Abstract
This chapter explains what social-psychological emancipation means. It also explains how a psychological theory can contribute insights to emancipation. Martin-Baro’s Liberation Psychology and Vygotsky’s cultural-historical psychology are introduced as exemplary psychological theories that can contribute to emancipation. The chapter presents culture as the key link of emancipation and psychological science. Psychology must be cultural to comprehend the cultural features of social-psychological emancipation. Cultural psychology can utilize its scientific culture theory to evaluate the degree to which emancipatory social movements draw upon an adequate culture theory. Their political errors can be traced to inadequate theories of cultural organization and change. Cultural-historical psychology can improve strategies for political change.
This chapter introduces my critique of populist social movements.
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Ratner, C. (2019). Introduction: Defining Emancipation That Forms the Parameters of Emancipatory, Scientific Psychology. In: Psychology’s Contribution to Socio-Cultural, Political, and Individual Emancipation. Critical Theory and Practice in Psychology and the Human Sciences. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28026-0_1
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