Toward decolonial community psychologies from Abya Yala

Area of Science:

• Community Psychology
• Decolonial Studies
• Indigenous Epistemologies

Background:

• Dominant community psychology discourse excludes Latin American and Caribbean epistemologies.
• Psychology historically reflects Euro- and US-centric perspectives, often marginalizing other knowledge systems.
• Coloniality in science perpetuates hegemonic paradigms and structural violence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the exclusion of non-Western epistemologies in community psychology.
• To explore decolonial contributions from Abya Yala (Indigenous Americas) for a pluriversal psychology.
• To disrupt monocultural and monolingual dominance in psychological knowledge production.

Main Methods:

• Review of decolonial contributions and praxes from Abya Yala.
• Analysis of linguistic colonization in psychology.
• Conceptualization of counterepistemologies against hegemonic paradigms.

Main Results:

• Abya Yala epistemologies offer alternatives to Euro- and US-centric paradigms.
• Decolonial approaches address structural violence within neoliberal systems.
• Disrupting linguistic colonization is crucial for inclusive psychological knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Co-creating decolonial community psychologies requires embracing pluriversal ecologies of knowledge.
• Integrating Indigenous experiences is vital for a more inclusive and equitable discipline.
• Challenging coloniality through praxis is essential for transformative psychology.