Abstract
Psychology in Brazil is born alongside the country’s modernization project, to which the science contributed by establishing a universal conceptualization of the individual and classification and categorization processes, hardly attentive to social reality. The historical conditions set forth by the country’s re-democratization allowed a breaking from this perspective, operated by the Social Commitment Project. This paper reflects on the paths that led to this transformation and the ensuing ethical-political project committed to Brazil’s reality. It analyzes the trajectory started in the turn of 20th to the 21st century, led by professional entities, namely the Psychology Councils, along with important changes in the psychologist’s work. Such trajectory allowed for a critical review of Psychology in five axes: 1) production of democratic individuals and the defense of democracy; 2) construction of resistance against alienation and the fight against a colonized thought; 3) perspectives of professional services committed to ensuring rights; 4) enhanced quality of the psychologist’s professional practice; 5) the broadening of the scope of psychology. For each axis, the text presents actions, strategies, and projects that led to the organized and democratic growth and social acknowledgment of Psychology, becoming accessible to most of the population. But it also points out the challenges for this project’s current continuity, believing that with 60 years of regulation, Psychology is capable of facing new issues arising in the country by means of professionals who carry on the social commitment project.
Keywords:
Psychology; Social Commitment; Social Rights; Democracy; Critical Thinking