Retos y desafíos para la psicología social latinoamericana: aportes desde los feminismos.

Introduction: Latin America is facing a socio-political and economic context of great violence and crisis of care, reproduction of life, bonds and social fabric, with women being one of the most vulnerable groups. Therefore, it is necessary for social psychology, as a discipline permeated by neoliberalism and patriarchy, to turn its gaze and pay more attention, on the one hand, to the complex problems caused by political violence in our region and, on the other, to be critically examined to implement substantial transformations to its own research, academic education and social action or university extension processes. This article addresses some of the disciplinary challenges and responsibilities in a very complex regional context that requires a concrete and situated Latin American experience, and at the same time, a decolonial and intersectional feminist place of enunciation, that represents an area of resistance to continue building a critical, emancipatory and liberating, inclusive, feminist, diverse, intersectional and decolonial social psychology. Furthermore, it is necessary to forge a discipline that acts from epistemic disobedience and that can recognize other epistemological, theoretical, methodological, practical and interpretative frameworks of history and scientific knowledge that are enriched by the methods and practices of feminisms. Therefore, it is necessary to collaborate in making visible the contributions mainly of Costa Rican, Mesoamerican and Latin American women authors that confirm the political and socially transforming character of feminist research processes. However, to achieve this, it is essential to recognize that this is a disciplinary responsibility that concerns all professionals and not only women. Thus, the bibliographical review provides us with insights to continue working on a transforming, intersectional and encouragingly feminist social psychology, sensitive to regional contexts and from a psychosocial and decolonial praxis. Objective: This text seeks to contribute to the understanding and transformation of the disciplinary practice through a praxis that is critical towards a social approach, from feminist decolonial perspectives that are self-critical of the neoliberal patriarchal forms of reproduction of violence in the region and inside the activity of the discipline. Method: This article was developed through an online bibliographic search and review in scientific research portals, in journals such as Reflexiones and WimbLu of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), Revista Costarricense de Psicología, Revista de Pensamiento e Investigación Social, Revista Psicología Política, Revista Psicoperspectivas, Individuo y Sociedad of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso and Revista Interamericana de Psicología. In addition, books from the repositories of the libraries of the National University (UNA) and the University of Costa Rica (UCR) were reviewed. Likewise, libraries of nongovernmental human rights and feminist organizations in the Mesoamerican region –which have developed interesting theoretical and methodological proposals and models of intervention and accompaniment applied to Latin America– were consulted, such as Aluna Acompañamiento Psicosocial of Mexico and the Community Studies and Psychosocial Action Team (ECAP) of Guatemala. From this review, texts mainly by Latin American authors were identified and selected with emphasis on the period from 2007 to 2022 as a means of covering the trends of the last 15 years in the fields of social psychology and intersectional feminisms, a period in which multiple forms of violence, chiefly against women, have increased and intensified, posing important challenges to the discipline of psychology in facing a very complex regional context that requires a concrete and situated experience at the Latin American level. Thus, this text is proposed as a critical bibliographic research based on theoretical elements of intersectional and decolonial feminisms and their contributions to the work of Latin American social psychology and its current trends. In addition to presenting a critical approach, it is intended as a reflective and self-reflective document; in other words, it is theoretical research, but also situated within a personal professional practice and a concrete experience that requires constant introspection in order to identify elements of the endeavor that could reproduce or are reproducing patriarchal and violent practices. Results: Few theoretical-practical investigations were found on structural violence in the region, and even fewer feminist investigations on the experiences of Latin American women and from the approaches of social psychology. The ones that were discovered were developed only by women, and do not include a critical perspective on patriarchal practices within our professional praxis. Conclusions: We find ourselves in a complex and violent socio-political and economic context in Latin America, which renders the care and reproduction of life, bonds and the social fabric vulnerable, with women being one of the most affected groups. Therefore, it is urgent that social psychology contributes to the transformation of this context, but at the same time, it needs to look internally to transform the multiple ways of reproducing neoliberalism and patriarchy within its disciplinary work. To do so, it requires support from decolonial and intersectional feminisms in order to promote, empower, motivate and recognize the wisdom of the peoples of Abya Yala and of Abya Yala herself, and the scientific and epistemological production of feminist women as a group that is also in resistance. The theoretical and methodological contributions addressed in this paper provide situated perspectives, from ethically and politically clear places of enunciation, epistemologically disobedient and committed to in-discipline. They also provide theoretical and methodological tools that collaborate in the reconstruction of the social fabric on which the dominant socio-political, neoliberal and patriarchal violence is produced and reproduced, but at the same time, where life and bonds, resistances and connections between women are reproduced. These contributions inspire creative, inclusive and critical practices that can strengthen new paths, but mainly provide insights to continue working in a transformative, intersectional and encouragingly feminist social psychology, sensitive to regional contexts and from the praxis of a decolonial psychosocial approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]