A Concrete Psychological Investigation Of
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A Concrete Psychological Investigation of Ifá Divination Una Investigación Psicológica Concreta de la Adivinación de Ifá Uma Pesquisa Psicológica Concreta da Adivinhação de Ifá Martin J. Packer Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, United States Silvia Tibaduiza Sierra Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia Abstract Resumen Resumo Divination —the consultation of an oracle in or- La adivinación —consulta de un oráculo con el A adivinhação —consulta de um oráculo com der to determine a course for future action— has fin de determinar acciones futuras— se ha consi- o fim de determinar ações futuras— tem sido long been considered a practice characteristic of derado una práctica característica de la “menta- considerada uma prática característica da “men- “primitive mentality.” We describe research with lidad primitiva”. A continuación se presenta una talidade primitiva”. A continuação, apresenta-se the babalawo of Santería, who are expert in the investigación con los babalawos de la santería: uma pesquisa com os babalawos da santería: divinatory system of Ifá. Our first goal is to offer los expertos en el sistema de adivinación de Ifá. os especialistas no sistema de adivinhação de an example of what Vygotsky called “concrete El primer objetivo fue dar un ejemplo de lo que Ifá. O primeiro objetivo foi dar um exemplo do psychology”: the study of particular systems of Vygotsky llamó “psicología concreta”: el estudio que Vygotsky chamou “psicologia concreta”: o psychological functions in the concrete circum- de sistemas de funciones psicológicas particu- estudo de sistemas de funções psicológicas par- stances of specific professional complexes. Our lares dentro de las circunstancias concretas de ticulares dentro das circunstâncias concretas de second goal is to explore the character of divina- complejos profesionales específicos. El segundo complexos profissionais específicos. O segundo tion as psychological and social process, given the objetivo fue explorar la adivinación como pro- objetivo foi explorar a adivinhação como proces- somewhat negative views of divination expressed ceso psicológico y social, examinando las no- so psicológico e social, examinando as noções, by many social scientists, including Lévy-Bruhl ciones, un tanto negativas, que han expresado um tanto negativas, que têm expressado alguns and Vygotsky himself. Analysis of a recorded algunos científicos sociales sobre este concepto, científicos sociais sobre esse conceito, incluin- consultation identified features characteristic of incluyendo a Lévy-Bruhl y al mismo Vygotsky. do Lévy-Bruhl e o próprio Vygotsky. Alguns institutional discourse. We argue that the ins- Algunos rasgos característicos del discurso ins- traços característicos do discurso institucional titutional facts of divination may constitute an titucional se identificaron a través del análisis se identificaram por meio da análise de registros unfamiliar ontology, but the epistemology —the de registros de audio de consultas al oráculo de áudio de consultas ao oráculo por parte dos appeal to logic and to empirical evidence— is a por parte de los autores. En este trabajo se argu- autores. Neste trabalho, argumentou-se que os familiar one. mentó que los aspectos institucionales de la adi- aspectos institucionais da adivinhação podem vinación pueden constituir una ontología poco constituir uma ontologia pouco comum, mas común, pero una epistemología familiar. uma epistemologia familiar. Keywords: cultural psychology, higher psycho- Palabras clave: psicología cultural, funciones Palavras-chave: psicologia cultural, funções psi- logical functions, Lev Vygotsky, divination, con- psicológicas superiores, Lev Vygotsky, adivina- cológicas superiores, Lev Vygotsky, adivinhação, crete psychology, argumentation. ción, psicología concreta, argumentación. psicologia concreta, argumentação. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Martin J. Packer, e-mail: [email protected]. Department of Psychology, Univer- sidad de los Andes. Scientific research article Received: 2 february 2012 - Accepted: 20 august 2012 REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE PSICOLOGÍA VOL. 21 No. 2 JULY-DECEMBER 2012 ISSN 0121-5469 BOGOTÁ COLOMBIA PP. 355-371 356 MARTIN J. PACKER & SILVIA TIBADUIZA SIERRA “My history of cultural develop- spheres of social life.” The task, then, would ment is an abstract treatment of concre- be to study how the professional complex of a te psychology.” (Vygotsky, 1986, p. 68) Moscow worker is structured, for example. Vy- gotsky (1986) proposed that such investigation The writing of Lev Vygotsky has be- would explore “the different spheres of behavior come increasing influential in many countries (professional complex, etc.), the