Psychology’s health and future in South Africa

Abstract

Psychology has a considerable history in South Africa, with some of the older universities commencing the teaching of courses in the subject about a century ago. Much has transpired, of course, in the period leading up to the present-day psychology as we know it. Historically, psychology followed the path and lead of the governments of the day, doing little or nothing to challenge the prevailing social order and injustices, tending rather to collude with them. A fair amount has been written on the history of psychology in the country, including the popularity of the subject as a choice of undergraduate and graduate study as well as the contributions made by psychology professionals (Cooper & Nicholas, 2012). Nevertheless, pondering the current state of the discipline over two decades into democracy and contemplating its future must remain a critical exercise. There are a number of issues germane to how the discipline is viewed presently and which will influence its developmental trajectory. Some of these are considered below but an exhaustive listing and discussion of the relevant issues are beyond the scope of this article.