Psychology from Islamic Perspective: Contributions of Early Muslim Scholars and Challenges to Contemporary Muslim Psychologists

Early Muslims wrote extensively about human nature and called it Ilm-al Nafsiat or self-knowledge. In many cases, their works seem to be the original ideas for many modern day psychological theories and practices. What is interesting however is that a lot of what the early scholars wrote was blended with Islamic philosophy and religious ideas. This paper covers major contributions of prominent early Muslim scholars to psychology and outlines the challenges faced by today's Muslims in adapting to the Western theories. It also offers a few recommendations on the indigenization of psychology for Muslim societies interested in seeking the Islamic perspective on human behaviors.     

对心理学本土化"本土性契合"问题的思考

心理学本土化是一个方兴未艾的话题,本文重点讨论了杨国枢提出的心理学本土化的“本土性契合”判准的含义,并举出两个引例对此一判准进行说明和解释,最后提出了对心理学本土化及“本土性契合”的几点思考,指出心理学本土化应该研究不断运动变化的人们的思维和行为模式,并对心理学本土化研究的具体方向和途径提出了看法。     

Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology): A legacy of Virgilio G. Enriquez

Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) refers to the psychology born out of the experience, thought and orientation of the Filipinos, based on the full use of Filipino culture and language. The approach is one of "indigenization from within" whereby the theoretical framework and methodology emerge from the experiences of the people from the indigenous culture. It is based on assessing historical and socio-cultural realities, understanding the local language, unraveling Filipino characteristics, and explaining them through the eyes of the native Filipino. Among the outcomes are: a body of knowledge including indigenous concepts, development of indigenous research methods and indigenous personality testing, new directions in teaching psychology, and an active participation in organisations among Filipino psychologists and social scientists, both in the Philippines and overseas.     

Internationalizing counselling: A Southeast Asian perspective

To learn about our Southeast Asian colleagues’ views on internationalizing counselling psychology to Asian cultures, we interviewed eight counselling psychologists who had received their doctoral training in the United States. Four of the participants were currently practicing and teaching in their native countries and four in the United States. Using the basic principles of Grounded Theory [Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine.], we derived two themes from the data: (1) major assumptions in US counselling psychology that may limit its transferability to Southeast Asian cultures and (2) practices in learning, training, and cultural adjusting for future development and internationalization of counselling psychology. The participants emphasized the need for indigenization and knowledge sharing in the efforts to internationalize counselling psychology.     

Indigenization of psychology in the Philippines

The status of efforts to indigenize psychology in the Philippines is reviewed. We address progress in four aspects of indigenization: theoretical/conceptual, methodological, topical, and institutional. Much, but not all, of this progress is the result of efforts associated with the indigenous Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) movement, which emphasizes (a) the development of a Filipino psychology that reflects the unique experiences and orientations of Filipinos, (b) Filipino identity and national consciousness, (c) explicit socio‐political considerations, (d) application of psychology to societal problems, (e) the study of less elite Filipinos, (f) interdisciplinary efforts, and (g) the use of indigenous languages in the development and dissemination of indigenous psychology. We note considerable progress, but also controversy, in the selection and interpretation of indigenous concepts and less progress in the formulation of indigenous theories. Existing theories are narrow in scope, only partially specified, and have uncertain heuristic value in generating verifiable predictions. Filipino psychologists have also adapted or further specified Western theoretical frameworks to make them more sensitive to Philippine contextual factors. Many indigenous measures have been developed, but more information is needed on their psychometric properties. Several indigenous research methods have been described and these methods typically emphasize the importance of the researcher‐participant relationship. There remain questions about the objectivity and cultural uniqueness of these methods, however, many of which involve (a) unstructured conversations and discussions in lieu of structured interviews, (b) varying degrees of participant observation, or (c) qualitative phenomenological methods. Extensive topical indigenization is evident in studies that focus on everyday Filipinos and Philippine societal concerns. Institutional indigenization is reflected in courses, theses and dissertations, journals, books, conferences, and professional organizations with an indigenous focus. Potential limitations or risks to the indigenous movement include insularity and the limited research culture. Implications of the Philippine case for indigenization efforts in other cultures are discussed.     

