Clinical Psychologist

1
Rafiq Lockhat

• Clinical Psychologist
• Cape Town
• South Africa

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Psychology and Apartheid
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IntroductionPre - Apartheid

• In South Africa psychology taught in philosophy
  departments until 1917
• 1918 First psychology department University of
  Stellenbosch
• 1920 University of Cape Town
• 1927 US Carnegie Corporation invests funds in
  dealing with social problems in South Africa
• Dr F Kepple met with EG Malherbe knew him from
  Columbia.Asked what he thought was appropriate
  social problem thet needed investigating and
  solving.

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Psychology and Apartheid

• E.G Malherbe (educational psychologist) most
  pressing issue was the poor white problem
• ... Threatened the very viability of white
  domination in the country
• Establishment of the Carnegie Commission
• poor whiteism provided psychologists with an
  opportunity to demonstrate their usefulness in
  the solution of societal problems. That is the
  poor white investigation was an ideal vehicle to
  bring the skills and techniques that
  psychologists possess in the public eye.
• Massive project psychologists educators
  sociologists economists etc.
• 5 year project
• 5 volume report
• Blacks relegated to status of non-existence

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Psychology and Apartheid

• Psychological report long continued economic
  equality of poor whites and the great mass of
  non- Europeans and propinquity of their dwellings
  tend to bring them to social equality. This
  impairs the tradition which counteracts
  miscegenation (reproduction by parents of
  different races especially by white and non-white
  persons) and the social colour divisions are
  noticeable weakening. (Wilcox ,1932)
• Recommendations
• revision and extention of social legislation
  aimed at keeping racial groups apart
• ensure white domination.Reduce competition for
  employment.Make some jobs(eg. mining) exclusively
  for whites.
• Poverty stricken blacks to be further deprived
• Called for legislation which inflicts severe
  penalty on sexual intercourse between races

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Psychology and Apartheid

• These and others formed a body of regulations
  called Apartheid
• Crafted by Wilcoxs protégé HF Verwoerd
  (Professor of Psychology at Stellenbosch
  University and first Prime Minister of Apartheid
  South Africa)

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Psychology and Apartheid

• 1948 Establishment of the South African
  Psychological Association (SAPA) 34 members, all
  white. The exclusion of other races in the
  constitution was erroneously omitted.
• Black psychologists applied for membership
  sparking 5 years of debate with no input from
  black psychologists
• Eventually agree to admit blacks

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Psychology and Apartheid

• Unhappiness at the decision. Some members
  appealed to H.F Verwoerd, Prime Minister and
  Honorary member of SAPA. They wanted to him to
  extend Group Areas Act to prevent mixed
  professional meetings.
• (example of Verwoerds overt racism The school
  must equip the Bantu (black) to meet the demands
  which the economic life of South Africa will
  impose on himthere is no place for him in the
  European community above the level of certain
  forms of labourWhat is the use of teaching a
  Bantu child mathematics when it (sic) cannot use
  it in practice? That is absurd.
• 1962 formation of PIRSA (Psychological
  Institute of the Republic of South Africa)
  exclusively white, mostly Afrikaans speaking
• 1976 SAPA 338 members, PIRSA 500 members

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Psychology and Apartheid

• PIRSA and SAPA remained organisationally divided
  yet collaborated in many other ways.
• SAPA more concerned with avoiding censure from
  International psychological bodies rather than
  defeating unjust apartheid laws (travel and
  study)
• 1967 President of PIRSA, P.M Robbertse appeals
  to psychologists to conduct research supporting
  apartheid, I wish to encourage members of the
  Psychological Institute of the Republic of South
  Africa to conduct more extensive studies in the
  area of race differences, so as to provide
  the scientific bases for separate development,
  which is fundamentally linked to our whites
  continued existence

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Psychology and Apartheid

• 1974 Medical, Dental and Supplementary Health
  Services Act registration of psychologists made
  compulsory.
• Establishment of the ProfessionalBoard for
  Psychology which reported to the South African
  Medical and Dental Council
• 1983 merger of SAPA and PIRSA with no racially
  exclusive clause
• Education system Psychologists employed as
  guidance counsellors. Stated aim for white
  pupils moulding the conscience according to the
  hierarchy of values...which should inculcate the
  aspirations of the white population to guard its
  identity
• Aim unquestioning conformity and support for
  Apartheid

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Psychology and Apartheid

• 1976 1980 Soweto uprising and schools boycott
• Guidance suddenly introduced to black schools
  but with different aim living amongst others
  simply means learning how to do things in the way
  that society expects and simultaneously learning
  what you can expect.
• 1974 Biesheuvel / Raubenheimer ( former
  Presidents of PIRSA ) praise the SA mining
  industry. (Internationally seen as brutal and
  exploitative of black migrant workers).
• By contrast the life of the mine labourer is
  completely secure. For the period of his contract
  he is looked after in every way his
  accommodation and food is provided the contract
  is equally binding on the employer. The majority
  wish to return to their tribal area but are
  encouraged to renew their contracts after a
  suitable period. This security, the absence of
  worry of everyday affairs, the safety of life in
  the compounds compared to the hurly burly and
  frequent lawlessness of the townships was in fact
  frequently commented upon.
• No attempt to look at the dehumanizing effects of
  this lifestyle
• Single sex hostels
• Saw families once a year. Children raised alone
  by mothers. Breakdown of traditional stability
  structures.
• Prostitution increased
• Fathered children locally
• Complete breakdown of family system
• WE ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR THIS NOW

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Psychology and Apartheid

• 1980s small but vocal group of white
  Psychologists raising concerns about psychologys
  lack of relevance
• Problem all academics. Cannot publish in
  academic journals. Controlled by Government
  funding issues
• 1983 merger of PIRSA and SAPA to form PASA
  (Psychological Association of South Africa).Black
  psychologists reluctant to join.
• 1986 Biesheuvel key note address
• mankind is not in good shape anywhere in the
  world war, pollution, drugs, family
  instability( He normalizes South Africas
  problems)
• South Africa power struggle between a
  dominant white minority and disadvantaged black
  majority
• there is strife within each ethnic group and
  that within the black group in particular there
  is intimidation and violence

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Psychology and Apartheid

• No attempt to understand why
• The role of Apartheid third force agents
  provocateur
• The arming of Inkatha in KZN
• Homelands policy
• cheap / free drugs distributed to gangsters in
  the Western Cape to inform on political activists
• Response to institutionalized state violence
• Attempts to explain it away as transference or
  deep-rooted childhood conflicts.

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Psychology and Apartheid

• 1994 establishment of PSYSSA (Psychological
  Society of South Africa)
• First real non-racial psychological organisation
  with wide spread black participation (black
  psychologists still less than 10 but changing.
  2008 6498 Psychologists registered in South
  Africa. Racial breakdown not available, but
  anecdotally looking much more)
• Initial drop out of many white members in
  response to Black leadership. Starting to
  normalize now. Pressure of continued professional
  development also having impact