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Die Psychologie erfuhr im zwanzigsten Jahrhundert in vielen Ländern eine starke Entwicklung. Dieses Wachstum war am stärksten in industrialisierten, urbanisierten, westlichen Demokratien, was zur Folge hatte, dass die Disziplin wegen ihrer westlichen Beschränkung in die Kritik geriet. Obwohl diese Beschränkung nicht verneint werden soll, wird im Folgenden dargelegt, dass die historische Analyse zu einer tiefer gehenden Erklärung der Beziehung zwischen der Psychologie und diesen Gesellschaften führt, als es die `kulturalistische' Kritik vermag. Es gibt eines besondere Affinität zwischen Psychologie und der Art von Subjekten, wie sie in liberalen Demokratien leben, sowie deren Selbstverständnissen. Daraus ergibt sich, dass der Gegenstand der Disziplin selbst historisch variabel und dass die Psychologie reflexiv in diesen Prozess eingebunden ist. Wie die menschliche Subjektivität im Wechselspiel zwischen den herrschenden politischen Verhältnissen, der Psychologie und deren Gegenstand in diesen Gesellschaften konstruiert wird, bleibt unvorhersehbar. ; peerReviewed ; publishedVersion

The article reports on an exploratory study that examined access to alcohol and other drug treatment for historically disadvantaged communities in the Cape Town metropole. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 20 key informants from various sectors of the alcohol and drug treatment system, including treatment service providers, members of local drug action committees and social workers from district social service offices. Findings highlighted three structural barriers to service delivery: (i) difficulties in developing and implementing a strategic plan relating to alcohol and drug problems due to poor capacity and other infrastructural issues, such as a lack of information, poor intersectoral collaboration and limited consultation with service providers; (ii) limited allocation of resources to alcohol and drug treatment which has restricted the availability of affordable services as well as the capacity of established services to meet increased demand for services in this area; and (iii) fragmented service delivery. The study highlighted the need for further transformation of the South African social welfare system responsible for alcohol and drug treatment service delivery through public–private partnership development and the introduction of a management information system.

We examined the presence and severity of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in a group of 895 South Africans. The Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSE), were administered to high-school and college students (515 White, 126 Black, and 254 'Coloured'). There were few differences between these three groups on measures of eating disorder pathology and self-esteem. A small number of participants (3.5%) were identified as at 'high risk' for an eating disorder as shown by scores in the clinical range for both the EAT-26 and BITE. Weight, self-esteem and age were predictors for this subgroup. This study suggests that ethnicity per se may not 'protect' against the development of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in nonwestern black populations. These findings remain tentative until future survey studies employ interviews to confirm eating disorder diagnosis.

Intergroup relation perspectives stem from research in Western contexts with clear distinctions between the dominant and nondominant groups. In South Africa, with at least 13 different cultural groups and 11 official languages, no group is dominant in all life spheres. We examine the relationship between identity and in-/out-group orientation across Black-Zulu, Coloured (mixed racial ancestry), Indian, and White-Afrikaans emerging adults ( N = 390; 75% females, Mage = 19.97 years, SD = 2.44). Results indicate that personal identity for all groups and ethnic identity for Black-Zulu, Indian, and White-Afrikaans emerging adults were important for intergroup relations. Black-Zulu, Coloured, and Indian emerging adults distinguish themselves less from others, whereas White-Afrikaans emerging adults are less open to others. Ultimately, the complexity of intergroup relations in South Africa has implications for the effective transformation interventions needed to counter experiences of threat and make group boundaries more flexible for emerging adults.