A History of “Relevance” in Psychology

Wahbie Long is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and a Mandela Mellon Fellow of the Hutchins Center at Harvard University, USA.                                                            

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. A History of 'Relevance'.- Chapter 3. Theorizing 'Relevance'.- Chapter 4. Themes in South African Psychology (1948-2011).- Chapter 5. 'Relevance' and the SAPA-PIRSA Split.- Chapter 6. Science and Society in the Time of SAPA (1948-1961).- Chapter 7. The Rise and Fall of 'Ethnic-National Relevance (1963-1977).- Chapter 8. The Quest for 'Social Relevance' (1978-1993).- Chapter 9. 'Relevance' in the Post-Apartheid Era (1994-2011).- Chapter 10. Conclusion.                                                                                           

“Long’s work calls for a critical reflection and historical analysis of our psychological concepts and ways of framing the value of psychology more generally. … The reader is rewarded with a clear demonstration of the potential insights yielded from critical discursive analysis and a convincing call to explore the larger historical and cultural context that shapes psychological theories and practice.” (Brian W. Becker and Heather Macdonald, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 62 (6), February, 2017)