Psychology in Modern India: Historical, Methodological, and Future Perspectives

Description

This book offers a critical account of the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological developments in key areas of psychology in India, providing insights into the developments and advances as well as future directions. Filling an important gap in the literature on the history of psychology in India, it brings together contributions by leading scholars to present a clear overview of the state of the art of the field. The thematic parts of the book discuss the historical perspectives: development of psychology in India; research methodologies in the West and India; future directions for research in the field. The book is of special interest to researchers, school administrators, curriculum designers, and policymakers. Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Contents Editors and Contributors 1 Introduction: Perspectives on Psychology in Modern India Psychology in the Pre-modern Era Psychology in Modern India An Overview of Documented Historical Accounts The Professional Landscape Salient Trends in Research and Education in Modern Psychology Outline of the Present Volume Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Concluding Comments References Part I Historical Perspectives 2 Modern Psychology in India: Reminiscences and Reflections 3 History of Psychology at Calcutta University Across the Century The Story Behind the Curtain The First Stearer The Work Domain of Dr. N. N. Sengupta The Era of G. Bose (July 1929–April 1949) The Regime of Second University Professor, Professor Suhrit Chandra Mitra (Period 1949–1959) The Interim Period of October 1959–November 1962 with Dr. S. Sinha as Head of the Department The Working Sphere of the University Third Professor, Professor Sudhir Kumar Bose (December 1962–September 1966) The Second Interim Period (October 1966–December 1969) Professor Shib Kumar Mitra: The Fourth University Professor (Period December 1969–August 1972) The Period of Professor Ram Gobindo Chatterjea: The Fifth Professor of Psychology (August 1972–December 1981) Other Heads of the Department During the Period 1954–1972 Some Other Reputed Teachers of This Period Establishment of the Indian Psychoanalytical Society Calcutta University Psychology Alumni Association Some Distinguished Faculty Members Present Faculty Members of the Department Developments in the Second Phase Augmenting Academics: Some Recent Initiatives Research Projects Undertaken Software Development Concluding Observations References 4 Applied Psychology at the University of Calcutta: Heritage and State of the Art People and Programmes Units and Functioning of the Department Across the years Service Program Unit (SPU) Publication of Journal Departmental Projects and Recognitions as Resource Center Scholarly Contributions of the Department: An Overview Clinical Psychology, Disability, Rehabilitation, and Psychotherapy Research Health Psychology Industrial and Organizational Psychology Environmental Psychology School and Educational Psychology Social and Community Psychology Legal, Correctional, Forensic, and Military Psychology Miscellaneous Writings in Bangla Concluding Comments References 5 Eminent Teachers of the Department of Psychology at Calcutta University Professor Suhrid Chandra Mitra Professor Sudhir Kumar Bose Sri Ananth Dutta 6 Shall the Twain Ever Meet? The Cultural Politics of Psychoanalysis in India Historiographical Framework to Weave a Narrative Account Psychoanalysis in the Indian Cultural Landscape The Current Status of Psychoanalysis in India Concluding Comments References 7 History of the Development of Psychology in Bangladesh Beginnings of Psychology Growth and Development of Psychology Status of Psychology in the Independent Bangladesh Institutions, Teaching, and Research Development of Professional Bodies Psychological Service Centers Future Perspectives on Psychology in Bangladesh Concluding Remarks References 8 Development of Psychology in North East India Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIHM), Tezpur, Assam Maharaja Bir Bikram College at Agartala, Tripura Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam Other Universities of North East India Psychology Outside the University System Origin of Psychological Thought Research in Psychology Challenges for Research Concluding Observations References 9 Psychology in the North India: An Overview Introduction Lucknow University Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith University, Varanasi Allahabad University, Allahabad Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur Concluding Comments References Part II Disciplinary Perspectives 10 Re-envisioning Psychology: A Critical History of Psychology in India Perspectives on the Historiography of Psychology Psychology in India: A Social Constructionist Perspective Psychological Research in India: An Overview of the ICSSR Surveys Shift from Positivism to Social Constructionism Coexistence of Growth and Crisis Theory Building and Cumulative Growth of Knowledge Method or Methodology Cycle? Pedagogical and Academic Culture-related Concerns Indian Psychology Versus Psychology in India Silences and Discontinuities Re-envisioning Psychology for India Concluding Comments References 11 Indian Psychology in Prospect Indian Psychology and Psychology in India Difficulties of Doing Indian Psychology Psychology in India Indian Psychology and Positive Psychology Flow and Samadhi Applied Indian Psychology Where Do We Go from Here? References 12 Thematic and Theoretical Moves in Psychology in Modern India Psychology in the British Colonial Period (1857–1947) Growth of Psychology in Independent India (1947–) Theoretical Contributions Following the Traditional Indian Lines Theoretical Contributions Following Modern Western Lines Early Efforts Toward a Socially Relevant Psychology Move Toward Indigenization Concluding Observations References 13 Past and Present Research Methodologies in India Was There RM from the Beginning of Human Civilization? Western Psychology and Methodology Psychology in India and Methodology Philosophy of SR Philosophy of Knowledge Paradigm Trend of SR Methods Methodology Life Cycle Recommendations for Teaching and Practice References Part III Developments in Sub-fields of