4393 - PSYCHOLOGY IN BOTSWANA

Session: 4392 - PSYCHOLOGY IN AFRICA: PAN-AFRICAN PSYCHOLOGY UNION
AUTHORS:
Kote Monde (PAPU ~ Gaborone ~ Botswana)
Abstract text:
The state of Psychology in Botswana since its formal recognition has seen the "new " being characterized by a concerted effort by the government to try and introduce various cadres of the science through mass sponsorship in various predominantly English-speaking jurisdictions. The I/O Psychology cadre was the earliest cadre of psychologists to be noted in the field. Country primarily due to the influence of De Beers mining operations in the 80s; however, in the last 2 decades, clinical Psychologists, educational Psychologists, Health, applied, and Sports psychologists have increased exponentially. With these developments, the formation of a professional Association, the Botswana Association of Psychologists, was necessitated. Currently, the University of Botswana is the premier institution that offers a diverse array of programs and courses in Psychology. Botswana, like many other African countries, recognizes the need for context-driven Psychology and thus found it necessary to sign on as a founding member of the PAPU Cape Town Declaration. The growth trajectory continues to be noted and documented by scholars, including Pheko, M. M., Monteiro, N., Kote, M., & Balogun, S. (2013). The development of the psychology discipline in Botswana: Research so far. Development, 2(2), which charts the academic development in the field.