Psychology in Nepal

The history of psychology in Nepal can be traced from 1947 when it was introduced at Tri-Chandra College, Kathmandu. At that time Tri-Chandra was the only college in Nepal and was affiliated to one of the Indian Universities. Psychology was introduced at the intermediate level as part of philosophy. When Tribhuvan University (TU) was established in 1959, other colleges also came into existence.

By 1966, four more colleges introduced psychology as an academic subject. As a relatively new discipline with a small number of manpower, psychology grew slowly. The Master level course in psychology started in 1980.

Academic Challenges & Western Influence

The growth of psychology as an academic and professional discipline in Nepal has been slow and has been set back to merge in the mainstream of the national development. The first generation of teachers – trained in the West or India – had their own priorities on academic curricula that were influenced by their respective training and these priorities were in many ways not parallel to the national need.

Textbooks and reference books prescribed were either American or Indian with Western orientation. Many concepts and issues that were raised in the academic curricula were irrelevant to Nepalese setting. Group prejudice and discrimination is followed with the parallel concept of race relationship whereas the Nepalese social structure and discrimination in relation to caste system and marginalised ethnic groups are almost untouched.

The Need for Indigenization

Psychologists are working in insularity. Third world countries have some common issues like human resources, problem of achievement, motivation, education, poverty, health and disease, and population (Ardila, 1993) that differ in priorities among individual nations. Nepal, being a developing country, is a third world country with its own need, issues and priorities.

Indigenization of psychology and an interdisciplinary approach will work as solutions for psychology to become more relevant in national context and boost the discipline. Developing indigenous psychology not only helps to understand Nepalese psychology based on Nepalese setting but also helps immensely to use psychology in the developmental task.

References

• Ardila, R. (1993). Latin American psychology and World psychology. in Indigenous Psychologies.
• Bhattachan, K. B. (1987). Sociology and anthropology curriculum and the needs of Nepal.
• Bista, D. B. (1993). Fatalism and development. Orient Longman. Delhi.
• Moghaddam, F.M. (1993). Traditional and Modern psychologies in competing cultural systems.
• Regmi, M. R. (1994). The Himalayan mind. Nirala Publications, New Delhi.
• Sinha, D. (1986). Psychology in a Third Would Country. Sage Publications, New Delhi.
• Subba, S. (1998). Psychology in Nepal: Its status and prospect of development as an academic discipline and profession. CNAS, Kathmandu.

Published in NASA NEWSLETTER, No. 7, April 1999, Department of History of Religions, Denmark. Source: shishirs.wordpress.com