Psychology 14 Assessment of Individual Differences in India: Historical Roots, Current Status, and Future Directions Assessment of Individual Differences in Colonial India Assessment of Individual Differences in Independent India ICSSR Reviews Future Perspectives References 15 Human Development Research in India: A Historical Overview Relevance of Human Development Research: Demographic Trends History of Developmental Psychology: Euro-American Roots Home Science: Women and the Study of Child Development Human Development Research in India: An Overview First Wave of Research Documentation: First Steps from 1963 to 1981 Projects with Policy Interface from 1981 to 1992 Research Collaborations and Active Indigenization—1993–2002 Contemporary Research Advances: 2000–Present Issues and Future Directions References 16 Hundred Years of Social Psychology in India Beginning of Psychology in India Origin of Social Psychology in the West Beginning of Social Psychology in India as Imported Discipline Expansion of Social Psychology in the 1950s and 1960s New Dimensions of Social–Psychological Research During the 1970s and 1980s Social Psychology Enters the Twenty-First Century References 17 Understanding Organizational Behavior in India: An Indigenous Perspective Early Roots: The Emergence and Evolution of the agenda of Indigenization Evolutionary “Indigenization” Process: Promise and Challenges Toward Integrative Indigenization: The Paradox Conclusions References 18 Mental Health and Healing in India: A Retrospect Health, Healing, and Well-Being Healing Practices in Pre-Vedic and Vedic Periods Three Streams of Indigenous Health Systems Features of Indigenous Healing Systems Alien Medicinal Systems in India Modern Medicine and Indigenous Systems Girindrashekhar Bose: Pioneer of a New Theory of Mental Health Postindependence Developments References 19 Clinical Psychology in the Contemporary Indian Context Clinical Psychology in India: Developmental Milestones Clinical Psychology Training in India: Contemporary Trend Clinical Psychologist: Definition and Recognition Continuing Education Mandate Clinical Psychological Assessment Tools Psychological Interventions in India The Traditional Indigenous–Holistic Systems of Spiritual, Mental Well-being Modern Psychological Interventions Treatment Gap and Availability of the Clinical Psychologist in India Reflections and Future Directions Instrumental Support Systems for the Pre-service Professional Trainee Regulation–Monitoring Related Issues Status of Professional Education Programs Status of Training Centers Conclusion References 20 Holistic and Holigrative Approaches to Psychology The Changing Perspective on Science The Early Beginnings of Scientific Psychology The Centrality of Human Spirit: The Changing Voices Holism and the Indian Approaches to Mind Holigrative Psychology Research Orientation Implications for Teaching–Learning References 21 Perspectives on Educational Psychology in India Introduction Historical Development The Content of Educational Psychology Availability of Faculty in Educational Psychology Research in Educational Psychology Concluding Comments References 22 Emergence of Quantum Mechanics, Human Mind, and Happiness Life and Mind Nature and Human Mind Ontological Scientific Bases of Emergence of Universe Gamow’s Views Knowledge of Mind Jung’s Views Psycho-physical Oneness National Well-Being References Part IV Critical Appraisal and Future Perspectives 23 Psychology in India: A Discipline in Search of Its Identity Part-I Why Do We Need to Understand the Context of India to Understand the Identity of Psychology in India? Part-II How Do We Understand the Evolution of the Identity of Psychology in India? Crisis of Psychology in India: Fissures and Splits Part-III Psychology in India: A Critical Appraisal How Is Culture Defined? Is Indian Psychology (IP) a Science? What About Theory Building in Indian Psychology? Ethno Psychology or Global Psychology? What Should Be the Language of Science and of the Culture? Part-IV A Road Map for Decolonized Psychology in India References 24 Psychology in India: A Glance on Paradigmatic and Methodological Perspectives Psychology: A Search for Meaning Paradigm of Science Lighting a Lamp in the Dark Measurement and Method in Psychology Of Brain and Mind A Self-analysis Psychology for India: East–West Dialogue Journey from Ajnacakra to Brain Imaging Meaning of Meaning: Language, Culture and History Intuition and Reason: Control of Desires Universal Moral Values Conclusion References 25 Toward a Culturally Grounded Human Science: Prospects of Psychology for India The Spread of Science Fractured Epistemologies Psychology’s International Model Psychology’s International Experience The Unfathomable Indians: Why We Do Not Fit into Psychology’s Neo-Colonial Model Experiences of Indian Psychologists with Global Psychology Why Applications in Psychology Lag Behind? Psychology for Social Justice and the Urgent Need to Address Applications References 26 Situating Systems of Psychology Within the Traditional Indian and Modern Western Knowledge Systems I Views of James and Wundt on the Nature of Consciousness and Self and Their Parallels in Indian Thought II Vidyā and Avidyā: The Two Types of Knowledge in the Indian Tradition and Their Significance for Views of Self and Consciousness III Natural Science and Human Sciences in Modern Western Systems of Knowledge and Systems of Psychology in Their Context IV Discussion References 27 Reflections on Nurturing the Tree of Psychology in India The Emerging Ethos of Psychology in India Perceptions of Psychology by Psychologists: A Qualitative Analysis Psychology: A Tree of Knowledge Redefining Psychology in India: Laying the Roots of the Tree Supporting the Roots of Psychology: Nurturing the Tree Developing Interdisciplinary Spaces: The Shoots of the Tree Progress in the Field of Psychology: Growing the Tree Impediments to the Progress of Psychology: The Weeds to be Tended to An Ethical Orientation: The Seeds of the Tree The Fruits of the Tree: Imagining the Future Concluding Comments List of Participants References 28 Postscript Development of Cultural Rootedness: From the Yankee Doodler to the Philosopher–Psychologist Methodological Dilemma: Bridging the Gap Conclusion: Historiography of a Discipline and Multiple Voices References