Planning human rights education for psychologists

Tibbitts, F., & Hagenaars, P. (2020). Planning human rights education for psychologists. In P. Hagenaars, M. Plavšić, N. Sveaass, U. Wagner, & T. Wainwright (Eds.), Human rights education for psychologists(pp. 248–263). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429274312-22

Abstract

Respect for individual clients and for society at large needs to guide psychologists’ actions in the science and practice of psychology. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and related human rights standards and values are an attempt to render the concept of human dignity operational. One of the most important ways to anchor human rights within the profession of psychology is the inclusion of human rights in the academic education and continuous professional development of psychologists. A human rights-based curriculum in psychology will train students in the organisational and professional skills needed for a human rights orientation. Education for human rights has the promise to cultivate the “humanist-practitioner”, one who will practise psychology responsibly and positively for both individuals and society. This chapter introduces human rights education (HRE) theories and practices relevant for the education of psychology students. It suggests how to educate for a human rights-based psychology through curriculum strategies and themes that can be infused in the initial education and ongoing training of psychologists. The chapter concludes with questions to encourage critical reflection and discussion along with additional resources for curriculum planning.