TRANSFORMATION OF PSYCHOLOGY IN EASTERN EUROPE AROUND THE MILLENNIUM

Csaba Pléh Eszterházy College, Eger, Hungary and

CEU, Budapest

Talk at the Eighth International Interdisciplinary Symposium Encounter of Cultures

Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad(1 – 2 December 2014)

Outline

• Some of the key issues • • Institutional changes in teaching, research, academic psychology at

large. de-Marxization.• Publication changes: national language periodicals, translation and

publication of classics (Freud etc.), and modern literature. Language policies. Soft psychology, esoteria, and scientific psychology. • The fate of psychoanalysis.. • Rebirth of psychology and modern social transformations. Gender

issues, industrial society, psychology and politics.

Some historical features of the areaMoving area between West and East Jenő Szűcs

Central Europe is the key for salvationMilan Kundera

Some psychological parallel attitudes/ issues • Western, individualistic image of

man: pro-psychology• Western antipsychology:

psychology proper

• too spiritualistic too materialistic

• Radical:Parameters are too slow

• Radical: it is • too slow

Conservative: anti-Volk and anti church

Some typologies of change

• Liberation from Societ-Russian monolithy : Baltic• Integration to Western own

culture: GDR• National and state speration:

Czech, Yougoslavia • Modernization: Poland, Hungary •

• Within psychology • Purification e.g. East Germany • Total liberal Hungary• Combinations • Language issues in several areas

Changes in education

• Spreading, multiplication• Increase of studentship • Who controls the curriculum?• Accreditation and state and professional bodies• Internationalization in two regards:• standards• Student mobility

Some features in Hungarian high ed

• dramatic increase of students• at the same time, full time faculty from 16.157 to 16.771 • great increase of full time at universities, part time in Special Colleges • questioning the value od diplomas• Most popular: law, business, informatics, psychology, communication

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Increase of students, changes in teacher-student ration in Hungary Student-teacher ratio

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Standardisation in a developing human service profession: Psychology

• EFPA (European Federation of Psychological Associations, Tuomo Tikkanen) 1 psychologist per 1850 inhabitants, 2010 estimate is 1 psychologist to 1500 inhabitants. • There is a growing student population• Fears of standards deteriorating• Accompanied by fears of work force mobility form the new

countries An international group lead by Ingrid Lunt, London works on a

joint, shared curriculum for 8 years

Psychologists and students : Two patterns

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EU New members

Psychologist

Students

Outlines of the ideal curriculum proposed in EuroPsyd

Quality control aspects

• Knowledge, skills, and attitudes• Actual list of competencies to be expected • Applied aspects and social setting specifically emphasized• Output on MA level as well. Not called a psychologist. ‚behavior

analyst’• Supervised practice new element

Presuppositions of the EuroPsyD proposal

• It is a quality benchmark, not a detailed joint curriculum • The supervised practice and the internship during

the MA phase will test the institutions in may countries • Three targeted main applied fields: clinical, education, work • Supervised competencies judged in at least one

Critical issues in the preparation

• Is BA/MA obligatory? No, but 5 + 1 yes. % can be unified or divided. • Generic or specialist? Compromise. Entitled for independent practice

in the supervised field, for dependent practice in all fields.• Number of years varies in Europe. • Competencies. Some are general, like numeracy or communication,

some more specific, like intervention planning

Phase Component Individual

Group Society Total

1st Phase: (“Bachelor” or equivalent)

Orientation The curriculum should include orientation to psychology, its sub-

disciplines and areas of professional activity

Min 125Max 135

Theoretical courses and practical exercises

Max 95 Min 20 Min 20

Academic skills

Academic skills training should be included

Methodology Min 30 Min 45 Max 55

Non-psychology theory

Min 15 – Max 25

Total 180

2nd Phase: (Masters or equivalent)

Theoretical courses, seminars, assignments etc.

Min 30 Max 60

Placement Min 30 Min 60

Research project / thesis

Min 30

Total 120

3rd Phase Supervised Practice

Min 60 Total 60

Primary competences

• Grouped into professional roles A. goal specification B. assessmentC. developmentD. interventionE. evaluationF. communication.

• The procedure will indirectly evaluate universities and their programs• A real possibility for quality assurance• The supervised practice year already a new element • The EuroPsyD will not be an obligation, but it will help in mobility • Several non regulated details, such as language requirements for

licensing, connections to specialist requirements will be immediate national tasks

Some relevance towards broader European processes

Some aspects of the Bologna process as it unfolds • The structuring of the two levels • How to make B level applicable?• What is happening to the Specialist Colleges? Do they really fade? • Cost reduction and cost sensitivity• Who would bring new money in? What foreigners to attract

Some broader educational issues

Where to train psychologists? The fight of the faculties. Philosophy, education, med school.

The clinical issue. It is still almost 80 %. Where should they belong?

Research and education., Research institutes.

Language issue is basic.

Research aspects

• Presence in Western publications• Status of local languages. Do we still write in …• Emmigration, Immigration and reintegration. Numbers, issues

PsychLit material for Hungarians

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Hungarian presence a 14 times increase Still small 2 ‰

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The birth of PopPsyissues: democracy quality misunderstanding

The spread of the profession

• Reconsideration of the psychological society

• Rebirth of psychoanalysis

• Rediscovery of the forgotten past

Take home message

• The changes conditioned by drastic political and social changes underwent under our vision, and still only analyzed with anecdotal evidence and cursory looks.• The main issues are how psychology was fairing in an authoritarian

social system, and how did change to a freer political organization and towards market economy influenced the spread of psychology both as a practical and as an intellectual attitude. • The talk is part of a larger project that shall combine essayistic

analysis of modern trends, collection of oral history archives, historical analysis of archival materials