Bharti M Borah
When you enter the world of psychology, no student can escape statements like, "Oh, so you can read my mind!" or "I need to be careful about what I say in front of you." But psychology is not about reading minds. It is a discipline that is defined as "the study of human and animal behaviour". In order to enter this sphere, you need to have a genuine interest in human behaviour and have to develop your observational skills, if not already prevalent.
Psychology departments always stand out no matter which space they occupy. People will peep in, but will always be wary of entering this space.
According to Shalini Masih, counsellor at New Delhi's Satyawati College, "Psychology is very time consuming and there is a stigma attached to being a psychologist as well." Students of psychology usually end up being lost in a world of their own, getting into the depths of their self and others. Readings and assignments not only provide you insight into behaviour but also help in developing an understanding into the connection between the mind and body.
How it all began
The first department of psychology in India was established at Calcutta University as early as 1915 when Sigmund Freud was busy understanding the psyche in the Victorian society. Though many would have heard of Freud, not many would be aware of our own Girindrasekhar Bose, an early 20th century South Asian psychoanalyst who was also the first president of the Indian Psychoanalytic Society in 1922. An even lesser known fact is that Bose and Freud carried on a 20-year dialogue through letters. When Bose submitted his doctoral thesis in 1921, entitled 'Concept of Repression,' he blended Hindu thought with Freudian concepts.
The Indian Psychological Association was established in 1924 and the Indian Journal of Psychology was founded in 1926, much ahead of many countries around the world. Bose has found reflection through the writings of Christiane Hartnack, Amit Ranjan Basu, Ashis Nandy, Sudhir Kakar and Mansi Kumar among many others. In spite of the early beginning in the Indian context, psychology is still trying to find its grounding and establish roots as a discipline and profession to be pursued actively.
No comments:
Post a Comment