Ignacio Martín-Baró and the psychology of liberation

Ignacio Martín-Baró is the father of liberation psychology. This Jesuit founded a new movement that changed the way we understand social psychology. Taking other liberation movements as a starting point, Martín-Baró focused social psychology on the study of people’s contexts and problems that he studied

Perhaps not too well known outside of America, it is a central reference in countries in that environment. Schools such as community psychology derive from his ideas.which focuses on empowering the communities with which it works, in the fight against poverty, in the defense of democracy and in mental health.

Life of Martín-Baró

Martín-Baró was born in Spain, in Valladolid, and entered the Society of Jesus. As a Jesuit he was assigned to Central America. He studied philosophy, theology and psychology, and eventually settled in San Salvador, in the Republic of El Salvador. His doctoral thesis dealt with social attitudes and conflicts in El Salvador.; Specifically, Martín-Baró wrote about the population density of the lower social classes in this area.

Ignacio was a visiting professor at different universities in different countries, but the one he spent the longest was at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University in San Salvador. Finally, Ignacio was killed by a platoon of the Atlacatl battalion of the Armed Forces of El Salvador, under the orders of Colonel René Emilio Ponce, on November 16, 1989, along with other priests. The crime is known as that of the martyrs of the UCA, the José Simeón Cañas Central American University of San Salvador.

Theology and philosophy of liberation

Liberation psychology is based on three movements that previously emerged. These are: liberation theology, liberation philosophy and liberation pedagogy. Liberation theology proposes focusing on those most in need, that is, the poor. From Christianity they recognize the oppression and injustices faced by this sector of society, and they defend the use of human and social sciences.

For its part, the philosophy of liberation focuses on the creation of knowledge. He discusses that most of the knowledge that is studied comes from middle-class Western men; That is to say, knowledge that comes from other people is not considered valid. Therefore, the philosophy of liberation proposes learning through dialogue the knowledge of those “others” who are not taken into account.

liberation pedagogy

Another basis of the thought of liberation psychology finds its foundation in the thought of Paulo Freire, who created an educational movement known as liberation pedagogy. This movement considered that liberating education was a process of renewal of the social condition of the individualconsidering the subject as a thinking and critical being who reflects on the reality he or she lives.

So, liberation pedagogy sought to educate in critical as well as useful thinking; that is, educating in egalitarian values ​​without using indoctrination. Not educate according to the interests of the economy, but with personal ones. People are taught to understand the world from their experience and critical reflection. These foundations were adopted in liberation psychology.

The psychology of liberation

Starting from these bases, Ignacio Martín-Baró founded what is known as the psychology of liberation. The proposal is that Psychology should start from the context being studied and focus on the problems that people that resides in that context has. Thus, he advocates a psychology focused on specific contexts, rather than artificial contexts. He also believed that psychology is not impartial, which is why he defended a critical and positioned psychology.

With these ideas, Martín-Baró created the University Institute of Public Opinion. From this organization he launched surveys to the population and then shared the data obtained. Thus, Martín-Baró demystified many of the beliefs of the people; what is known as de-ideologization. On the other hand, the politicians found his opposing ideas, which ended with his assassination.

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