The Psychology Book

256

I

gnacio Martín-Baró made his

claim that “trauma must be

understood in terms of the

relationship between the individual

and society” after witnessing first-

hand the social injustices and

violence endemic to El Salvador in

the 1980s. Rejecting the idea of an

impartial, universal approach to

psychology, he came to realize

that psychologists must take into

account the historical context and

social conditions of the people they

are studying. He believed that

while some mental health problems

reflect an abnormal reaction to

IN CONTEXT

APPROACH

Liberation psychology

BEFORE

1965 Community psychology,

a new discipline investigating

the relationships between

individuals and communities,

arises from discussions at the

Swampscott Conference,

Massachusetts.

1970s A crisis over the

relevance of social psychology,

the study of links between

social conditions, emotions,

and behaviors, erupts in

Britain, North America, and

most acutely in Latin America.

AFTER

1988 The Latin American

Institute of Mental Health and

Human Rights is founded.

1997 US psychologists Isaac

Prilleltensky and Dennis Fox

publish Critical Psychology,

highlighting how traditional

psychology can help sustain

injustice and social oppression.

TRAUMA MUST BE

UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS

OF THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL

AND SOCIETY

IGNACIO MARTIN-BARO (1942–1989)

Because it aims to be impartial and

universal, mainstream psychology does not

address the way specific contexts

and environments shape mental health.

But to understand and treat mental

disorders, a psychologist should understand

the sociopolitical environment

of his subjects and patients.

Trauma must be understood

in terms of the relationship between

the individual and society.