The Ubuntu Paradigm: Psychology's Next Force?

Abstract

This article examines the need for the development of new paradigms within humanistic psychology that are less ethnocentric and individualistic. The underlying, yet often unacknowledged, commitment of humanistic psychology to the importance of “self in relation to others” is explored, along with a comparison of Western individualistic worldviews and those rooted in African humanism. This article advocates for the adoption of a new humanistic psychological paradigm based on the principles and values of the African collectivistic philosophy of Ubuntu. Finally, practical applications for the adoption of Ubuntu programming within treatment milieus, particularly child and adolescent residential treatment facilities, are presented as promising alternatives to presently utilized therapeutic modalities.

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