CHAPTER 1
Discuss idea of CP as an orientation towards psychological knowledge and how we think about the
theory, context and practice?
CP is an orientation towards psychological knowledge, forms of practice and relations of power. It
looks at aspects such as gender and racism that psychology tends to ignore. It is transdisciplinary and
has many perspectives and concepts as well as cuts through sub-disciples in psychology and is made
up of diverse theoretical perspectives and forms of practice. CP plays a proactive role in
reformulating community interventions and bettering people’s lives. CP also takes context into
consideration as psychology tends to ignore context and questions psychology’s underlying
assumptions. CP evaluates theories developed by psychology and looks at the assumptions and
implications (power and ideology, how ideology shapes the theories and understanding power of
these theories eg- who came up with intelligence?) CP always takes context into consideration, and
focuses on psychological knowledge relevant to us (psychological imperialism- we must accept their
definition of intelligence and powerful forms of knowledge- they get to say who in intelligent or not).
Practice how we can use this knowledge to respond to experiences relevant to us (depoliticising
experience not taking context into consideration, politics of subjectivity and ways we know
ourselves).
How psychology and power linked?
CP investigates relationship between psychology and power. Psychology is powerful in the way it
maintains and extends its relations of power. Psychological knowledge claims to be objective and
neutral but CP claims this is not the case it’s created by specific person for specific purpose.
Psychology has the ability to control and regulate ones behaviour (eg say whether one is intelligent
or not/ labelling someone as autistic- this controls how they behave, viewed and treated) and CP
looks at the oppressive uses psychology uses and disrupts the power imbalance by acknowledging
the power imbalance exists with the end goal being social equality. Always some sort of relations of
power.
How psychology itself is political?
Psychology is a political tool in sense of a relationship of respect, authority and subordination. CP
looks at psychology’s political nature in its ability to control and regulate our behaviour and what
psychology chooses to ignore (context) and its implications. By acknowledging the power of
psychology CP can use terms to better conceptualise and resist certain forms of power (eg. Disabled
person vs person with a disability). CP does not want to get rid of psychology it wants to transform
what it claims to be, a caring profession.
Discuss psychological imperialism
Psychological imperialism is a general transfer of knowledge from first world countries to third world
countries including African context. For example, we must accept their idea of what intelligence is.
CP looks at the procedures used and the implications thereof as many people are excluded from this
knowledge. Some vocabulary and concepts still please some people in position of power, therefore
CP must we aware of the concepts assumed and research conducted.
Elaborate on how psychology might function as a powerful form of knowledge?
Psychological knowledge produced claims to be objective, universal and value free but CP recognises
the power of this ‘scientific’ knowledge has over people and the implications. Psychological
, knowledge is a way in which psychology extends its relations of power by saying psychology is
apolitical and ways in which we know ourselves. Psychology as the ability to control and regulate our
behaviour, for example it has the ability to say who is intelligent and who is not. But CP says this
knowledge is not neutral and is produced by a specific person, for specific reasons with a specific
purpose.
Discuss how psychology works as powerful way of depoliticising experience?
Psychology has ignored social, cultural and political factors when producing knowledge. Psychology
does not take context into consideration, for example when doing an IQ test on a child in rural areas
it does not take into consideration the child has not eaten yet. By depoliticizing experience
psychology has ignored its main goal of improving people’s lives. CP aims to create relevant
knowledge that improve lives and that is relevant to problems we experience.
Ways of knowing?
CP concerned with the way psychology impacts our identity, the way we think, behave, and act and
how it plays a part in making us who we are. It is able to control and regulate our behaviour and
creates certain concepts and vocabulary in which we know ourselves. Psychology puts us into
categories which shape how we see ourselves and how we act that was formulated by experts. For
example, what are the implications of having a parameter of normal and abnormal behaviour, this
marginalisation impacts certain people’s views and experiences.
Extra questions:
Psychology as ideological?
A way meaning serves to create and sustain relations of power and dominance, two ways to do this
critical dimension and substantive dimension.
Psychopolitics?
An explicit depolitisation of the psychological. Using psychology to challenge inequality and making a
difference. It is to move from a psychological generalisation/reductionism to things that matter to
us. Firstly place individual into context (eg. IQ tests can’t be done without taking context into
consideration) secondly identify psychological concepts used to understand power itself (eg. Fanon
did)
Politics of knowledge and subjectivity?
It’s an effective way of hiding and covering up psychological political quality. Psychology presents
itself as free from values and science and pretends to be free from politics, this leads to a lack of
responsibility for the knowledge produced and this objectivity allows them to hide behind science.
Psychology has ideological views of the world and these views have impacts eg. Diagnosed with a
disorder it is their choice to focus on the disorder. Psychology sees the individual and social sphere
as separate. Individual as primary and social sphere as secondary.
Politics of knowledge- knowledge without the context eg. Knowledge on homosexuality as a disorder
Politics of subjectivity- psychology places itself @center and ignore context.
