Multi-Cultural Psychology, Community Mental Health and Social Transformation

Abstract

Computer technology has revolutionized almost every facet of global society. The world wide web allows unprecedented exchanges of ideas around the world, and every discipline has been affected, including psychology. Exchanges with psychologists from other cultures has inspired discussions about the failure of psychology to champion human values and the empowerment of the poor and oppressed. Latino, African and Asian psychologists envision a discipline devoted to human liberation and the creation of a new person in a new society. These discussions are in response to what many psychologists see as the increasing use of psychological knowledge to manipulate and oppress. Psychology, they say, should be used to address human needs and promote social justice. They challenge psychology's traditional focus on minor reform because enhancing human welfare demands fundamental social change. This critical essay examines the role of psychology in mental health­ both theory and clinical practice. It identifies the essence of psychology as a science devoted to individual and social transformation and suggests one approach to this fulfilling this responsibility.