presented by the Psychoanalytic Society of the William Alanson White Institute
Toward a Decolonial Psychology: Recentering Global Marginalized Knowledges
SUNIL BHATIA, PhD, Professor of Human Development and Cultural Psychology, Connecticut College
with Hosts & Moderators, Roger Frie, PhD, PsyD, and Nancy Freeman-Carroll, PsyD, Co-Presidents of the Psychoanalytic Society
FRIDAY, MAY 8th from 7:30-9:00pm/Eastern
Held in person at the Institute, 20 West 74th Street, New York City and via live stream online
1.5 CEs are available for attending. In order to receive your credit for attending, follow the instructions that are sent prior to the event.
ABOUT THIS EVENT
Dr. Bhatia grapples with a fundamental question: how do we imagine and build futures in psychology that are genuinely grounded in Indigenous cultures, peoples, places, and lands — futures no longer entangled in the logic of colonialism and coloniality? He offers a rich, place-sensitive map of decolonial scholarship that has taken shape within psychology over the last decade.
Speaking to the experiences of the majority world, and to communities whose lives remain marginalized in postcolonial and settler-colonial nations, he draws upon his 25 years of work in cultural and decolonial psychology, to address the question: Why decolonize psychology?
In particular, the presentation is organized around five thematic threads, each distinct yet deeply interconnected, all oriented toward retrieving and reclaiming knowledges that have been suppressed or sidelined: 1) the discipline’s colonial history and its ongoing colonial present; 2) transnational expressions of decoloniality that move past the oversimplified Global North/South divide; 3) the entanglements of race, racism, and colonial domination with psychology; 4) alternatives to individualism that center community, relational agency, and collective liberation; 5) Indigenous psychologies and settler colonialism, with particular attention to the reclamation of land, culture, spirituality, and ecology. Dr. Bhatia’s presentation invites the audience toward fundamental rethinking of psychological theory and practice, pointing toward decolonial futures built on justice, relational ways of being, and the revival of epistemologies long silenced.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Sunil Bhatia, PhD, is an internationally recognized authority on culture and psychology and Professor of Human Development at Connecticut College. He is at the forefront of studies on decolonization and author of such books as American Karma; Race, Culture, and Identity in the Indian Diaspora; Decolonizing Psychology: Globalization, Social Justice, and Indian Youth Identities; and Globalization and Culture: Narratives of Indian Youth from Call Centers to Chail Stalls (forthcoming Oxford U. Press) among others. Additionally, he is a frequent lecturer and commentator on current events.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
From its very beginnings, psychoanalysis has existed at the intersection of science and the humanities. In the face of increasing pressures from evidence-based practice and medicalization, what can psychoanalysis learn from the humanities? Collectively, our speakers represent the leading edge in humanities and the arts and bring a diverse array of perspectives to bear. These talks promise to illustrate the manifest and often overlooked links between psychoanalysis and the humanities and provide a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary learning and dialogue.
All speakers will present their talks in person. We encourage everyone who can, to attend in person and continue the tradition of meeting together at the Institute. For those who are unable to join in person, we offer a real-time stream, to reach beyond New York to a broader audience.
This series is presented at no charge to its audience. Please consider making a donation to The Psychoanalytic Society when registering.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Overall objectives of this colloquium series:
Describe the many interactions between the humanities and psychoanalysis.
Explain how psychoanalytic practice can benefit from the insights of the humanities.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES THIS PRESENTATION:
Explore how decolonization matters for psychoanalytic practice.
Explain what decolonization is and what its implications are.