International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology
Open Access

Abstract

The Hegemonic School of Psychology and the Needs of Palestine

Samah Jabr, Elizabeth Berger*

Cultural hegemony is placed in relation to Kurt Lewin’s action research and the psychological theories of social conflict by Lewin himself, Carolyn Wood Sherif and Muzafer Sherif and Henri Tajfel. Consonances between Gramsci’s ideas and these psychological theories are brought to the fore. Assuming this theoretical perspective, the results of an action research conducted in Arab Israeli schools to reduce dispersion highlight the heuristic value of Gramsci’s ideas in the Israeli Arab conflict context. Thus the contradictions of that conflict emerge and together with them, the possibility of a solution. Although many Palestinian mental health professionals have been educated in the wealthy nations of Europe and the United States, they often return to Palestine with a perspective on health and illness that does not line up with the psychological realities found at home. Why is this? We outline here some of the gaps between the western approach to psychology and the challenges faced by our community.

Published Date: 2025-01-20; Received Date: 2024-02-12