心理学对和谐社会的贡献

心理学在现代社会中具有满足社会需求的任务。多数国家都有这种社会需求,使得心理学成为真正意义上的跨国界学科。心理学确实能够提供解决问题的一般方法,但在面对某个国家的具体国情时则需要特殊的处理方法。在不同体制国家里所做的研究并不一定完全适用于其他国家,这意味着对一个国家里提出的心理学问题,还必须在本国内做进一步的基础研究。每个国家都需要这种心理学的本土化过程。本文提供一些研究案例,其研究成果既是有意义的,但还需要进一步研究。如何为和谐社会做贡献,作者提出了一个研究框架     

本土心理学评析

西方主流心理学的客观主义倾向和缺乏文化敏感性直接导致了本土心理学的产生。心理学的本土化过程包括论题的本土化、概念和理论的本土化、方法学的本土化以及学科制度的本土化四个方面。本土心理学存在一定的局限性,只有将文化的特殊性和跨文化的相似性都纳入本土心理学的研究议程中,它才能更好地发展。     

Knowledge Without Contexts? A Foucauldian Analysis of E.L. Thorndike’s Positivist Educational Research

The article discusses the allegedly decontextualized and ahistorical traits in positivist educational research and curriculum by examining its emergence in early twentieth-century empirical education. Edward Lee Thorndike’s educational psychology is analyzed as a case in point. It will be shown that Thorndike’s positivist educational psychology stressed the need to account for the reality of schooling and to produce knowledge of the actual contexts of education. Furthermore, a historical analysis informed by Michel Foucault’s history of the human sciences reveals that there are multiple historical temporalities involved in Thorndike’s educational psychology. This allows a new critical angle to be taken on positivist educational research. The question concerning the contexts of empirical education turns to examining the way the conditions of possibility for scientific knowledge in education involve practices of contextualization as well as paradoxical and self-defeating elements.     

A century of Chinese developmental psychology

At the turn of last century, psychology, including developmental psychology, was introduced into China. Since then, developmental psychology has always been one of the main branches of Chinese psychology. This paper reviews the progress of Chinese developmental psychology in the last century, with special emphasis on its development during the recent 20 years. The paper consists of three sections. The first is a historical review. The 100 years' history of Chinese developmental psychology has been divided into three phases: first half of the 20th century; the period between 1950s and 1970s after the foundation of the People's Republic of China; and the period from the end of the 1970s up to the present. The authors briefly describe the initiation of Chinese developmental psychology, highlighting the research and related work in the field during the three phases. The second section of the paper introduces the research conducted by Chinese developmental psychologists during the last two decades in the following areas: cognitive development, language development, social development and socialization, the study of gifted children, cross‐cultural studies of child development, the study of only children, and the psychology of ageing. This section is the focus of the paper, because in this period, developmental psychology in China has progressed steadily on a sustained course and entered an unprecedented thriving period along with the State opening‐up policy and structural reformation. The last section is an appraisal of the past and prospects for the future. Here, the authors comment on the characteristics and achievements of Chinese developmental psychology in the 20th century and discuss future directions for its further development in terms of research scope and depth, research methods, indigenization, and application.     

Changing Perspectives in Social Psychology in India: A Journey Towards Indigenization

The popularity and success of social psychology in the U.S. have created the impression that social psychology is purely a Western, if not a U.S. product. Many scholars from African and Asian continents accept this claim that the roots of social psychology are American, and have tried to emulate their research strategies and methodology. Only recently, the European social psychologists have established their identity and distinctness different from the culture of American social psychology. Among Asian social psychologists, there is a growing awareness of a distinct identity and a rediscovery of their cultural heritage. In particular, Indian social psychologists emphasize functional interrelatedness of the self, relations, society, and universe. With this indigenization process, social psychology in India is taking on a character distinctive from that of the West, is imparting a new look to social psychology, and promises to provide what the mainstream social psychology lacks.     

