrong with
these practices hence they do not have a problem with sending their children to the residence
even though they are aware of the inappropriate practices that are being carried out in the
residence. They have been brainwashed into believing that there is nothing wrong with these
practices that is why we even have some of the former residents who are still involved in
these practices and endorsing the continuation of these inhumane practices.

CONCLUSION
The decolonization of South African psychology would a step in the right direction and
would show how South African psychology is working towards accommodating every single
individual in South Africa. It is important for South African especially people of colour to
have a psychological system that is both inclusive and relevant. After being through the
difficult and traumatic era of apartheid it is really important for South Africans to have a
psychological system that is not ignorant to the struggles of anyone.

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REFERENCES

Duncan, N., Stevens, G., & Bowman, B. (2004). South African psychology and racism:
historical determinants and future prospects. In Hook, D (eds), Critical psychology (pp 360-
389). Cape Town: Juta & Company Ltd.
Govender, P. (2024, January 25). Inside Stellenbosch University’s house of horrors.
News24.https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/insidestellenbosch-universitys-
house-of-horrors-20240125.

Long, W. (2012). Rethinking “relevance”: South African psychology in context. History of

Psychology, 16(1), 19-35.

Naidoo, A.V. (1996). Challenging the hegemony of Eurocentric psychology. Journal of

Community and Health Sciences, 2(2), 9-16.