From Apology to Action-From APA’s Apology to JARS-REC Through the Lens of Epistemological Violence

Paparis, Konstantinos (2025) From Apology to Action-From APA’s Apology to JARS-REC Through the Lens of Epistemological Violence. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Historically, psychological research has contributed to scientific racism. In 2021, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued an apology for its role in promoting, perpetuating, and failing to challenge racism in the US. An outcome of this apology is the policy update of Journal Article Reporting Standards on Race, Ethnicity, and Culture (JARS-REC). This thesis critically examines whether JARS-REC represents a substantial change in psychological research, capable of preventing Epistemological violence (EV). EV is a concept developed by Thomas Teo to describe the construction of the Other as inferior and problematic in empirical research. This is done mainly through the interpretation of data. Drawing from critical psychology, theoretical psychology, and the work of Thomas Teo, I argue that while JARS-REC introduces procedural reforms that enhance reflexivity and contextual awareness, it remains structurally embedded within the logic of psychological science that has historically enabled racism and epistemological violence. This logic refers to a construction of psychology that neglects cultural and socio-historical aspects of research, the hermeneutical dimension of empirical research, and instead focuses only on what can be methodologically measured. Through a theoretical analysis, this thesis demonstrates that JARS-REC does not disrupt the epistemological foundations that have enabled racism and EV in psychology. Instead, it risks reproducing the same forms of violence it aims to prevent, this time in a more inclusive and ethically framed language.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Burman, J.T.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Theory and History of Psychology [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	29 Aug 2025 07:09
Last Modified:	29 Aug 2025 07:09
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5910

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