心理学的历史编纂学：后现代主义的挑战

后现代主义思潮深刻影响了心理学史的研究与写作。传统的心理学历史编纂学接受真理的符合论,认为心理学的发展史是一维的和历时的。它习惯于在心理学的发展史中寻找某些“中心”或“标志”,并假定了不同的国家和民族、不同历史时期的心理学所面对的是同一主题。但是后现代主义的心理学历史编纂学强调了历史的社会建构特性,认为心理学史叙述的并非一种“客观实在”,而是史学家的一种话语建构。后现代主义的心理学历史编纂学使得心理学史家更明确的意识到历史知识的主观性,有助于心理学史家认识历史研究中的价值和意识形态问题,正视文化视角造成的认识差异,因而是有着积极意义的     

心理学能从自身的历史发展中学到什么？

本文在将心理学视为一门学科同时也是一种职业的前提下,超越各种具体条件和内容之上对心理学进行了总结。为此,考察了心理学在其发展中所体现的规律性,为了更好地表达,可以称之为从心理学历史所归纳出的“经验教训”。首先,从心理学作为一门科学的历史,可以总结出6条规律：1）心理学具有双重学科的地位。心理学既是一门科学,也是一门综合了生物学、社会学和文化学研究方法的“桥梁”学科;2）必须以实验学作为方法学的指南;3）基础研究和应用研究成果的整合利用;4）需要接受各方面的启发;5）全球化和本土化的相互补充;6）心理学在科学发展史中的学科力量。从将心理学视为一种职业来考察心理学发展史,还可以看到3条普遍的规律：1）职业化的快速发展;2）需要科学研究与实际应用之间的双向交流;3）跨学科专业知识的相互启发     

The origins of the psychological 'interior'--evidence from imperial Roman literary practices and related issues

The pervasiveness in psychological literature of the assumption that mental events and psychology in general occur within the person-henceforth the psychological 'interior'- is introduced and the received view of its historical origin is presented. This account is challenged and classical historical source material from the period 100 to 400 CE is interpreted in relation to factors of literary practice and related issues (mode of reading, authority and format of text, mode of writing, and author's motivation). It is concluded that the 'interior' that emerges in the reflexive discourse of Imperial Rome develops in tandem with changes in literary practices and that there is consequently substantial evidence for positing an intimate relationship between these practices, subjective experience, and reflexive discourse.     

Challenging the Frontiers of Community Psychology: A South African Experience

The development of community psychology is of vital importance in South Africa because of the historical context, questions about the relevance of mainstream western psychology and the current social change in the country in the post-apartheid era. Accordingly successful community psychology practices for a South Africa in transition need greater dissemination for access and utilization in the communities. This article draws on the community work conducted at the Itsoseng Clinic to show how and why community psychology could be made more relevant to the new South Africa. The Itsoseng Clinic is a psychology clinic that is situated in the township of Mamelodi. The clinic provides several services including counselling, psychometric assessment, psycho educational workshops, and HIV/AIDS pre and post-test counselling. The clients and community that the clinic serves are of low socio-economic status and struggle with a lack of material and personnel resources. The individuals working within the Itsoseng Clinic represent a diversity that is in itself a valuable resource for supporting the core activities of the clinic. This article explores various themes that were identified within the research study such as, making community, entering the ecology of life, closing the divide and bridging the boundaries.     

Emulation vs. indigenization in the reception of western psychology in Republican China: An analysis of the content of Chinese psychology journals (1922–1937)

The present study examines the practice of empirical psychology in China during the Republican period using a content analysis of its journals. By seeking answers to questions of what kinds of psychology from the West first attracted the Chinese; whether they found a way of developing a psychology more in tune to their own cultural assumptions of selfhood; and to what uses they felt the new discipline could be put, it shows the extent to which its journal content adopted a Western or an indigenous orientation. It thus contributes to the recent debate about indigenization of psychology globally and situates the origins of these issues in China much earlier than has been envisaged by contemporary Chinese indigenous psychologists. Throughout this period, indigenous concerns informed the research agenda, the dominant practice being psychometrics. But because of a lack of social support, they remained largely confined to the pages of psychology journals. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Functions of knowledge in psychology

