A Comparative History of Psychology During the South American Dictatorships (1964-1985)

Abstract

The American continent is subdivided into several regions according to different criteria. From a geographical perspective, it is divided into North America, Central America, and South America. The last of these is known for the homogeneity of it Ibero-American culture and for the similar geopolitical processes that many of its nations have undergone.Through colonization and land expropriation, South America was colonized primarily by Spain and Portugal (both of which reigned on the Iberian Peninsula) and Spanish and Portuguese became the official languages of the continent. Geopolitically, the region went through a process of colonial liberation after Napoleon's invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. This process lasted from the end of the first decade of the 19th century until the establishment of new republics at the end of the third decade of that same century. After that time, a subtle Anglo-Saxon socioeconomic dependence developed, initially British and later American. These processes of socioeconomic development had a direct impact on South America's political stability. The influence of Anglo-Saxon countries over South America shifted during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the mid-20th century, especially after World War II, the United States (US) became the most influential nation in the region. The US influenced the economy, politics, and education, and an important part of its influence occurred during the military dictatorships that took place during the second part of the 20th century. Studies of the late 1950s to the end of the 1980s claim that, in a broad sense, the process known as the Cono Sur (Southern Cone, a geo-political region of South America, including but not limited to Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay) dictatorships held sway over the region. This process was characterized by an economically liberal-capitalist and socially conservative perspective that decidedly impacted the development of psychology.However, it should be acknowledged that academic disciplines?their subdisciplines and their manner of research and practice?are not isolated. On the contrary, the historical and political context leaves a profound mark on them. This is why, in this chapter, we will revise the conclusion of previous studies of the academic, scientific, and professional consequences for psychology of South America's dictatorships.