Psychology should serve the society

3-day conference on Emerging Trends in Psychology begins at GCU.

LAHORE:

“There is a need to develop indigenous psychological models so that we can better understand the social and cultural problems in our country,” Dr Asir Ajmal, the Government College University (GCU) Psychology Department chairperson, on Thursday.

Dr Ajmal was addressing the first international conference on Emerging Trends in Psychology that started at GCU on Thursday.

It aims at introducing and encouraging new paradigms in psychology to effectively address the social and cultural issues in Pakistan.

Dr Ajmal talked about modern psychology and its perspectives ranging from scientific and mathematical to philosophical and religious.

He said the modern perspectives when applied in post-colonial contexts as Pakistan, seemed invalid as either explanations or solutions to the contemporary crises involving identity, religion, culture and gender.

“Notwithstanding the ‘third world’ and ‘developing countries’ labels the recent departure from modern to post modern psychology allow a more creative engagement with local knowledge forms and rethinking about modern social sciences,” he said.

He hoped that the conference would offer new paradigms and methodologies in fields of developmental psychopathology, cognitive neuroscience, critical social psychology and psychology of happiness and coping.

Psychologist Dr Naumana Amjad said that knowledge of human behaviours came through practice. She pointed out a number of ethical considerations in psychology and concluded that psychology should be put to service of people.

The conference, attended by psychiatrists and psychologists from across the country, will continue till April 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 01^st, 2011.