Liberation psychology: a constructive critical praxis

Mark Burton

doi:10.1590/s0103-166x2013000200011

Abstract

Can a critical psychology be more than an inward looking critique of the discipline itself? Liberation psychology emerged in Latin America in the 1980s. It is a critical psychology with an action focus, taking sides with the oppressed populations of the continent. The originator of the approach, Ignacio Martín-Baró practiced psychology in the context of the El Salvador an civil war, himself becoming a victim of State repression. The consequences of social conflict have since then been an important theme for liberation psychology. Other areas of emphasis have been community social psychology with an emphasis on the role of social movements and social and political commentary and critique. I will present a review of the field covering some key concepts (conscientisation, de-ideologization, historical memory, reconstruction of psychology from the perspective of the other), its geographical spread (in Latin America and other regions), its organization (the emergence of liberation psychology networks and collectives) and some examples of work that is relevant to social trauma, the theme of this symposium.

Highlights

Can a critical psychology be more than an inward looking critique of the discipline itself? Liberation psychology emerged in Latin America in the 1980s
Extenced version of keynote talk given at the Third Critical Psychology Symposium, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 15-16 September, 2012
I am going to talk about a Latin American critical psychology

Summary

LIBERATION PSYCHOLOGY

I am very honoured to be here in Diyarbakir at this symposium on critical psychology and social trauma and I do hope that I can contribute something useful for the struggles here. It should be noted that it has several roots in addition to the critique of Anglo-American psychology, it draws fairly eclectically on the wider Latin American critical tradition, the theology and philosophy of liberation (Martín-Baró was one of a group of radical Roman Catholic priests at the University of Central America, 5 of whom were murdered with him) and the experience of the Brazilian Christian Base Communities, Marxism and the work of earlier critical psychologists from the South and its diaspora (Fanon in particular), and later workers have made use of radical currents in psychoanalysis, soviet and Cuban cultural-historical psychology and phenomenological approaches in psychology It is worth quoting from its originator, MartínBaró (Martín-Baró, 1996b) at some length to illustrate this approach: 1) Latin American psychology must switch focus from itself, stop being preoccupied with its scientific and social status and self- define as an effective service for the needs of the numerous majority... Approach to intervention with mental distress can be witnessed, it was not designed by psychologists but emerged from the practice of community based social movements, drawing on but transcending the community therapy movement so that people are integrated in social groups and participate in social action, finding new roles capacities and meaning

Key ideas

Historical memory

Liberation psychology as a movement

The importance of memory and commemoration

Moving from an individual perspective to a collective one

The struggle against impunity