South African psychology after 20 years of democracy: criticality, social development, and relevance

Abstract

This article is a comment on the trajectory of South African psychology over the last 20 years. The case is made that psychology is integral to the developmental state and that empirical psychology has a role to play in fashioning social policy and interventions aimed at social development. Critical psychology as such can be defined not only as a critique of empirical science but also in terms of methodological critique of existing research studies. The emphasis on empirical science is discussed with reference to psychology’s role in the contemporary health care system and its relevance to the National Planning Commission and the Millennium Development Goals. Two issues pertaining to contemporary psychology are also discussed, namely, the influence of the positive psychology movement in South African psychology and the question of indigenous psychology. Psychology’s relevance and importance are emphasised in the context of economic disparity and the potential contributions it can make in helping to address various social problems that characterise South African society two decades after the beginning of the democratic era.