Chapter 2:
Discuss idea of CP as an orientation towards psychological knowledge and how we think about the
theory, context and practice?
CP is an orientation towards psychological knowledge, forms of practice and relations of power. It
looks at aspects such as gender and racism that psychology tends to ignore. It is transdisciplinary and
has many perspectives and concepts as well as cuts through sub-disciples in psychology and is made
up of diverse theoretical perspectives and forms of practice. CP plays a proactive role in
reformulating community interventions and bettering people’s lives. CP also takes context into
consideration as psychology tends to ignore context and questions psychology’s underlying
assumptions. CP evaluates theories developed by psychology and looks at the assumptions and
implications (power and ideology, how ideology shapes the theories and understanding power of
these theories eg- who came up with intelligence?) CP always takes context into consideration, and
focuses on psychological knowledge relevant to us (psychological imperialism- we must accept their
definition of intelligence and powerful forms of knowledge- they get to say who in intelligent or not).
Practice how we can use this knowledge to respond to experiences relevant to us (depoliticising
experience not taking context into consideration, politics of subjectivity and ways we know
ourselves).
How psychology and power linked?
CP investigates relationship between psychology and power. Psychology is powerful in the way it
maintains and extends its relations of power. Psychological knowledge claims to be objective and
neutral but CP claims this is not the case it’s created by specific person for specific purpose.
Psychology has the ability to control and regulate ones behaviour (eg say whether one is intelligent
or not/ labelling someone as autistic- this controls how they behave, viewed and treated) and CP
looks at the oppressive uses psychology uses and disrupts the power imbalance by acknowledging
the power imbalance exists with the end goal being social equality. Always some sort of relations of
power.
How psychology itself is political?
Psychology is a political tool in sense of a relationship of respect, authority and subordination. CP
looks at psychology’s political nature in its ability to control and regulate our behaviour and what
psychology chooses to ignore (context) and its implications. By acknowledging the power of
psychology CP can use terms to better conceptualise and resist certain forms of power (eg. Disabled
person vs person with a disability). CP does not want to get rid of psychology it wants to transform
what it claims to be, a caring profession.
Discuss psychological imperialism
Psychological imperialism is a general transfer of knowledge from first world countries to third world
countries including African context. For example, we must accept their idea of what intelligence is.
CP looks at the procedures used and the implications thereof as many people are excluded from this
knowledge. Some vocabulary and concepts still please some people in position of power, therefore
CP must we aware of the concepts assumed and research conducted.
Elaborate on how psychology might function as a powerful form of knowledge?
Psychological knowledge produced claims to be objective, universal and value free but CP recognises
the power of this ‘scientific’ knowledge has over people and the implications. Psychological
, knowledge is a way in which psychology extends its relations of power by saying psychology is
apolitical and ways in which we know ourselves. Psychology as the ability to control and regulate our
behaviour, for example it has the ability to say who is intelligent and who is not. But CP says this
knowledge is not neutral and is produced by a specific person, for specific reasons with a specific
purpose.
Discuss how psychology works as powerful way of depoliticising experience?
Psychology has ignored social, cultural and political factors when producing knowledge. Psychology
does not take context into consideration, for example when doing an IQ test on a child in rural areas
it does not take into consideration the child has not eaten yet. By depoliticizing experience
psychology has ignored its main goal of improving people’s lives. CP aims to create relevant
knowledge that improve lives and that is relevant to problems we experience.
Ways of knowing?
CP concerned with the way psychology impacts our identity, the way we think, behave, and act and
how it plays a part in making us who we are. It is able to control and regulate our behaviour and
creates certain concepts and vocabulary in which we know ourselves. Psychology puts us into
categories which shape how we see ourselves and how we act that was formulated by experts. For
example, what are the implications of having a parameter of normal and abnormal behaviour, this
marginalisation impacts certain people’s views and experiences.
Extra questions:
Psychology as ideological?
A way meaning serves to create and sustain relations of power and dominance, two ways to do this
critical dimension and substantive dimension.
Psychopolitics?
An explicit depolitisation of the psychological. Using psychology to challenge inequality and making a
difference. It is to move from a psychological generalisation/reductionism to things that matter to
us. Firstly place individual into context (eg. IQ tests can’t be done without taking context into
consideration) secondly identify psychological concepts used to understand power itself (eg. Fanon
did)
Politics of knowledge and subjectivity?
It’s an effective way of hiding and covering up psychological political quality. Psychology presents
itself as free from values and science and pretends to be free from politics, this leads to a lack of
responsibility for the knowledge produced and this objectivity allows them to hide behind science.
Psychology has ideological views of the world and these views have impacts eg. Diagnosed with a
disorder it is their choice to focus on the disorder. Psychology sees the individual and social sphere
as separate. Individual as primary and social sphere as secondary.
Politics of knowledge- knowledge without the context eg. Knowledge on homosexuality as a disorder
Politics of subjectivity- psychology places itself @center and ignore context.
Chapter 2:
