30th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY SERVING HUMANITY, July 22-27, Cape Town, South Africa Symposium: Increasing

necessity of a global perspective on Psychological Research: stand point of Pan American Psychologists

Changes on the social psychology in Latin America: The relation between local productions and world problems
Alusio Ferreira de Lima
Universidade Federal do Cear UFC/Brazil aluisiolima@hotmail.com

In general, I do not read my presentations. However, since I still have a little difficulty with English pronunciation which might lead me to not clearly express the ideas proposed in this research and considering that I have about 20 minutes, I think it would be better, this time, to create and read my presentation. I apologize for that and I have faith you will enjoy my presentation. The "crisis of Social Psychology," also known as "crisis of relevance", which for some theoreticals was considered a temporary harm, necessary for the adjustment of the experimental and North American tradition in Social Psychology (Rodrigues, 1989), for others it was the moment of changing directions in the history of Social Psychology due to the requirement and openness to questions about the characteristics, scope, limits and conditions of possibility of existence (Lane, 1989). According to Thomas Ibez (1990) who discussed in an interesting way the background of the crisis, its development and its dimensions the factors that led to the crisis of Social Psychology, its emergence and evolution, were both internal and external. Among the internal factors, it is highlighted the crisis of the accepted scientific principles and methodologies which had supported the Social Psychology, on its pursuit of recognition as a science. In my point of view, it was mainly initiated after the publication of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions in 1960 by Thomas S. Khun, who defended the human sciences were still in a state of proto-science1. It was also strong the criticism to the complex and
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For a better understanding of the impact of Thomas Kuhn's work for the field of Psychology, we suggest the work of Irai Carone (2003) A Psicologia tem paradigmas? (Does Psychology have paradigms?)

inaccurate characteristic of Social Psychology and to the emphasis on experimental research which guided its interests on metatheoretical, epistemological and methodological issues. Regarding the external factors, the social fractures that have occurred worldwide in the sixties (social movements, the crisis of values, changes in global production structure, dictatorships etc.) reinforced the debate on the role of social sciences and criticized the dominant models of knowledge production. For a group of intellectuals from different parts of the world, the effects and the requirement of debate in Social Psychology field during this period and some years later led to some optimism, expressed in the hope of finding a new way of understanding and practicing Social Psychology. Authors such as Henri Tajfel in England and Serge Moscovici in France, each one in their own way, thought bout "the crisis" and pursuit a general place in the social sciences, which did not occur, mainly in Europe and in the United States. This fact happened because, according to Lupicnio Iiguez-Rueda (2003), after the announcement and initial mobilization of the crisis, the same problems reappeared, mainly in European and North American Social Psychology. In fact, Iiguez-Rueda (2003, p. 225) points out that even today a very important part of academic Social Psychology, "at least in Europe and EE.UU., remains with the same assumptions that led to the crisis. This portion of Social Psychology can be called 'empiricist' ". Iiguez-Rueda also says that the discursive effects of the crisis in these countries produced a paralyzing and objectifying effect, being reduced only to its historiographical character. Obviously there was some resistance to this process: Proposals that have escaped from this crystallization and that have kept debate alive and the vitality of critical process. However, as well proposes Iiguez Rueda (2003), this attitude has generally cost too much in Europe and in the United States: exclusion and de-legitimization of these subjects. In Latin America, on the other hand, the effects of "the crisis" seem to have taken different paths and proportions from the ones presented by the author, at least in my view. In some countries, like Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Bolivia and Guatemala, as I observed in the XXXIII Inter-American Congress of Psychology, organized by the Interamerican Society of Psychology - SIP, which took place in Medellin, Colombia, in 2011, the paralyzing and objectifying effect marked by Iiguez Rueda becomes evident and points to the persistence and/or permanence of the crisis (mystified just as a moment in history, already passed), to the point that there is a division between specific Social Psychology (applied, experimental) and Critical Social Psychology (historical and/or philosophical). On

the other hand, in other countries, such as Chile, Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil2, although there is a big production for a postmodern perspective, that in some cases is extremely nihilist, it is clear the effort of various researchers and professionals to maintain critical analysis and propose new technologies of social intervention focused mainly on overcoming inequality, social injustice and promotion of social emancipation. The differences in the way Social Psychology has developed in Latin America after the effects of "the crisis" (which, as noted above, seem still persist) compared to the rest of Europe and North America occurred mainly for historical and social conditions experienced mainly between the years 1970 and 1980, which forced our intellectuals and researchers to think our local production articulated with global problems. Over the years after the announcement of the crisis of relevance, it occurred an increase in different intervention and research forms and activities of Social Psychology field now absorbed mainly by the different public policies that express what we might call profession , which are materialized in exercise and promotion of a "psychological knowledge" about the ways that generate social awareness, health intervention, education, art, etc. Social Psychology growth and influence in contemporaneity can easily be observed in the amount of paper presentations in the main scientific events in Brazil in this field during 2010 and 2011. The III Brazilian Congress of Psychology Science and Profession3 happened in 2010, had approximately 7,000 participants attending to this event, and had on its as thematic main symposia, the articulation between Social Psychology and Public Policy; The VII NorthNortheast Congress of Psychology4 happened in 2011 and received 700 papers for submission on the theme Social Psychology (almost 20% of submitted papers) and the XVI National

