8/14/2019 Questionnaire Views on the Possible Influence And
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Questionnaire
Views on the Possible Influence and Interpenetration of
Psychology and
Feminism in India
Kindly share your experiences and thoughts on how and whether
feminist inquiry (feministmovement of various forms, or womens
movement -women studies) has influenced thepractice of psychology
in India. Your feedback will support preparation of the
paperLocatingthe Feminist Standpoint in Practice of Psychology
Today: A case of India to be publishedintheHandbook of
international feminisms: Perspectives on psychology, women,
culture, andrights" (New York: Springer, forthcoming).The abstract
of the paper can be found at the endof this questionnaire.
Please elaborate on these questions.
1 How do you define your research and intellectual engagements
within psychology?
2. (How) Has your work been influenced by feminism (of whichever
orientation or
form) and if yes, how has it shaped your thinking and influenced
the way you
practice psychology?
3. What in your view is the state of psychology in India today?
a) Please share your
experiences and thoughts on what you think has been the
contribution of the
discipline of psychology in India, how is it faring in the
country (in terms of academicoutput, research and public
engagements etc) , or share your personal experiences
and encounters from within your own organization/ institution/
broad geographical
region you come from. b) Please also evaluate whether your own
work has taken a
different trajectory or extended existent modes of thinking and
practice.
4. Do you visualize a greater exchange between psychology and
feminism and what
sort of interpenetration and cross-fertilization of praxis and
ideas do you think is
needed?
5. What are the biggest challenges towards practicing a feminist
psychology inIndia?
6. Do you see a difference between what womens movement and
feminist
movement in India have to offer to the discipline of psychology?
Are there unique
challenges and differences in the struggles and concerns of
these two movements?
7. Please write here any other comments you may have.
Please fill in these details about yourself
Your details
8/14/2019 Questionnaire Views on the Possible Influence And
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** Please do not quote or cite from this w/o permission of the
author**
Abstract of the proposed chapter
Locating the Feminist Standpoint in Practice of Psychology
Today: A case of India
Manasi Kumar
The chapter is divided into four sections. The first section
attempts to retrace the history of
psychology in India with a view to recount how the feminist
movement developed, shaped
and interrogated social sciences particularly the discipline of
psychology. The attempt is to
present various hues of the Indian feminist movement and discuss
ideological underpinnings,
dissident voices that contributed directly or indirectly to the
enterprise of modern psychology
in the Indian context. It also delves into the political clashes
between the radical Marxist /
feminist and the socialist (ala Lohia) formations associated
with the womens movement
with a view to present different worldviews and ideologies on
class, caste, secularism,
marriage, development, womens rights and liberation that
persists between these two cartels
and how these influence the discipline. Were these oppositions
substantial or merely
narcissism of minor (political) differences?
The second section goes over the existent patriarchal set-up of
academic psychology where
there exists many more natural sciences inspired male
scientists/teachers and
students/followers who continue to be largely young women. The
idiosyncratic
developments within academic psychology in India are discussed
in this light. In this
scenario, the question is whether feminist enterprise has failed
to penetrate the academicpsychology arena or in its continued
disengaged stance it conveys a voice of dissent of its
own kind. What shape and form this disengagement has taken is
another matter of concern.
The third section sets out on a small empirical exercise of
surveying women academics in
psychology departments in the country to seek their voices and
opinions on the twinned
questions of the fate of psychology and feminist movement today.
It explores their own
contributions, failures, disappointments, and achievements in
making psychology more
egalitarian, humane, socially relevant and politically committed
discipline.
Finally the paper picks up postcolonial feminist writer
Mahashweta Devis works to explore
portrayal of womens complex identities, struggles and choices
and to debate whether andhow psychology in India can be inclusive
enterprise and open itself responsibly to the public
sphere.
