Situated understanding of human development in Africa: Systematic inquiries at the nexus of psychology, social science and history

Abstract

Gustav Jahoda contended that mainstream psychology’s contribution to our understanding of human experience has been impoverished by a neglect of culture. Over a long series of publications, he argued that the disciplines of psychology, anthropology and history have much to learn from one another, since socio-cultural and politico-economic contexts have influenced the formulation of theories and the dissemination of ideas about human nature. In light of his analyses, I argue in this article that systematic inquiries aspiring to generate a situated understanding of human development in Africa should acknowledge and seek to synthesize the complementary strengths of different academic disciplines. And I recommend that African researchers resist the pressure of an enduring Western cultural hegemony embedded in the methodological dictates of many international scholarly, professional and administrative organizations. Such pressure often threatens to do epistemological violence to indigenous modes of thought preferred by local families and communities in whose care African children are growing up. I end by briefly describing some African studies that illustrate ways in which researchers can address the challenge of resisting oppressive hegemony without losing the opportunity to learn from the wisdom accumulated by human development researchers in other socio-cultural and historical contexts.