Affiliation:
University of Delhi, India
Short bio:
Girishwar Misra,Ph.D. served as Professor of Psychology at the University of Delhi for two decades. He also served as Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, India. He began his research career in the mid-1970s, undertaking field studies in Indian villages and completed a significant project on prolonged deprivation in 1976. He was a Fulbright Senior Fellow at Swarthmore College and the University of Michigan, Ann Abor ( 1991-92), Fulbright-Nehru Lecturer at the New School of Social Research in New York (2012), and ESRC Fellow at the University of Sussex ( 2008). He organized a symposium on indigenous psychology at ICP Beijing in 2004 and was also a keynote speaker at ICP meetings in Berlin (2008) and Cape Town (2012). He has been President and is its honorary fellow of the National Academy of Psychology(NAOP) , India. He edited (1999 to 2016) NAOP’s official Journal, Psychological Studies (PS), published by Springer His publications on culture and social construction strongly advocated indigenous and cultural research as a prerequisite for cross-cultural studies He has researched self, motivation, emotion, deprivation, health, and cognitive development with a nuanced cultural sensitivity to bring out indigenous perspectives for matured cross-cultural research. His research on intelligence, achievement, cognition, creativity, self-construal processes, happiness, and emotion has enriched cultural perspective of the subjects. To initiate a dialogue with indigenous heritage available in the Indian knowledge tradition, Misra undertook a series of projects leading to two edited volumes, Structure of Indian Mind (2009) and Foundations of Indian Aesthetics (2008). Another volume, Psychology and Psychoanalysis (2013), focuses on the confluence of Indian and Western perspectives on exploring mental processes and behavior. He has innovatively shaped research on applied issues, setting examples for scholars to adopt contextually and culturally appropriate approaches. Sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Misra has edited the 5th round (2009, 20011, 4 Volumes, published by Pearson) and the 6th round (2019, 5 Volumes, Oxford University Press). His most recent publications are furthering the cause of the blooming of indigenous psychology in essential ways. Contextual Approach to Human Development: Integrating an Indian Perspective (Srivastava & Misra, Routledge, 2024) and Emotions in Cultural Context (2024, Springer).
Title:
Indigenous Perspectives and Decolonization:
Implications for A Culture Inclusive Global Psychology
Abstract:
This presentation discusses the intersection of decolonization, reflexivity, and indigenous perspectives in challenging Western-centric psychology and promoting more inclusive and culturally sensitive approaches to understanding human experiences. Western colonialism imposed hegemonic psychologies that often marginalized non-Western cultures and peoples, leading to the neglect of indigenous intellectual and cultural resources. The inadequacy of Western psychology in addressing local contexts and needs prompted the emergence of Indigenous Psychologies(IPs). IPs aim to decolonize and indigenize psychology, resisting Western domination and moving towards locally relevant approaches. Both decolonization and IPs seek to transform psychology into an emancipatory and socially just endeavour, challenging Western biases and promoting alternative views rooted in sociocultural and contextual understandings. Mainstream psychological science often perpetuates the interests of a privileged minority, hindering sustainability for the majority world. Embracing a relational vision, as illustrated in Indian perspectives on interconnectedness and harmony, can foster just, shared, and equitable relationships. This involves recognizing interdependence and complementarity among diverse elements of society for sustainable growth and mutual care. The indigenization, however, needs to engage with critical reflexivity. This would enable the researchers’ awareness of their own values, experiences, beliefs, and biases, as well as the implications of these factors on the research process and outcomes. It encourages critical reflection on the researcher’s role and positionality, aiming to deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge. Critical reflexivity is essential to ensure trust-based sharing and the co-creation of knowledge. IPs aim to decolonize and indigenize psychology by incorporating cultural views, theories, and assumptions into research practices. They prioritize investigating phenomena within their ecological, historical, and cultural contexts, promoting methodological pluralism and integrating multiple perspectives Integrating IPs into global psychology can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of human behaviour across cultures. A dialectical perspective that embraces plurality in worldviews and ways of living is essential for the project of decolonization.
KEY WORDS: Decolonization, Indigenization, Reflexivity