History of psychology/Argentina

Academic Psychology in Argentina. The First Courses.

The first academic courses of Psychology in Argentina were opened in 1898 at the College of Philosophy, University of Buenos Aires and in 1905 at the College of Juridical Sciences, University of La Plata. These first courses had an experimental approach, taking into account the reception of ideas from Physiological Psychology in Germany, especially Wundt’s Laboratory in Leipzig. However, the development of academic Psychology included philosophical problems and was used to provide scientific grounds to state policies. As A. M. Talak (2007) and A. Dagfal (2012) indicate that these courses were a response to some social demands, taking into account the importance of scientific knowledge in Argentinian positivism. This epistemological background lay the foundations for the development of a practical Psychology, defined by its uses (Vezzetti, 2007). N. Rose (1996) defines a technological conception of Psychology as a field of expertise and a sum of coordinated actions on social regulation of the private self. In this perspective, Psychology in Argentina was able to develop a common ground with other fields of knowledge such as Pedagogy, Biology, Medicine and Criminology. J. Ingenieros (1910), a psychiatrist, sociologist and professor of the second course of Psychology in 1908, portrays psychological knowledge as a part of biological sciences. In this perspective, Psychology is a natural science, considering that psychological abilities are part of biological faculties. J. Ingenieros considered that Psychology could be practical knowledge, providing scientific legitimation to Criminology and a new approach: from crime itself to criminal minds. In La Plata, the first courses of Psychology took a different approach. As A. M. Talak (2007) shows, V. Mercante, inspired by the work of A. Binet, developed a series of tests destined to give a theoretical background for educational problems. Along with R. Senet and A. Calcagno, V. Mercante elaborated an Educational Psychology developed in La Plata, far from the psychopathological and criminological approach in Buenos Aires.

The creation of Psychology Degree Courses in Argentina

In Argentina, Psychology courses were created in the mid-fifties, almost ten years after other Latin America countries. That was specially due to the situation of the national universities since 1955. The “Revolución Libertadora”, a military coup that overthrew the government of general Perón on September of 1955, restored their autonomy. As a consequence of that, students and many professors who had been laid off started to work to reorganize the university under the principles of the 1918 reform. The reformists of 1955 were interested in university extension, that is to say, using scientific knowledge for the development of a country that, as they understood, was in transition towards modern forms of economy, democracy and human relationships. In this context, Psychology, Sociology and other social sciences were supposed to contribute to improving the modernization process and solving the problems it could cause, by means of the practical application of their theories. It should be stressed that in the case of Psychology as a discipline, it was present in the Argentine academy before, though just as a part of the curricula of other disciplines, like Philosophy or Law. The first National Psychology Congress took place in 1954 in Tucumán. Despite the fact that the creation of courses was proposed in that scientific event, a few more years would be necessary to finalize the project. In fact, most Psychology courses in Argentina were created between 1956 and 1958. They had two characteristics in common: on the one hand, they had a strong professional profile, that is to say, their aim was to train psychologists who would be able to work in the fields of education, industry or clinical psychology, in order to improve individual and social development. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the specific tasks and obligations of psychologists were not clearly defined. Furthermore, a legal framework for the professional practice of Psychology was not established until 1985. This is why during the first two decades after the creation of courses many debates on the professional role took place, specially that one between psychologists and doctors about the practice of psychotherapy. On the other hand, the first curricula included different theoretical approaches to the human being, as they understood it on a biopsychosociological perspective. In that regard, and contrary to the present curricula, Psychoanalysis was not the mainstream on the education of the first psychologists. However, in the middle sixties, most psychologists were psychoanalytical therapists. This was due to many reasons, but the most relevant is that a significant number of the first teachers were psychiatrists who had a psychoanalytical training at the Asociación Psicoanalítica Argentina (APA), so they included Psychoanalysis in their syllabuses. In addition to this, some psychoanalysts from APA were starting to work outside the institution, in different experiences such as group psychotherapy at hospitals. This kind of experiences, and their theoretical framework, seemed to be very attractive for students, not only for their practical applications but also due to the development and consolidation of a psychoanalytic culture in Argentina, as a consequence of an early importation of Freud’s ideas during the past century.

References

Dagfal, A. (2009). Between Paris and Buenos Aires: The invention of the psychologist (1942-1966). Buenos Aires: Paidós.

Dagfal, A. (2012). Histories of Psychology in Argentina (1890-1966). Ciencia Hoy, vol. 21, 126, 21-25.

Ingenieros, J. (1910), The Biological Psychology, Anales de la Sociedad de Psicología, vol. 1, pp. 9-34

Klappenbach. H. (2000). Psychoanalysis on the debates about psychologist professional role: Argentina (1960-1975). Revista Universitaria de Psicoanálisis, 2, 191-227.

Plotkin, M. (2003). Freud in the Pampas: the emergence and development of a psychoanalytic culture in Argentina. Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana.

Rose, N. (1996). Chap. 2. A critical history of psychology. In Inventing our Selves. Psychology, Power, and Personhood (pp. 41-66). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Talak, A. M. (2007). The Invention of a Main Science. The First Developments of Psychology in Argentina (1896 – 1919). Doctoral Thesis. Buenos Aires: Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Vezzetti, H. (2007). Histories of Psychology: Problems, Functions and Objects. Revista de Historia de la Psicología, 28 (1), 147-166.