It is suggested that psychological knowledge serves three functions according to which subsystems of psychology can be derived: SCIENTIA provides an analytic account of parts of psychological objects or events, and is nourished by an implicit utopia to produce “better” and cumulative knowledge; CULTURA produces psychological meanings for individuals, communities, and cultures, and is nourished by an implicit utopia to improve the human condition; and CRITICA involves the deconstruction, reconstruction, and construction of psychological knowledge, and is nourished by a utopia to change psychological knowledge practices. It is argued, from a historical and theoretical point of view, that the proposed system can be used as a heuristic tool for understanding psychology’s complexity. Consequences for accepting or rejecting an equilibrium among the different knowledge functions are discussed.     

School psychology in Ghana

The nature of school psychology programs and practices in Ghana are described, beginning with the historical development of these practices during the period 1529–1971. Information on the years 1972–1979, based on the author's clinical experiences and research as well as a review of the relevant literature, serves as the basis for a comparative analysis of past and contemporary school psychology practices. Particular emphasis has been placed on students' mental health, the roles of pastoral (church-connected) counselors, and the nontraditional roles of classroom teachers. Discussion includes an examination of the system of school administration, professional education of teachers and psychologists, and the services they provide.     

Asian social psychology: Looking in and looking out

The present paper examines the role, status and development of Asian social psychology from four perspectives: (i) looking back; (ii) looking in; (iii) looking out; and (iv) looking forward. Looking back elaborates early attempts to 'add Asians' to social psychology and replicate classic social psychological research in Asian contexts. Looking in describes more sophisticated developments in Asian social psychology including the indigenization of theory, methods and measurements. Looking out critically examines the position of Asian social psychology in the international arena and discusses its impact on the discipline more broadly. Finally, looking forward makes some cautious predictions about the future of Asian social psychology in both regional and international spheres.     

The prospects for a Jungian psychology in China

The possibility of a Jungian psychology developing in China is considered by a brief historical excursion through the early translations of psychoanalytical works. Translation problems and the contentious nature of some of Freud's ideas have made for their difficult reception in China. The inattention to Jung's ideas in universities in the west in the past, and a reliance on science based subjects by Chinese students studying abroad, have meant little opportunity to study Jung, and, by implication, to translate him. The turbulent political climate in China over the course of the past century has also hindered developments in psychology generally. In addition, certain traditional practices of understanding mind-body relationships and reporting 'illnesses' have precluded the possibility of any psychotherapeutic psychology emerging. However, the present climate looks more favourable for the dissemination of Jungian knowledge, but the question of an appropriate context and a receptive readership remains. Certain Jungian notions can be seen to fit comfortably within traditional systems of Chinese thought but the present day psychology department in China is no more a congenial environment for Jungian psychology than its counterpart in the west. It may be that the success of importing Jungian ideas into China rests with those with a predilection towards arts and cultural sciences, and with the innovations of the organizers of conferences.     

Shame as a Cultural Artifact: A Call for Self-Awareness and Reflexivity in Personality Assessment

It has become common for assessors to face therapeutic impasses and dilemmas when practicing within the Therapeutic Assessment (TA) model. This is due to the explicit goal of producing therapeutic changes in clients. In this article the author discusses the importance of assessors being aware of how their clinical practices relate to their assessment outcomes. To enhance such awareness, the author reviews the characteristics of psychological assessment practices as derived from 3 paradigms developed almost 1.5 centuries ago in Europe by the forefathers of psychology as a scientific discipline. Current assessment practices are deeply ingrained in specific cultural, social, and political frameworks originating in these paradigms. Being aware of such a historical and cultural background might help the assessor avoid blindly reenacting the values, norms, and latent relational schemas implied by different assessment methods, and instead use assessment tools as potent aids in the service of clients' change. Finally, the author illustrates how the experience of clients' shame in psychological assessment might also be understood as a by-product of the specific cultural and historical background of certain common assessment practices.