African/Afrikan-centered Psychology

Abstract

Psychology, as it is taught in most universities on the African continent, is an extension of the Eurocentric psychological paradigm. This article argues that colonization has not only led to the loss of land, it has been accompanied by the eradication of complex, interdisciplinary knowledge traditions that comprise the subject of Afrikan Psychology. The article goes on to outline the inclusive epistemology and transdisciplinary methodology that undergird Afrikan Psychology. The orientating concepts in Afrikan Psychology are introduced. The urgent need to develop interventions that are informed by the Afrocentric paradigm is highlighted. The article concludes with a call for the study of Afrikan languages to unearth the psychological concepts that are embedded in them.