Social psychology in India: Social roots and development

Abstract

Although applied practical knowledge of social behaviours can be traced to the rich Indian intellectual traditions in philosophy, religious texts, social‐political treatises and reform movements from the ancient period, the scientific social psychology in India began in the 1920s mostly as a borrowed discipline from the West. This article reviews briefly the historical background of psychology as a scientific discipline from the founding of the first university departments at Calcutta in 1916, Mysore in 1924, and Patna in 1946. Soon after independence in 1947, the discipline slowly but widely expanded in universities and in research, technology, and management institutes throughout the country. Some early classical studies on rumour, group influences, and prejudice not only appeared in the international literature, but also influenced theoretical developments in the West. One widely cited example is Leon Festinger's use of Indian rumour transmission research in the development of cognitive dissonance theory. Later research has been influenced by the social and cultural milieu as well as national priorities. Dominant thematic areas of research have been identified. These include: attitude, prejudice, and intergroup relations; social motives and development; social influence processes; poverty, deprivation, and social justice; environment and behaviour; health beliefs and behaviour; and social values and development. Over the years social psychology in India has witnessed serious debates regarding the nature of the discipline and research methodology. These debates have centred on issues related to relevance, indigenization, and cultural appropriateness of the discipline. Such discussions are aimed at giving social psychology a distinctive look and making it more “social”. Some of these concerns are shared by social psychologists in other countries. Social psychology is and will be a prolific discipline in India as it fits with the democratic sociopolitical context that promotes and facilitates the agenda for social research. Some challenges and concerns that would make social psychology more socially and culturally relevant are discussed.