Modern psychology had evolved in Western society within a cultural context that values individual freedom, independence and empirical reasoning. As a result, the initial psychological theories often emphasised the individual self rather than the social or spiritual dimensions of human experience. However, if an Indian grandmother were asked about how she had survived the harshness of life, she would speak in terms of karma, faith, family support, patience and fulfilling one’s dharma.
These responses highlight that human behaviour is deeply shaped by the culture the individual grows up within. Yet, for decades, the psychology taught in India had mostly developed in terms of Western culture. While each of the theories was significant to scientific understanding, they often failed to capture the richness and complexity of Indian life.
India is exceptionally diverse. It is home to hundreds of languages, multiple religions, different ideologies and philosophical traditions. Therefore, understanding Indian minds required an approach beyond translating the concepts from the West. Something rooted in Indian realities. This realisation gave birth to the movement of Indigenous Psychology in India, led by Durganand Sinha.
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Limitation of the Western Lens
Modern psychology had primarily emerged in Europe and North America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While most of the theories, from Freud’s psychoanalysis to Skinner’s behaviourism alongside much of the cognitive research, gave a foundational understanding, they were largely based on Western populations, often university students from industrialised societies (Henrich, Heine & Norenzayan, 2010).
The Western theories continue to be relevant. However, it was observed that cultural and social norms, religion and historical contexts deeply affect human behaviour (Triandis, 1994). These factors made the Western origin theories incomplete. Thus, it is crucial to consider such factors in order to understand how and why individuals behave the way they do.
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The Diverse Indian Culture Demanded a Different Psychology
Concepts such as the joint family system, community identity, spirituality and religious traditions continue to shape the everyday decisions of Indians. Even emotional expressions are deeply influenced by relationships rather than isolated preferences. (Sinha & Tripathi, 1994). Many Indian ideologies such as seva (selfless service) and athma (soul) have a cultural context which is difficult to translate. These concepts influence the way individuals in India cope with the daily hardships of life (Paranjpe, 1984).
In India, family members participate in the treatment decisions of an individual, religious beliefs significantly influence coping strategies, and community relationships deeply affect the psychological well-being of an individual. Such differences from Western culture emerge from the need for research methods and theories that thoroughly investigate Indian society.
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The Birth of Indigenous Psychology
During the latter half of the twentieth century, Indian psychologists recognised these limitations and started searching for an indigenous approach. Indigenous psychology suggests that psychological knowledge should be gained by understanding the culture and realities of the people being studied (Kim & Berry, 1993).
Such an approach encouraged the researchers to investigate concepts, behaviours and social relationships using frameworks meaningful within Indian culture. Instead of trying to fit Indian behaviour within Western theories, Indigenous psychology studies the emergence of psychological principles from Indian social life. This made psychology more inclusive, culturally sensitive and globally representative.
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Durganand Sinha: The Father of Indigenisation in Indian Psychology
Durganand Sinha is widely considered the Father of Indigenisation in Indian Psychology. Among all the scholars who have significantly contributed, Sinha has a unique position. He consistently argued that psychology in India must not be dependent on theories of the West (Sinha, 1997). He proposed a balanced approach, suggesting that psychological theories needed to be tested and modified with respect to the Indian social realities. Also, he believed that blindly adapting theories is an act of ignorance to the country’s historical, cultural, economic and social diversity.
Sinha emphasised that psychology should not be limited to laboratory experiments but should address real societal concerns such as poverty, social inequality, education, family dynamics and community development. His works shifted the focus to culturally grounded research that could benefit Indian society.
Read More: The Depths of Indian Psychology: Traditions and Modern Insights
Beyond West but Not Against
Durganand Sinha presented psychology that reflected India’s own intellectual heritage while maintaining scientific rigour. He believed that the diverse Indian culture, philosophical traditions and everyday experiences could offer valuable insight into human behaviour (Sinha, 1997). His vision encouraged psychologists to explore indigenous concepts of personality, emotion and morality using empirical methods. Instead of copying the existing Western theories, Indian researchers started to develop concepts arising from local communities, languages and cultural practices.
Sinha never promoted isolation from global psychology. His goal was not to replace Western psychology but to enrich it by contributing a different perspective which had long been overlooked. Today, many areas of Indian psychology such as mindfulness, yoga and community well-being reflect the intellectual foundation laid by Sinha’s vision.
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Conclusion
Psychology becomes meaningful only when people start to recognise themselves within it and relate to it. A student from a small town in India should not feel that psychological theories describe the life of someone else. Culture often holds valuable psychological wisdom that people should also acknowledge
The emergence of Indigenous psychology challenged the assumption that one psychological framework could explain every aspect of human behaviour. It highlighted the importance of cultural contexts in understanding the human mind. From the works of Durganand Sinha, Indian psychology gained the confidence to develop theories grounded in its own social reality while maintaining scientific rigorousness. His legacy continues to encourage psychologists to develop a discipline that is capable of understanding Indian realities. Ultimately, psychology can only serve humanity the best when it listens to the voices of the culture it seeks to understand.
Reference +
- Paranjpe, A. C. (1984). Theoretical psychology: The meeting of East and West. Plenum Press. Sinha, D. (1986). Psychology in a Third World country: The Indian experience. Sage.
- Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253.
- Kim, U., & Berry, J. W. (Eds.). (1993). Indigenous psychologies: Research and experience in cultural context. Sage Publications.
- Sinha, D., & Tripathi, R. C. (1994). Individualism in a collective culture: A case of coexistence of opposites. In U. Kim, H. C. Triandis, Ç. Kağıtçıbaşı, S. C. Choi, & G. Yoon (Eds.), Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method, and applications (pp. 123–136). Sage Publications.
- Triandis, H. C. (1994). Culture and social behaviour. McGraw-Hill.
- Sinha, D. (1997). Indigenising psychology. In J. W. Berry, Y. H. Poortinga, & J. Pandey (Eds.), Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 129–169). Allyn & Bacon.
- Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world? Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 33(2–3), 61–83.