I have realized that Brazil has been the reference for Latin Americans countries in the field of Social Psychology particularly in the called Critical Social Psychology (theoretical) being the Brazilian Association of Social Psychology - ABRAPSO an emblematic institution of organization of social psychologists. In another event: I Brazil-Colombia Meeting of Researchers in Psychology, held in Medellin on June 25, 2011, and promoted by ANPEPP and ASCOFAPSI, I identified a large discrepancy between the production of knowledge in this field in our country compared to other countries Latin America, which are still strongly marked by the North American scientific model. 3 The Magno Symposium theme were: New Social Demands to Psychology; Psychology and Institutionalized Social Processes and Psychology and Public Policies. 4 According to information published in ABRAPSO website on february, 2nd, 2011, "The organizing committee of the 7th Congress of Psychology North East recently reported that about 3,600 proposed activities were submitted According to this committee, some areas are demanded more than others, such as the area of Social Psychology, which had 700 submissions, or almost 20%. "

Meeting of the Association of Social Psychology ABRAPSO, received approximately 5,000 participants5. However, this scenario offers the idea of a Critical Social Psychology, as it appears in Silvia Lane proposal the transforming of the unequal and segregating social conditions, critical of hegemonic forms of domination and promoter of emancipation that would overcome the problems identified during the crisis. On the other hand, if we look carefully to the way how many of these practices have been implemented in the contemporary world in different fields, we see the persistence of a deaf listening, a blind look, a mute talking and a repetitive action6 (Lima, 2010, p. 24) which, according to Ratner (2010), instead of overcoming psychologism and activism, weakens its ability to transform7. The work done in the field of Social Psychology by Souza (2011), Lima (2010), Antunes (2010), Kyrillos Neto (2007), Parker (2007), for example, make clear how many times theoretical production and intervention of contemporary Social Psychology, especially articulated with social and public policies, are unrelated to individual and collective metamorphosis. Such condition, as well states Souza (2012), expresses the persistence of an unthinking adaptationist inheritance that has always been linked with the States tradition of social aid and charity. Studies by the mentioned authors resume the discussions opened during the Psychology crisis and, even with a few theoretical and methodological differences among them, they believe to be the goal of Social Psychology the criticism of the planning of technologies of exception state maintenance in which dissonance, poverty, hunger and discontentment, are excluded at once and captured in new forms of domination, more subtle and aligned with capitalist precepts. The analysis of historical and political dimension of these issues, as well as the ethical and aesthetic designs that compose them, are the result of interrogation of the foundations and social and political practices and their devices, knowledge (methods of intervention), implications of the subject socialization and individuation, featuring an overview of the research and knowledge production that aligns to Critical Social Psychology. It is worth to remember that the Latin American Critical Social Psychology is not exclusive to Brazil and it is aligned with the concerns of several other intellectuals and
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Very different number against the I Meeting of the Brazilian Social Psychology, organized in 1979 in PUCSP, which in that occasion was promoted and assisted by ALAPSO and CNPq, receiving around 100 participants (Molon, 2001, p 50) 6 Expression originally presented by Nader (1990) and extended by Lima (2010) 7 When discussing the limits of activist or mere psychologist practice of Psychology Carl Ratner (2010, p 173), notes: "This dichotomy affects social reform and psychological science It leads to reform without thinking about psychological issues and this results in a psychological science devoid of cultural considerations. "

