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SPECIALIZATION AND DESPECIALIZATION IN PSYCHOLOGY: DIVERGENT PROCESSES IN THE THREE WORLDS
Author(s) -
Moghaddam Fathali M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
international journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1464-066X
pISSN - 0020-7594
DOI - 10.1080/00207594.1989.10600036
Subject(s) - psychology , theoretical psychology , order (exchange) , social worlds , epistemology , social psychology , cognitive psychology , social science , sociology , philosophy , finance , economics
This paper raises some fundamental questions about the consequences of specialization in the discipline of psychology, as well as the psychological consequences of specialization. Increasing specialization is taking place as a result of wide‐ranging psychological and societal factors, rather than strictly scientific criteria. Among the consequences of increasing specialization are fragmentation in psychology, and microcosmic, rather than wholistic, models of behavior. Some third world psychologists trained in the first and second worlds are moving toward despecialization, in order to tackle major social problems that invariably require a wholistic approach. It is proposed that despecialization has potential benefits for all of psychology.