Psychosocial Accompaniment
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Watkins, Mary
Abstract / Description
This essay advocates for a paradigm shift in psychology toward the activity and ethics of accompaniment. Accompaniment requires a reorientation of the subjectivity, interpersonal practices, and critical understanding of the accompanier so that (s)he can stand alongside others who desire listening, witnessing, advocacy, space to develop critical inquiry and research, and joint imagination and action to address desired and needed changes. The idea of “accompaniment” emerged in liberation theology in Latin America, and migrated into liberatory forms of psychology as “psychosocial accompaniment.” This essay explores accompaniment and its ethics from a phenomenological perspective, highlighting differences from mainstream stances in psychology. Attention is also given to the effects of accompaniment on the accompanier. Efforts to decolonize psychology require careful attention to the psychic decolonization of its practitioners and to the cultivation of decolonizing interpersonal practices that provide a relational and ethical foundation for joint research, restorative healing, and transformative action. Such practices endeavor through dialogue to build mutual respect and understanding, promote effective solidarity, and contribute to the empowerment of those marginalized. The decolonization of psychology should enable practitioners to be more effective in working for increased social, economic, and environmental justice; peace building and reconciliation; and local and global ecological sustainability.
Keyword(s)
accompaniment witnessing psychic decolonization conscientization participatory action research negative workers Fanon Martín-BaróPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2015-08-21
Journal title
Journal of Social and Political Psychology
Volume
3
Issue
1
Page numbers
324–341
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Watkins, M. (2015). Psychosocial Accompaniment. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 3(1), 324–341. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.103
-
jspp.v3i1.103.pdfAdobe PDF - 421.9KBMD5: 3c5cf31d6f4b031cc0d90669661f04ba
-
There are no other versions of this object.
-
Author(s) / Creator(s)Watkins, Mary
-
PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-26T12:45:42Z
-
Made available on2018-11-26T12:45:42Z
-
Date of first publication2015-08-21
-
Abstract / DescriptionThis essay advocates for a paradigm shift in psychology toward the activity and ethics of accompaniment. Accompaniment requires a reorientation of the subjectivity, interpersonal practices, and critical understanding of the accompanier so that (s)he can stand alongside others who desire listening, witnessing, advocacy, space to develop critical inquiry and research, and joint imagination and action to address desired and needed changes. The idea of “accompaniment” emerged in liberation theology in Latin America, and migrated into liberatory forms of psychology as “psychosocial accompaniment.” This essay explores accompaniment and its ethics from a phenomenological perspective, highlighting differences from mainstream stances in psychology. Attention is also given to the effects of accompaniment on the accompanier. Efforts to decolonize psychology require careful attention to the psychic decolonization of its practitioners and to the cultivation of decolonizing interpersonal practices that provide a relational and ethical foundation for joint research, restorative healing, and transformative action. Such practices endeavor through dialogue to build mutual respect and understanding, promote effective solidarity, and contribute to the empowerment of those marginalized. The decolonization of psychology should enable practitioners to be more effective in working for increased social, economic, and environmental justice; peace building and reconciliation; and local and global ecological sustainability.en_US
-
Publication statuspublishedVersion
-
Review statuspeerReviewed
-
CitationWatkins, M. (2015). Psychosocial Accompaniment. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 3(1), 324–341. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.103en_US
-
ISSN2195-3325
-
Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1354
-
Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1821
-
Language of contenteng
-
PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
-
Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.103
-
Keyword(s)accompanimenten_US
-
Keyword(s)witnessingen_US
-
Keyword(s)psychic decolonizationen_US
-
Keyword(s)conscientizationen_US
-
Keyword(s)participatory action researchen_US
-
Keyword(s)negative workersen_US
-
Keyword(s)Fanonen_US
-
Keyword(s)Martín-Baróen_US
-
Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
-
TitlePsychosocial Accompanimenten_US
-
DRO typearticle
-
Issue1
-
Journal titleJournal of Social and Political Psychology
-
Page numbers324–341
-
Volume3
-
Visible tag(s)Version of Record