researchers from the rest of the planet. Different contemporary authors who discussed its condition (Parker & Shotter, 1990; Christlieb & Montero, 2003; Miller, 2009; Prielleltensky & Austin, 2001; Prielleltensky & Austin, 2001), agree among themselves that Critical Social Psychology refers to certain practices and thoughts that move essentially organized on a transdisciplinary approach. In Brazil, considering the perspective of Social Psychology which I have worked, goes beyond the identification of social (dis)order, with the adaptation of the unusual to the standard set. My interest is in understanding the discomfort, discontentment, outrage, suffering from uncertainty face what exists and theorizing its it's overcome, identify the struggle for recognition and emancipation, besides denouncing individual and collective forms of oppression and the perverse recognition practices (Lima, 2010). I believe that the task is precisely to conceptualize and evaluate the subjective and concrete conditions and alternative in face of what is empirically given. To do a Critical Social Psychology of what exists as inequality of opportunity and of what is produced as nonexistent (Santos, 2007). This line of thought and social analysis, which incorporates the discussion of the subject at the time he has been defamed by the literature of the hegemonic modern human sciences and considered as belonging to a past that no longer exists, it offers the possibility to explore experience, guidelines, creations, the resistance and persistence from which we all build our lives and (re)set up our identities, denouncing at the same time, the explicit and subtle forms of cooption, adaptation, exploitation, alienation and domination. I believe that my brief speech contemplate a little of all the possibilities of examining the subject. I also believe that my speech have expressed as the Latin American Social Psychology has undergone radical changes since the 1960s and how these local changes were the result of a global transformation in the field. These changes were essential to develop a typical way of knowledge production of Latin America and make possible, up to now, we accomplish our research and interventions thinking and discussing our situation with the global reality. Finally, I would like to conclude my speech by saying that in times of global capitalism, where all relations and subjectivities are crossed by capitalist discourse, local production of Latin American Social Psychology have never been so well related to global problems. Thank you for your attention! References Antunes, D. C. (2010). Bullying: Razo instrumental e Preconceito. So Paulo: Casa do Psiclogo.

Austin, S. & Prielleltensky, I. (2001). Diverse origins, common aims: The challenge of Critical Psychology. Radical Psychology. n.2. v.2. Carone, I. (2003). A psicologia tem paradigmas? So Paulo: Casa do Psiclogo/FAPESP. Ibez, T. (1990). Aproximaciones a la psicologia social. Barcelona: Sendai. Iiguez-Rueda, L. (2003). La Psicologia Social como Crtica: continuismo, estabilidad y efervescencias tres dcadas despus de la crisis. Interamerican Journal of Psychology, v. 37, n. 2, 221-238. Kyrillos Neto, F. (2007). Efeitos de circulao do discurso em servios substitutivos de Sade Mental: uma perspectiva psicanaltica. Tese de Doutorado em Psicologia Social. So Paulo: PUCSP. Kuhn, T. S. (2005). As estruturas das revolues cientficas. So Paulo: Perspectiva. 9 Ed. Lima, A. F. (2010). Metamorfose, anamorfose e reconhecimento perverso: a identidade na perspectiva da Psicologia Social Crtica. So Paulo: FAPESP/EDUC. Moln, S. I. (2001). A Psicologia Social Abrapsiana: apontamentos histricos. Interaes, v. 6, n. 12, 41-68. Montero, M. & Christlieb, P. F. (2003). Psicologia Social Crtica. Interamerican Journal of Psychology, v. 37, n. 2, 211-213. Nader, R. M. (1990). Psicologia e transformao: os caminhos para a prtica psi. Tese de doutorado em Cincias. PUCSP. Parker, I. (2007). Revolution in Psychology: alienation to emancipation. London: Pluto Press. Parker, I. & Shotter, J. (Ed.). (1990). Desconstructing Social Psychology. London and New York: Routledge. Prilleltensky, I., & Austin, S. (2001). Critical psychology for critical action. International Journal of Critical Psychology, 2, 39-60. Ratner, C. (2010). Como a Psicologia pode contribuir para a Reforma Social? In, Lacerda Jr. F. & Guzzo, R. S. L. (Orgs.). Psicologia e Sociedade: interfaces no debate sobre a questo social. Campinas, SP: Editora Alnea. pp. 169-181.Rodrigues, A. (1989). A Psicologia Social s vsperas de seu primeiro centenrio. In Hutz, C. S. (Org.). Anais do II Simpsio Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Intercmbio Cientfico da ANPEPP. Rio de Janeiro: Associao Nacional de Pesquisa e Ps-Graduao em Psicologia. 117-136. Santos, B. S. (2007). A crtica da razo indolente: contra o desperdcio da experincia. So Paulo: Cortez. 6 Ed. Souza, R. F. (2012). As polticas pblicas e a administrao identitria de seus usurios: uma anlise na perspectiva da psicologia social crtica. In Psicologia Social Crtica: Paralaxes do Contemporneo (no prelo). Porto Alegre: Sulina. ______. (2011). Psicologia e Polticas Pblicas de assistncia social: prxis emancipatria ou administrao social. Tese de Doutorado em Psicologia Social. So Paulo: PUCSP. ALUISIO FERREIRA DE LIMA: Doctor in Social Psychology from the Catholic University of Sao Paulo, in actuality is professor at Postgraduate Program of Psychology at the Federal University of Cear - UFC / Brazil. He is a member of the Iberoamerican Network of Researchers in the History of Psychology - RIPeHP, the Brazilian Association of Social Psychology (ABRAPSO), the Interamerican Society of Psychology (SIP) and the Brazilian Association of Mental Health (ABRASME).