Psychological practices in Greenland
Tracing hope within hopelessness as a rupture with colonial practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v47i1.171934Keywords:
psychological practice in Greenland, postcolonial theory, hope and hopelessness, cultural psychology, critical suicidology, epistemic humilityAbstract
Abstract This article explores hopelessness and hope in psychological practice in Greenland. It outlines the colonial history and the societal changes that followed the assimilation policies after 1953, showing how psychology operates through colonial logics. An analysis of reflective vignettes from the authors’ own practice demonstrates how these colonial practices continue to shape psychological practice, while also identifying concrete disruptions of these. The article highlights how these disruptions, create spaces for hope in Greenlandic psychological practice. By making both hopelessness and the areas where hope can be traced in practice visible, the article ultimately invites a critical dialogue among psychologists and researchers about how psychological knowledge and practice can be shaped in a more epistemically humble way with respect to the historical and cultural conditions in which it unfolds.
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