The Echoes of Psychology's Past

Dr Akira O'Connor is Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology & Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews. Dr Erin Robbins is a Lecturer in at the School of Psychology & Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews.

Join us as Erin and Akira pick out some examples from their new book: Colonised Minds - Narratives that Shape Psychology.

In writing a book that deals with the influences of power, representation, and coloniality on psychology, perhaps their biggest task was to make the subject relevant to those not overtly interested in the seemingly recent fad of equality, diversity, and inclusion. If you yourself aren’t racist or sexist, then what does this have to do with the work you carry out now?

Their answer is that the echoes of the past are everywhere, repeating through the decades, determining the people who engage with psychology and how we do so. The narratives that shape psychology give us insights into the profound impact that our collective history still exerts on us.