How can decolonial psychology liberate and heal us from dark times?

Symposium presentation: Sunil Bhatia, Christopher Sonn, and Jesica Fernandez

Our symposium centers on the core question of the conference: What is the role of theory during dark times? Although theoretical psychology has traditionally aimed to understand the human condition, in times of global crisis, theory also functions as a form of political and cultural resistance. Our symposium is based on our newly published edited volume, “Decolonial Psychology: Academic and Activist Perspectives”, which includes seventeen chapters written by scholars from around the world. The book’s premise is rooted in the idea that to decolonize is to transform the discipline and to imagine “possibilities differently” (Escobar, 2020, p. x), and as Ciofalo (2021, p. 2) suggests, “making the road caminando de otra manera” (walking in a different/other way). To envision a new, transformative decolonial psychology, we must challenge the meanings of “our world” and “possibilities,” as well as our accountability in the field of psychology.

This symposium will focus on key insights that both emerging and established scholars are making to shed light on the struggles and contradictions involved in confronting political violence and cultural crises. We will draw from critical scholars based in various countries, representing both majority and minority worlds. These contributions add to the growing body of work that traces the roots and routes of the decolonial turn in psychology, highlighting the possibilities for alternative psychologies. We have organized the symposium into three parts: the first focuses on efforts to decolonize the psychology curriculum; the second explores how Indigenous and subaltern knowledges contribute to healing, resistance, and relationality; and the third emphasizes methods and applications beyond the university.

How can decolonial psychology liberate and heal us from dark times?

Symposium presentation: Sunil Bhatia, Christopher Sonn, and Jesica Fernandez

Our symposium centers on the core question of the conference: What is the role of theory during dark times? Although theoretical psychology has traditionally aimed to understand the human condition, in times of global crisis, theory also functions as a form of political and cultural resistance. Our symposium is based on our newly published edited volume, “Decolonial Psychology: Academic and Activist Perspectives”, which includes seventeen chapters written by scholars from around the world. The book’s premise is rooted in the idea that to decolonize is to transform the discipline and to imagine “possibilities differently” (Escobar, 2020, p. x), and as Ciofalo (2021, p. 2) suggests, “making the road caminando de otra manera” (walking in a different/other way). To envision a new, transformative decolonial psychology, we must challenge the meanings of “our world” and “possibilities,” as well as our accountability in the field of psychology.

This symposium will focus on key insights that both emerging and established scholars are making to shed light on the struggles and contradictions involved in confronting political violence and cultural crises. We will draw from critical scholars based in various countries, representing both majority and minority worlds. These contributions add to the growing body of work that traces the roots and routes of the decolonial turn in psychology, highlighting the possibilities for alternative psychologies. We have organized the symposium into three parts: the first focuses on efforts to decolonize the psychology curriculum; the second explores how Indigenous and subaltern knowledges contribute to healing, resistance, and relationality; and the third emphasizes methods and applications beyond the university.

Symposium presentation: Sunil Bhatia, Christopher Sonn, and Jesica Fernandez

Our symposium centers on the core question of the conference: What is the role of theory during dark times? Although theoretical psychology has traditionally aimed to understand the human condition, in times of global crisis, theory also functions as a form of political and cultural resistance. Our symposium is based on our newly published edited volume, “Decolonial Psychology: Academic and Activist Perspectives”, which includes seventeen chapters written by scholars from around the world. The book’s premise is rooted in the idea that to decolonize is to transform the discipline and to imagine “possibilities differently” (Escobar, 2020, p. x), and as Ciofalo (2021, p. 2) suggests, “making the road caminando de otra manera” (walking in a different/other way). To envision a new, transformative decolonial psychology, we must challenge the meanings of “our world” and “possibilities,” as well as our accountability in the field of psychology.

This symposium will focus on key insights that both emerging and established scholars are making to shed light on the struggles and contradictions involved in confronting political violence and cultural crises. We will draw from critical scholars based in various countries, representing both majority and minority worlds. These contributions add to the growing body of work that traces the roots and routes of the decolonial turn in psychology, highlighting the possibilities for alternative psychologies. We have organized the symposium into three parts: the first focuses on efforts to decolonize the psychology curriculum; the second explores how Indigenous and subaltern knowledges contribute to healing, resistance, and relationality; and the third emphasizes methods and applications beyond the university.