structure and around the world. It is now well-known that Vy- the hierarchy of functions where they relate to gotsky proposed a revolutionary psychology that and clash with one another” (p. 70). Evidently would overcome dualism, in the study of con- this would be the study of specific individuals in sciousness as a material process. He viewed con- their particular practices, but in his short notes sciousness as our relationship to the world, and Vygotsky merely sketched the outline of a con- argued that the various psychological functions crete psychology. It is necessary to fill in many work together as a dynamic system. He insisted of the details. that this system ought to be studied as a whole, In this article we will describe our own ef- rather than divided into separate components forts to study personality in this sense of a fluid as is typically done in psychological research. configuration of higher psychological functions Psychology should study the “real personality” in a social environment. We will describe our as a unity, rather than traits or characteristics, empirical exploration of the “living, specific psy- a unity always located in what Vygotsky called chology” (Bozhovich, 2009, p. 37) of a particular “the social situation of development.” professional complex –that of a babalawo, the What is less well-known is that in his note- priest of Ifá divination in the syncretic religion books, unpublished until recently, Vygotsky an- of Santería. We have two goals. The first is to ticipated a “concrete psychology” which would clarify the character of a concrete psychology, move beyond the abstract conceptualization of and to contribute to the various lines of work human psychological functioning to undertake that in recent years have taken psychology into detailed investigations of specific ways of be- the “wild” (cf. Cole, 1995; Hutchins, 1995; Lave, ing human (Vygotsky, 1986). He complained, 1991). The second is to explore the nature of or confessed, to himself that his psychology re- the verbal reasoning that occurs in divination, mained abstract in its treatment. One might say, given the somewhat negative views expressed though he didn’t use these words himself, that by Vygotsky himself on this relationship, and his psychology was still at a phase of develop- the equally negative views of other social sci- ment where it simply described the generic entists. We shall describe the practice of divina- person. He wrote that “My history of cultural tion in the context of a session of consultation. development is an abstract treatment of concrete Our analysis of this consultation demonstrates psychology” (Vygotsky, 1986, p. 68). In a con- features characteristic of institutional discourse, crete psychology, in contrast, the holistic model frequent reported speech, and “reading” of the of personality would be related to the real life of client, with assertions and questions that pre- specific persons, or specific kinds of person, in sume prior knowledge. Much of the interaction specific circumstances. Vygotsky proposed that is oriented to predictions, prophesies, and the considered concretely the higher psychological giving of advice, and the latter takes the form of functions can continually “change their role,” so what we argue is reasoned argument, with clear- that “there is no permanent hierarchy” among ly stated claims, warrants and grounding. them but rather “a sphere of possible roles” that We have argued elsewhere that there are par- each function can play, varying in “different allels between Vygotsky’s project and Foucault’s DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY HUMAN SCIENCES SCHOOL UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA DIVINATION 357 notion of a “historical ontology of ourselves” use of dreams for divination. He described how (Foucault, 1993; Packer, 2008), and it is relevant for “the South African races” dreams assisted in to sketch these parallels briefly. For both Vy- contact with the dead. He recounted not one but gotsky and Foucault, thought is not individual three dreams of Kaffirs1. Here is the second, the mental representation, because human cognition most straightforward of the three: is grounded in embodied practical activity, his- A man dreams that an attempt has been made to torically constituted and socially distributed. For take his life by one whom he has always regarded both, ontogenesis involves ontological change: as his true friend. On awakening he says: “This the person is a product of the social, and (in Fou- is strange; a man who never stoops to meanness cault’s terms) power is folded to form the self or wishes to destroy me. I cannot understand it, but (in Vygotsky’s terms) self-mastery is necessary it must be true, for ‘dreams never lie.’” Although for the personality to become a system of higher the suspected