A New Psychology Based on Community, Equality, and Care of the Earth: An Indigenous American Perspective

by Arthur W. Blume

Overview

Explains Native American psychology and how its unique perspectives on mind and behavior can bring a focus to better heal individual, social, and global disorders.

Psychology is a relatively new discipline, with foundations formed narrowly and near-exclusively by white, European males. But in this increasingly diverse nation and world, those foundations filled with implicit bias are too narrow to best help our people and society, says author Arthur Blume, a fellow of the American Psychological Association. According to Blume, a narrowly based perspective prevents "out-of-the-box" thinking, research, and treatment that could well power greater healing and avoidance of disorders.

In this text, Blume explains the Native American perspective on psychology, detailing why that needs to be incorporated as a new model for this field. A Native American psychologist, he contrasts the original culture of psychology's creators—as it includes individualism, autonomy, independence, and hierarchal relationships—with that of Native Americans in the context of communalism, interdependence, earth-centeredness, and egalitarianism. As Blume explains, psychological happiness is redefined by the reality of our interdependence rather than materialism and individualism, and how we do things becomes as important as what we accomplish.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440869259
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Arthur W. Blume, PhD, an Indigenous American psychologist and scholar, is professor of clinical psychology at Washington State University and a past president of the Society of Indian Psychologists.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 The Heart of Indigenous Psychology
2 Clash of Cultures: The Evolving Context for Indigenous American Psychology
3 Psychology as a Colonial Institution
4 An Indigenous American Psychological Paradigm
5 An Indigenous Critique of Current Psychological Science, Practice, and Pedagogy
6 Redefining Psychological Ethics
7 Health, Mental Health, Wellness, and Happiness Redefined
8 Addressing the Psychological Consequences of Colonialism
9 Addressing the Relational Psychopathology of a Colonial World
10 An Indigenous American Psychology Paradigm as a Blueprint for a Sustainable Global Community
11 The New Spirit of Psychology
Glossary
Index

What People are Saying About This

Gayle Skawen:nio Morse

"Dr. Blume is a talented writer who creates his work not merely as an author but as a witness to immutable, ageless knowledge and contemporary applications. He leads us on a challenging journey of understanding from ancient belief systems, through colonialism and its consequences for psychopathology, to an Indigenous American Psychological Paradigm redefining mental health, well-being and happiness. Dr. Blume has given us a gift that will enlighten, will inspire, and is deeply transformative in engaging and exciting ways."

Margaret Smith

"Dr. Blume has beautifully articulated the historical tenets of colonialism and the present-day ramifications in the field of psychology. This book offers the gift of an indigenous perspective to the reader. It provides a well-formulated analysis of the colonial assumptions embedded within psychology and how this invariably manifests in practical application at every level. In addition to the well-defined elaboration on the differences between the colonial and the indigenous worldviews, readers gain an understanding of the practical application of both. Dr. Blume provides much-needed discourse on the underpinnings of our thinking processes as it relates to well-being and success and the fallacy of how those have been linked to acquisition in the colonial paradigm. Taking it one step further, he explains how colonial psychology may contribute to the very conditions it claims to remedy. Dr. Blume addresses the importance of an indigenous perspective to our world and our responsibilities in it. A comprehensive paradigm of the Indigenous American perspective of psychology is provided. He contrasts this to the current colonial perspective of psychology and lays bare the repercussions of clinging to the existing colonial model through a thoughtful analysis of the impact to individuals, communities, and to our world. This work provides the foundation for the reader to understand both the indigenous perspective of psychology, but also the current psychology under which we have been trained and function, along with the assumptions inherent to it. Dr. Blume offers a rare and beautiful paradigm shift that opens the door to the potential transformative role psychologists could play in our society. I believe this book has a broad and transcultural applicability to the multiple readers, and is a must-read for both students of psychology as well as seasoned psychologists."

Editorial Reviews

Highly recommended. All readers.” —Choice

From the Publisher